Nigerian researcher Professor Andrew Agbaje has secured a €1.5 million European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant to investigate the long-term health effects of vaping and electronic cigarette use among young people.
Agbaje, an alumnus of the University of Benin, will lead the five-year VAPE-HABIT project at the University of Eastern Finland. The research comes as health authorities and researchers continue to examine the consequences of growing nicotine use among young people and the limited evidence on the long-term effects of vaping.
The ERC Starting Grant is one of Europe’s most competitive individual research grants, with scientific excellence serving as the sole selection criterion.
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Andrew Agbaje to Lead Five-Year VAPE-HABIT Project
Through the VAPE-HABIT project, Agbaje and his research team will investigate how vaping and e-cigarette use may affect several aspects of young people’s health.
The study will examine potential effects on the heart, brain, kidneys and liver, as well as obesity and metabolic health. The researchers will use data from the Children of the 90s cohort, also known as the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom.
According to Agbaje, the dataset provides a valuable opportunity because the relevant health information was collected prospectively from several thousand young participants. This allows researchers to examine health changes over time and investigate possible links between vaping and later health outcomes.
The project will particularly examine whether vaping has causal effects on cardiovascular, liver, kidney and neurological disorders. Researchers will also study the relationship between vaping, obesity, metabolic syndrome and dysglycaemia.
Study Will Explore How Vaping May Affect the Body
The research will go beyond identifying possible health outcomes. Agbaje’s team will use proteomic analysis to investigate biological mechanisms that could help explain vaping-related organ damage and potentially identify therapeutic targets.
The project will also examine vaping during pregnancy and its possible effects on offspring growth, stunting and blood pressure. Researchers will model interventions that could help prevent or reverse potential health consequences, including using quasi-experiments where randomised controlled trials would not be ethically appropriate.
Agbaje has also highlighted concerns about the relationship between vaping and tobacco smoking. He said young people who vape are four times more likely to initiate tobacco smoking, reinforcing the need for stronger evidence about the health implications of the practice.
The findings from VAPE-HABIT could contribute to public health recommendations, vaping prevention strategies and policies designed to protect young people from potential harms.
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Research Builds on Agbaje’s Work on Youth Health
The new project builds on Agbaje’s wider research into the long-term health effects of behaviours during childhood and adolescence.
His previous work has examined physical activity, sedentary behaviour, metabolism and cardiovascular health among young people. His research has also found evidence linking teenage smoking with early heart damage, with potential effects appearing years before the first noticeable heart symptoms.
Reacting to the ERC grant, Agbaje described the funding as recognition of seven years of research work and resilience. He said it would allow him to build a world-class research team while advancing scientific knowledge and contributing to efforts to protect young people’s health.
The €1.5 million award also places a Nigerian researcher at the centre of an important international conversation about youth health and the future of nicotine use.
Professor Andrew Agbaje’s latest achievement is a reminder of the impact African researchers can make on global scientific conversations. Follow RefinedNG for more stories celebrating African excellence, research and innovation.