Victor Ikenna Kanu

Graduate researcher working at the intersection of AI, computational biology, and verifiable scientific workflows.

Kumoh National Institute of Technology  ·  Gumi, South Korea

Portrait of Victor Ikenna Kanu

About

I'm a biochemistry-trained researcher currently pursuing a Master of Engineering in ICT Convergence Engineering at Kumoh National Institute of Technology, South Korea, on a K-GKS scholarship. My path into computation began with wet-lab biochemistry at the University of Lagos, where I worked on protein biology and antioxidant chemistry, and it has since grown into a programme of work on machine learning and blockchain-verified workflows for drug discovery.

I'm most interested in the moments where biology, machine learning, and reproducibility meet. I build systems that make structure-based virtual screening faster and more trustworthy, and I care deeply about the question of how we know that a model's prediction — or a pipeline's result — actually means what it claims to mean. Much of my recent work sits under that umbrella: consensus AI-docking, deterministic binding-site analysis, and tamper-evident provenance for biomedical data.

Outside the lab, I've taught biology and chemistry to more than a hundred students in Nigeria, facilitated entrepreneurial leadership programmes across Nigerian universities, and worked in product research and business development. I like building things that are rigorous and legible — to collaborators, to reviewers, and to the people whose lives the work eventually touches.

Research interests

Structure-based virtual screening

Consensus AI–docking pipelines that combine learned scoring with target-dependent optimisation, aiming at screening libraries that are both more accurate and more verifiable than single-scorer approaches.

Protein–ligand modelling and binding-site analysis

Deterministic workflows for protein structure preparation and binding-pocket detection, with an emphasis on reproducibility and cross-tool consistency.

Machine learning for drug discovery

Molecular activity prediction, lead optimisation, and scaffold analysis — including physics-informed and federated formulations for settings where data cannot move.

Verifiable scientific workflows

Blockchain-integrated provenance for biomedical pipelines, credentialing of biomaterials and certificates, and tamper-evident data management across PDB, UniProt, and IoT-sourced biomedical signals.

Selected projects

PureProt / PureProtX

Research Lead

AI-enabled virtual screening and protein-focused drug discovery workflow integrating computational modelling and predictive analysis. Target-dependent screening, protein structure and binding-site analysis, reproducible workflow design.

Dec 2025 – Present

ProtChain

Research Lead

Blockchain-secured framework for biomedical and scientific workflow provenance, integrating PDB and UniProt to support reproducible computational biology pipelines. Published in PeerJ Computer Science.

Sep 2024 – Jan 2026

HiTex

Tech Lead

Secure collaborative LaTeX writing tool built on the lab's Purechain network. Focused on multi-author integrity and verifiable document history.

Jan 2026 – Present

ChainPilot

Tech Lead

Blockchain abstraction platform designed to lower the integration cost of adopting Purechain across lab applications.

Aug – Nov 2025

PureCertificate

Technical Paper Lead

Certificate protection and tampering-verification system via blockchain, with a policy-enforced credential architecture.

Mar 2024 – Dec 2025

HackBio — TB target exploration

Bioinformatics Intern

Investigated protein targets of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and potential drug candidates using molecular docking and bioinformatics tooling.

Sep 2021

Publications

Journal articles

  1. Kanu, V.I., Ajakwe, S.O., Kim, D.S. PureProtX: Verifiable Consensus AI–Docking Virtual Screening with Target-Dependent Hybrid Optimisation, 2026. Under review
  2. Kanu, V.I., Ajakwe, S.O., Lee, J.M., Kim, D.S. Deterministic Protein Structure and Binding Site Analysis through Blockchain-Integrated Workflow Verification, 2025. ICT Express. ScienceDirect
  3. Kanu, V.I., Isong, J., Ajakwe, S.O., Kim, D.S. ProtChain: Blockchain-Secured IoT Data Provenance for Biomedical and Scientific Workflows, 2025. PeerJ Computer Science. DOI
  4. Amadi, S.C., Kanu, V.I., Ajakwe, S.O., Kim, D.S., Taesoon, J. CONQUEST: A Federated Context-Aware Quantum-Inspired Framework for Robust Cyberworm Detection in Mission-Critical IoT Networks, 2026. Under review
  5. Amadi, S.C., Kanu, V.I., Ajakwe, S.O., Kim, D.S., Taesoon, J. OrBIT: Orchestrated Blockchain Integrated Twins for Privacy-Aware Edge Intelligence and Transparent Lifecycle, 2026. Under review
  6. Isong, J.A., Kanu, V.I., Ajakwe, S.O., Kim, D.S. FedEpi: A Robust Physics-Informed Federated Framework for Secure Multi-Source IoT Intelligence, 2026. Under review
  7. Ajakwe, I.U., Kanu, V.I., Ajakwe, S.O., Kim, D.S. PredBlock: A Physics-Informed AI and Blockchain Framework for Integrity Verification in CO₂ CCS Pipelines Optimization. Under review
  8. Kanu, V.I., Ajakwe, I.U., Ajakwe, S.O., Kim, D.S. Offline-Capable AI–Blockchain Architecture for Biochemical Threat Detection in Mission-Critical MANET Environments, 2025. IEEE Internet of Things Journal. DOI
  9. Ajakwe, I.U., Kanu, V.I., Ajakwe, S.O., Kim, D.S. eBCTC: Energy-Efficient Hybrid Blockchain Architecture for Smart and Secured K-ETS, 2025. Cleaner Engineering and Technology, 101084. ScienceDirect
  10. Ihejirika, M., Osaretin, A.T.E., Imaga, N.A., Kanu, V.I., Edmunds, P.O. Phytochemical and antioxidant profiling of aqueous and ethanol extracts of Curcuma longa and Cinnamomum zeylanicum, 2022. International Journal of Advance Biochemical Research. PDF

