Dr. Souwelimatou Amadou Amani is  an Associate Program Officer  for Helmsley’s Crohn’s Disease Program.  In this role, Souweli assists with the prevention grants portfolio, which focuses on  identifying the causes of Crohn’s disease as well as developing strategies to prevent onset and recurrence and delay disease progression, all with the goal of improving the lives of patients.

Prior to joining Helmsley, Souweli was a scientist and R&D program manager at Locus Biosciences, where she led pre-clinical pharmacology research for the development of bacteriophage-based therapies targeting inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and antibiotic-resistant infections.

Souweli earned a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, where she studied humoral immunity to  C. difficile bacteria and toxins.  She graduated with a bachelor's degree in neuroscience from the University of Cincinnati and a master's degree in aging and neuroscience from the University of South Florida.  Souweli is also the co-founder and vice president of a nonprofit association, Girls Engaged in Medicine and Science (GEMS) that aims to promote and empower women in STEM in her country of origin, Niger.

Outside of work, Souweli likes to spend time with her cat, cook, and read, and she looks forward to exploring New York City.