Dr. Babayemi O. Olakunde

Education & Experience:
I received a PhD in Public Health from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from the University of Sheffield, UK, and a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) degree from Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria. Prior to joining the HSC School of Public Health, I served as an Assistant Director at the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Nigeria. During my time at NACA, spanning over a decade, I played a pivotal role in the National HIV Response and managing government and donor-funded HIV projects. Additionally, I have contributed to the advancement of implementation science in Nigeria as a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Translation and Implementation Research (CTAIR), University of Nigeria Nsukka. Before transitioning to public health practice and research, I gained clinical experience as a physician in the early stages of my professional career.

Teaching Areas & Public Health Interests:
As a public health practitioner, I have actively been involved in policy development; program planning, implementation, and evaluation; health systems strengthening; stakeholder engagement and advocacy; and implementation science. Leveraging both my field expertise and academic background, I am dedicated to nurturing the next generation of public health professionals through teaching and mentoring. My teaching interests encompass a diverse range of topics, including program evaluation, epidemiology, implementation science, and grant writing. I currently teach MACH5391 –Topics in Maternal and Child Health.

Professional Activities & Awards:
I am a member of the International AIDS Society, American Public Health Association, and the Delta Omega Delta Theta public health honor society chapter.

Scholarly Interests:
My research areas include health services research, implementation science and epidemiology. My research is focused on understanding the burden of important public health issues and improving the implementation and uptake of evidence-based interventions, especially among underserved and vulnerable populations in resource-limited settings. I am particularly interested in infectious diseases (HIV and viral hepatitis), HIV-associated cancers and related diseases, and maternal and child health

Link to Dr. Olakunde’s Curriculum Vitae

Link to Dr. Olakunde’s University Profile