Conference proceedings

  1. Kanu, V.I., Ajakwe, S.O., Kim, D.S. BioPassport: A Policy-Enforced Blockchain-Credential Architecture for Tamper-Evident Biomaterial Provenance. 8th IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency, Brisbane, Australia, Jun 2026. Accepted
  2. Kanu, V.I., Ajakwe, S.O., Kim, D.S. VeraComm: Verifiable Communication Protocol for AI-Based Drug Screening using Blockchain. 8th International Conference on AI in Information and Communication, Tokyo, Japan, Feb 2026.
  3. Kanu, V.I., Ajakwe, S.O., Kim, D.S. PureProt: An AI-Blockchain Enabled Virtual Screening Platform for Drug Discovery. 16th IEEE International Conference on ICT Convergence (ICTC), Jeju Island, South Korea, Oct 2025. DOI
  4. Kanu, V.I., Ajakwe, I.U., Ajakwe, S.O., Kim, D.S. Tamper-Resistant AI-Blockchain-Driven Biochemical Threat Detection in Disconnected Tactical MANETs. Young Scholars Workshop, IEEE MILCOM, Oct 2025.
  5. Kanu, V.I., Isong, J., Ajakwe, S.O., Kim, D.S. Blockchain-Enabled Framework for Efficient and Interoperable Proteomic Data Management. International Conference on Ubiquitous and Future Networks (ICUFN), Lisbon, Portugal, Jul 2025. IEEE Xplore
  6. Kanu, V.I., Ajakwe, S.O., Kim, D.S. Blockchain-Verified Deterministic Framework for Protein Structure and Binding Site Analysis in Drug Discovery Distributed System. KICS Summer Conference 2025, Jeju Island, South Korea, Jun 2025.
  7. Kanu, V.I., Isong, J., Ajakwe, S.O., Kim, D.S. Microservices Architecture for Blockchain-Based Proteomic Data Storage System Integrated with PDB and UniProt. KICS Winter Conference 2025, Pyeongchang, South Korea, Feb 2025. ResearchGate
  8. Nnadiekwe, C.A., Kanu, V.I., Akor, G., Kim, D.S. Blockchain-enabled Secured Lightweight Data Management in Smart Factories. KICS Winter Conference 2025, Feb 2025.
  9. Kanu, V.I., Ajakwe, U.I., Ajakwe, S.O., Lee, J.M., Kim, D.S. Anthropomorphic and Accountable AI-Driven Power Generation and Distribution System. KICS Fall Conference 2024, Nov 2024.
  10. Kanu, V.I., Ajakwe, S.O., Lee, J.M., Kim, D.S. Blockchain Technology in Protein Folding: Enhancing Data Sharing and Collaboration. 15th IEEE International Conference on ICT Convergence (ICTC), Oct 2024. DOI

Book chapter

  1. Okafor, C.I., Kanu, V.I., Akor, C.G., Lee, J.M., Kim, D.S. Autonomous Intelligent Vehicles: An Overview. In Blockchain for Security of Autonomous Intelligent Vehicles, Springer Nature. Major revision

Seminar presentations

  1. Tapwal, R., Misra, S., Pal, S.K. UtilityChain: Dynamic Resource Allocation for Mining and Servicing in Blockchain Systems. IEEE Transactions on Services Computing, 2023. Presented 11 Sep 2024.
  2. Yakubu, A.M., Chen, Y.P.P. A Blockchain-based Application for Genomic Access and Variant Discovery using Smart Contracts and Homomorphic Encryption. Elsevier Future Generation Computer Systems, 2022. Presented 20 Mar 2025.
  3. Demirbaga, U., Aujla, G.S. MapChain: Blockchain-Based Verifiable Healthcare Service Management in IoT-Based Big Data Ecosystems. IEEE Transactions on Network and Service Management, 2022. Presented 10 Jul 2025.
  4. Wang, R., Xu, C., Zhang, X. Toward Materials Genome Big-Data: Blockchain-Based Secure Storage and Efficient Retrieval. IEEE TPDS, 2024. Presented 4 Sep 2025.
  5. Du, X.X., Liu, M.Y., Sun, Y.H. Segmentation, Detection, and Tracking of Stem Cell Images by Digital Twins and Lightweight Deep Learning. Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience, 2022. Presented 2 Mar 2026.

Awards & honours

Teaching & mentorship

Entrepreneurial Leadership Facilitator — The Bridge Program

Aug 2021 & Aug 2022

Facilitated sessions on Empathy & Feedback, Identity & Mental Models, Proactivity, and Leading Change for fellows selected from 102 universities across Nigeria.

Biology & Chemistry Tutor — Breakthrough Tutorial

Jun 2013 – Mar 2022

Prepared over 100 students for national secondary school and university entrance examinations, maintaining an approximate 90% pass rate.

Administrative Assistant — Elizade University ELP

Jun 2013 – Mar 2022

Supported the programme facilitator in preparing teaching and training materials for ELP lecturers at Elizade University, Ondo State.

Contact

I'm happy to hear from collaborators, students, and groups interested in AI for drug discovery or verifiable scientific workflows. Email is the fastest way to reach me.