Matthew Naanlep Tanko

Matthew Naanlep Tanko, MD, is an Associate Professor of Practice in the Department of Medicine at the School of Medicine, Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan. He has held senior academic and administrative roles across Africa and Central Asia, including Founding Head of Pathology and Dean of Clinical Sciences at Kampala International University, and Founding Head of Pathology and Interim Dean at the University of Botswana.

Education:

• MBBS – University of Jos, Nigeria (1996)
• FMCPath – National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (2004)
• Geraldine C Colby Scholarship – Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ, USA (2012)
• Health Systems Management – Galilee International Management Institute, Israel (2013)

Research Interests: Dr. Tanko’s work focuses on oncology, particularly gastric, liver, and gynecologic cancers, as well as infectious disease pathology, including HIV-related liver disease and Helicobacter pylori. He is deeply invested in pathology education reform and health systems strengthening, especially in low-resource settings. His recent projects include genomic profiling of pediatric diseases, minimally invasive autopsy techniques, and international pathology residency accreditation.

Scientific Awards:

• Geraldine C Colby Scholarship – Mayo Visiting Clinician Programme (2012)
• Distinguished Article of the Year – Colección Trabajos Distinguidos, Serie Oncología (2012)

Leadership & Grants: Dr. Tanko has led multiple international health and education initiatives. He served as Principal Investigator on projects such as Clinicopathologic Features of DNA Mismatch Repair Deficient Colorectal Cancer (2019–2020), Pediatric Celiac Disease in Kazakhstan (2020–2022), and Proteolytic processing of TAM receptors in bladder cancer (2023–2025).

Labs & Teams: Dr. Tanko has established and led pathology departments and training programs in Uganda, Botswana, and Kazakhstan, fostering international collaborations with institutions such as Mayo Clinic, College of American Pathologists, and British Division of IAP.