Winner. Scientist of the Year 2020

Olanike Adeyemo

Academic title, degree: Professor, Ph.D.
Fields of science: Aquatic Epidemiology and Toxicology
Research interest: One Health: Aquatic and Wildlife Epidemiology and Toxicology, Food Safety and Global Public Health
Institution: University of Ibadan
Position: Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships)
Country: Nigeria

Dr. Adeyemo received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and postgraduate trainings (MVPH and Ph.D.) at the University of Ibadan, and was employed as Lecturer Grade II in the Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. She rose rapidly through the ranks to the grade of Full Professorial Chair in 2011. Within the University Dr. Adeyemo has served on 25 Boards and Committees, to date. Most significantly, as sub-Dean (Postgraduate), 2009-2013, Chairman, UI Research & Development Fair (2016-2019), Head of Department (2016-2017) and Pioneer, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships), 2017-date. Outside of the University, she has been serving regionally and internationally, for example, as a Reviewer to 22 internationally recognized learned journals (2003 to date); Executive Member of the Global Young Academy (2013); member, African Academy of Sciences’ Commission on Women in Science in Africa (2014-date); member, Mauritius Declaration on Ocean Sciences (2016); member, Nigeria Academy of Science Committee on Science Advice in Africa (2019); member, Expert Group of the High-Level Panel on Building a Sustainable Ocean Economy (2019); member, TWAS Independent Expert Committee (IEC) in Earth, Astronomy And Space Sciences (2019).

Dr. Adeyemo has 110 publications including chapters in books, journal articles, conference proceedings, technical reports and monographs; supervised 28 DVM, 22 postgraduate students (MVPH and PhD), and currently supervising 12 postgraduate Students. She has obtained funding /awards towards research and professional development from several organizations, including MASHAV, Israel (2005); START/PACOM, USA (2006); USDA/USAID, USA (2006); USDA/Foreign Agricultural Service, USA (2008); NUFFIC Fellowship Program Grant, Netherlands (2009); IFS, Sweden (2010-2012) and Schlumberger Foundation, USA (2013-2015); USAID (2019-2022).

Prof. Adeyemo was appointed to the roster of toxicological and epidemiological experts of the Joint FAO/WHO Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) in 2011-2015, and renewed for 2016-2020. She is a member of 10 Academic Societies, Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association, Fisheries Society of Nigeria, Society of Toxicology, World Aquatic Veterinary Medical Association, Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World, West African Research and Innovation Management Association, Network of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries Professionals, Wildlife Disease Association, Iowa, U.S.A, Association for Women’s Right in Development (AWID), Ontario, Canada, Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resources Management and International Society for Environmental Information Sciences (ISEIS), Saskatchewan, Canada. She is an elected Fellow of Academies of Science(s), including Nigerian Academy of Science, African Academy of Sciences, The World Academy of Sciences for the Advancement of Science in the Developing World, African Scientific Institute (California, USA), Eisenhower Fellowship Programme and Leadership for Environment and Development, UK. Among other media publication, she was featured in “Women in Science - Inspiring Stories from Africa”, a publication of Network of African Science Academies (NASAC), which profiled thirty women from eighteen countries across Africa, who have excelled in various STEM careers. Prof. Adeyemo was also listed in African Scientific Institute’s publication titled “Black Achievers in Science and Technology”.

She is happily married to Abiodun, a pharmacist, and the union is blessed with 3 boys and a girl.

Thanks to Dr. Olanike Adeyemo’s scholarship and leadership in transdisciplinary research a new conceptual, theoretical, methodological, and translational innovation at the Environmental, Animal, Wildlife and Human health interface have been created.

Dr. Adeyemo’s research provides credible transdisciplinary research-backed evidence on the complex linkage between Environmental, Animal and Human Health (One Health), including data on environmental pollution, food safety /anti-microbial resistance, and emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases (global public health) with significant policy implication for the African Continent. Within a continually shrinking world (for example, manner of worldwide spread of Ebola and COVID-19), understanding of the epidemiology of diseases at the environment-wildlife-human interface is very beneficial to global public health and security. Recently, Dr. Adeyemo has therefore been using her well-established transdisciplinary collaborative approach in addressing the ecological basis of emerging zoonotic diseases, investigating the interrelated factors of land and water use change, natural resource management (including wildlife conservation and livestock production), and human population behavior that may alter the emergence and spread of zoonotic disease agents. Prof. Adeyemo’s research findings have linked ecotoxicology to epidemiology of diseases in fish, wildlife and established human health risk associated with zoonotic infectious diseases. Her study on Buruli Ulcer (Mycobacterium Ulcers Disease) directly models the interconnectedness of Environmental, Animal, Wildlife and Human health with the most important finding being establishment of genetic relatedness of environment and human sample isolates.