Professor Olaoluwa Pheabian Akinwale
Olaoluwa Pheabian Akinwale, a Professor of Parasitology is the in-house Deputy Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, and the Institute’s Director of Neglected Tropical Disease Research, as well as head of its Molecular Parasitology Research Laboratory, a member of Africa Buruli ulcer Laboratory Network (BU-LABNET). Professor Akinwale is a member of the World Health Organization Strategic and Technical Advisory Group for Neglected Tropical Diseases (STAG-NTD). She is also a member of the African Research Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases (ARNTD), and a member of TDR Global Research Mentorship Working Group, that currently developed an Institutional Research Mentorship Guideline for low- and middle-income countries. Her efforts led to the establishment of in-country molecular diagnosis of Buruli ulcer in Nigeria thereby preventing diagnostic delay, improving treatment outcome, and providing continuous technical support to the National Tuberculosis, Buruli ulcer and Leprosy Control Programme. Professor Akinwale has been an expert reviewer of research proposals for many international funding agencies and manuscripts for many scientific journals. She is currently an Academic Editor for the special issue of Nigerian Journal of Parasitology and has authored several scholarly articles. Professor Akinwale has served as chairman of several committees that made policy and strategic recommendations for her Institute, and she belongs to many professional organizations and societies.