Professor
Bosede Afolabi
About
- Bosede Afolabi is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos (CMUL), Lagos, Nigeria.
- She has a confirmed faculty position at CMUL and is passionate about reducing maternal mortality.
- Her interests include maternal and fetal medicine, minimal access surgery, and medical education.
- Afolabi has trained in Nigeria and the UK and holds a first medical degree (M.B.Ch.B) from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
- She also has a Doctorate in Medicine (DM) from the University of Nottingham, UK.
- Afolabi is a fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists UK, the West African College of Surgeons and the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria.
- She is internationally recognized for her research in sickle-cell pregnancy.
Education
- Professor Afolabi Graduated as a doctor (MBChB) from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, in 1992
- She obtained postgraduate qualifications in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G) from:
- Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (MRCOG), UK
- West African College of Surgeons (FWACS)
- National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (FMCOG)
- She completed O&G training in the United Kingdom and Nigeria
- Obtained a postgraduate doctorate in Medicine (DM) in Obstetrics and Gynaecology from the University of Nottingham, UK, in 2011 for a doctoral thesis measuring and exploring the determinants of plasma volume expansion in sickle cell pregnant women.
Academic and Research Experience
Starting at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos (CMUL) as a Lecturer II in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in October 1999, Prof. B. B. Afolabi rose through the ranks to become a Lecturer I in September 2002, a Senior Lecturer in October 2004, an Associate Professor in October 2010, and a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in November 2016. She is currently the Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, CMUL/LUTH, a position she achieved in August 2018.
Additionally, she is a Member of the Senate of the University of Lagos. She has received 18 awards and fellowships from various organizations to attend academic and research training programs in the UK and the USA.
- Principal investigator on a USD 749,000 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant for the Lagos State-Wide MMR Data Capture Via SRS as Impact Prototype study.
- Principal investigator on a $5.05m Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant for the Intrapartum azithromycin effectiveness & implementation in Nigeria study
- Principal investigator on a $1.9m Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant for the Implementation research for IV iron use in Nigeria (IVON-IS) an implementation study August 2022 – July 2025.
- Principal investigator on a $3.7 million Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant (Investment ID INV-032911) for the Intravenous ferric carboxymaltose versus oral ferrous sulphate for the treatment of postpartum anaemia in Nigerian women (IVON-PP): an open-labelled randomized controlled trial and implementation study (IVON-PP)
- Professor Afolabi received $2.5 million Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for a randomizedcontrolled trial “Intravenous versus oral iron for iron deficiency anaemia in pregnant Nigerian women: a randomized controlled trial”.
- Principal investigator on a $2.5 million Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant for the IVON trial (Intravenous versus oral iron for iron deficiency anaemia in pregnant Nigerian women: a randomized controlled trial)
- Principal Investigator for a NGN38, 500, 000 ($105, 479 USD) for the PIPSICKLE Trial TETFUND NRF grant for the PIPSICKLE Trial (Low dose aspirin for the prevention of intrauterine growth restriction and preeclampsia: a randomized controlled trial)
- She focuses on maternal medicine and sickle cell pregnancy and runs one of Nigeria’s largest sickle cell pregnancy clinics in Nigeria.
- She is a co-Investigator and E-learning coordinator on a USD 3.2million Fogarty/NIH grant (no 5D43TW010134-03) grant for improving research, teaching, and mentoring skills in junior and mid-level faculty at her institution.
- She has certificates in Biostatistics and Epidemiology from the Harvard T Chan School of Public Health and coordinates. She teaches courses on Research Design and Methodology, Mentoring, E-Learning and Responsible Conduct of Research, respectively, to junior and mid-career lecturers at the College.
- She has supervised over 20 postgraduate and PhD theses and authored 112 publications, including 6 Cochrane systematic reviews, multicentre studies in the Lancet and BMJ Global Health, and studies in sickle cell pregnancy in PLoS One and the Journal of the Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone system.
Awards & Recognition
- Professor Afolabi won a Full tuition scholarship for Doctorate in Medicine at the University of Nottingham, UK and an Ethicon Prize for the best overall presentation at the 2007 West African College of Surgeons Conference, Dakar, Senegal.
- Professor Afolabi received two prizes – the Professor JB Lawson prize and Dr Majekodunmi prize as the best candidate in the part II fellowship exam of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and the best overall candidate in the same exam, in 2001.
- She was awarded an Eisenhower Fellowship in 2014, a prestigious organisation for emerging global leaders in the USA. The fellowship sponsored her 7-week trip to various organizations of interest in the USA.
- In 2013, she was featured on CNN African Voices, a program that highlights Africa’s influential personalities, for her research on sickle cell pregnancy, her teaching, research, and efforts to reduce maternal mortality.
- In 2013, she was invited to deliver the 6th Victor Anomah Ngu lecture at the 53rd Annual Scientific Conference of the West African College of Surgeons in Lome, Togo. She presented her sickle cell doctoral thesis during the lecture.
- She received the “Excellence in Research” award from the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Nigeria (SOGON) in November 2022.
- Additionally, she served as the Ojo Memorial Lecturer at SOGON’s 56th Annual Scientific Conference.
- She is the Chair Person of the Board and provides guidance to the Kesington Adebukunola Adebutu Foundation (KAAF) Laboratory and Maternity Centre, a private maternity center located within the University of Lagos.
- In July 2023, she was appointed as President of the Association of Fetomaternal Medicine Specialists of Nigeria (AFEMSON).
- In September 2023, she was invited to the Goalkeepers event hosted by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation during the 78th United Nations General Assembly, #goalkeepers2023 to discuss several research innovations including the approach by her team at CCTRIS for rapidly and effectively treating iron deficiency anaemia in pregnancy. https://bosedeafolabi.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Bosede-Goalkeepers.mov