Babayemi Olakunde

Dr. Babayemi Olakunde is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Population and Community Health at the University of North Texas Health Science Center’s College of Public Health. He holds a PhD in Public Health from the University of Nevada, an MPH from the University of Sheffield, and an MBChB from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria. Prior to his academic role, he served as Assistant Director at Nigeria’s National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and as a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Translation and Implementation Research (CTAIR), University of Nigeria Nsukka. His expertise spans health services research, implementation science, and epidemiology, with a focus on HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, HIV-associated cancers, and maternal and child health in resource-limited settings.

Dr. Olakunde’s research emphasizes improving evidence-based interventions for underserved populations, particularly in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa. He has contributed to policy development, program evaluation, and health systems strengthening, including leadership in the Nigeria Implementation Science Alliance (NISA). His teaching areas include program evaluation, epidemiology, and grant writing, currently instructing MACH5391: Topics in Maternal and Child Health.

His scientific contributions span over 70 peer-reviewed publications, addressing HIV care retention, maternal health, and implementation barriers in low-resource settings. He is affiliated with the International AIDS Society, American Public Health Association, and the Delta Omega public health honor society.

• Education: MBChB (Obafemi Awolowo University), MPH (University of Sheffield), PhD (University of Nevada)
• Expertise: Implementation Science, HIV/AIDS, Maternal Health, Viral Hepatitis
• Key Projects: Nigeria Implementation Science Alliance initiatives, Healthy Beginning Initiative program evaluation