UNIOSUN Professor shines at the Grand Challenge Annual Meeting in Dakar, Senegal

A foremost professor of Public Health Entomology and Parasitology from Osun State University, Prof. Monsuru Adeleke shined in October at the Grand Challenges Annual Meeting in Senegal, organized by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada and other reputable Institutions.

The Grand Challenges Annual Meeting is a yearly event that brings together leading scientists, researchers and innovators from across the globe. The annual event usually affords the scientists and global innovators the opportunity to showcase their inventions/discoveries, networking, partnership and collaboration. Prof. Adeleke was among six (6) scholars invited to share their research work and have a dinner with Bill Gates and other dignitaries at a Private Science Dinner organized on 9th October, 2023.

Professor Adeleke’s research focuses on geospatial machine learning and geostatistical modelling for identification of black fly habitat suitability and the design of novel traps for xeno-monitoring and control of onchocerciasis (river blindness) vectors. His groundbreaking work in the field of Public Health Entomology is not only commendable but also contributes significantly to ongoing efforts to combat health challenges associated with vector-borne diseases.

During the dinner with Bill Gates, Prof Adeleke highlighted the preliminary results from the ongoing studies in bringing black fly capture techniques into the 21st century, aligning them with ethical imperatives and the use of machine learning and geostatistics to predict the habitat suitability of river blindness vectors in planning effective surveillance towards eliminating river blindness as a public health problem in Nigeria and Africa in general. These innovative approaches promise to revolutionize the surveillance and management of black fly habitats, offering hope for more effective control of vector-borne diseases.

Osun University is a grantee of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Dr. Adeleke leads the investment conducting research work on innovative trap design, including pheromone lures, as well as coordinating the Nigeria-based modellers working on the use of machine learning and geostatistics for prediction of black fly habitat suitability to support the Federal Ministry of Health in the quest to eliminate river blindness in Nigeria.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Odunayo Clement Adebooye, in response to Professor Adeleke’s recognition, stated that it is a source of immense pride for Osun State University. It reaffirms UNIOSUN’s commitment to cultivating a culture of excellence, innovation, and impactful research that transcends borders.

“The entire University community joins in congratulating Professor Monsuru Adeleke on this well-deserved recognition and looks forward to further groundbreaking contributions to the field of Public Health Entomology and Parasitology in the years to come. His work serves as a shining example of the calibre of research taking place at Osun State University, and we are proud to be part of his journey toward advancing global health solutions,” Professor Adebooye added.