Epidemiology and biostatistics research unit (EBRU) is one of the research units in the Institute of Medical Research and Training (IMRAT), College of Medicine, University of Ibadan. The unit has been in existence for upward of 10 years and are well experienced in clinical/field trials and operational/implementation research. Members of the unit include Epidemiologists, Primary health care specialist, Nutrition Expert, Statistician, Social Scientist, Cardiologist, Policy Experts, a Health Economist, Project Coordinators and a Research Assistant.
Professor IkeOluwapo O. Ayayi
Head of Unit
Professor IkeOluwapo O. Ajayi, MB;BS, M.Cl.Sc. MPH, Ph.D, MD, FMCGP, FWACP, is an Epidemiologist, Public health/Family physician who has broad exposure locally and internationally. She is a professor of Epidemiology in the Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan and Consultant Family Physician at the University College Hospital. She is involved in the following:
- The training of the next generation of academics at the undergraduate and postgraduate level
- Training of health care workers – Postgraduate Residents in Family Medicine, Residents in the Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme (NFELTP), and Residents in the Masters’ Programme in Epidemiology and Biostatistics with Specialization in Disease Outbreak and Epidemic Response in sub-Saharan Africa, among others
- Contributing to policy development through her services to National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria, PATH's Malaria Vaccine Initiative, President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), WHO/TDR among others
- Contributing to development of curriculum, training materials, training courses and research agenda including the Malaria Short Course and National Malaria Operational Research Agenda developed in collaboration with the NFELTP, NMEP and PMI as well as NFELTP and Masters’ Programme in Epidemiology and Biostatistics with Specialization in Disease Outbreak and Epidemic Response in sub-Saharan Africa
- Contributing to new technology development in disease control including as a member WHO Ad-Hoc Working Group on Sterile Insect Technique for mosquito-borne diseases (transgenic mosquitoes)
- Bioethics training as a member of the team/resource persons that facilitated setting up of the Bioethics programme in institutions across the country
Prof Ajayi has received research grant support from the WHO/TDR, CDC, USAID, PMI, NIH, USA, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Nigeria, LINKS Resolve to Save Lives, USA and Malaria Consortium among others. She is the principal investigator on a couple of multidisciplinary studies and co-investigator on many collaborative researches involving both local and international experts and linkages. Her research is both community and hospital based with bias for implementation/translational research and span both communicable and non-communicable diseases. Prof Ajayi is a Senior visiting Lown Scholar, with the Bernard Lown Scholars in Cardiovascular Health Program of the Harvard School of Public Health and she served as consultant to organisations such as the NMEP, PMI, Malaria Consortium, and CDC/WHO among others. Over the years, She has about 200 publications in national and international peer reviewed journal including chapters in book and she served as editor on a book. Her cumulative epidemiology and other research work in the field of malaria earned her the prestigious award - The Nigeria Prize for Science, 2017 awarded by Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (Nigeria LNG) Company with the theme “innovations in malaria control”. She is also a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences (FAAS) and a Board Member of the African Palliative Care Association.
She is currently the Director, Institute for Advanced Medical Research and Training, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan. Other positions on which she has served include sub-Dean Postgraduate, Faculty of Public Health; Acting Head of Department; Departmental Post graduate Coordinator; Coordinator, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Research Unit, IMRAT; and Facilitator for Polio Eradication Initiative; Executive committee, college of medicine.