A distinguished Professor of Microbiology, Adedayo Olajide Ajayi, is set to deliver the 28th Inaugural Lecture of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko.
The lecture, titled Microbiomes and Genomics: Battle against
Antibiotic-Resistant Battalions within Biospheric Reservoirs, is scheduled for Tuesday, September 24, 2024, at the University Multipurpose Hall.
A statement from the office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration) and Chairman, Ceremonies Committee, Prof. Adebisi Daramola, revealed that the event will be chaired by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olugbenga Ige, and will commence at 2:00 PM.
Guests and members of the university community are encouraged to be seated by 1:30 PM.
The inaugural lecturer, Prof. Olajide Ajayi, holds a first degree in Environmental Health and a Master’s degree in Microbiology from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife. He later earned a PhD in Microbiology from the University of Ibadan.
A recipient of the prestigious Bill and Melinda Gates Grant, Prof. Ajayi joined Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko as an Assistant Lecturer in 2001.
He rose through the ranks to become a professor in 2016.
Prof. Ajayi has held several administrative and academic positions at the institution, including Head of the Department of Microbiology, Director of the Centre for Infectious Disease Control and Drug Development, Chairman of the Laboratory Committee, Member of the AAUA Humboldt-Kolleg, and Editor of Science Research Annals, among others.
He is a sought-after speaker and moderator at national and international conferences and seminars.
He has authored and co-authored more than 87 research papers and books, which have received rave reviews in esteemed journals globally.
Prof. Ajayi has received numerous grants and awards, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Grant to the USA. Notably, he secured a ₦2 million TETFund research fellowship grant for the production of bioactive compounds from Afromomum melegueta, a postdoctoral grant on the Surveillance of Antibiotic Resistance Reservoirs in South Africa, as well as a research grant from Adekunle Ajasin University, among many others.
His academic achievements have earned him recognition at the Infection Societies Conference in Manchester, United Kingdom, where he presented a paper titled Antibiotic Sensitivity Test of Microorganisms from Water Sources in Akungba Akoko.
He also won the Best Poster Prize Award at the EuroSciCon Conference in recognition of his role as co-chair in sessions on Medical Microbiology, Environmental Pathogenesis, and Microbial Infections.
Prof. Ajayi is married with children.
