Sylvester C. Chima, MD, LLM, LLD

Professor Chima, who was born in Nigeria, spent more than 20 years of his academic career in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Caribbean. After qualifying as a medical doctor in Nigeria, Professor Chima practiced for many years in that country before going to Howard University, Yale University, and the Mount Sinai School of Medicine of New York University in the USA, where he trained as a Pathologist and Neuropathologist. Apart from being a qualified Pathologist, in 2006 Professor Chima received a Master of Laws (LLM) in Medical Law from Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne in England, and LLD (Doctor of Laws, focusing on Jurisprudence and Bioethics) from the School of Law, University of South Africa (UNISA)

Professor Chima has worked around the globe at prominent institutions, including Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut, National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD, and Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, USA.

Prior to joining TMSU, he was an Associate Professor & Head: Programme of Bio & Research Ethics and Medical Law at the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban South Africa from 2008-2025.

Professor Chima has published papers in international journals such as BMJ, BMC Medical Ethics, Journal of General Virology, Human Biology, The Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice, PLOS ONE, and Advances in Public Health. He is the author/co-author of six books on Medical Law and Bioethics. His latest book contribution is entitled “Patient Confidentiality rules in South Africa: A legal and ethical perspective. IN: Privacy and Confidentiality in Healthcare: A Comparative Analysis. Thierry Vansweevelt & Nicola Glover-Thomas (Eds). Global Perspectives on Medical Law series. Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham, England.

Currently, Dr. Chima serves as Professor of Pathology and Bioethics at TMSU. Additionally, Prof Chima is an Academic Editor and a Member of the Editorial Board for PLOS ONE and ADVANCES IN PUBLIC HEALTH.