Dr. Babayemi O. Olakunde
Assistant Professor, Population & Community Health
Education & Experience:
I received a PhD in Public Health from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, a Master
of Public Health (MPH) degree from the University of Sheffield, UK, and a Bachelor
of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) degree from Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria.
Prior to joining the UNT Health College of Public Health, I served as an Assistant
Director at the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Nigeria. During my
time at NACA, spanning over a decade, I played a pivotal role in the National HIV
Response and managing government and donor-funded HIV projects. Additionally, I have
contributed to the advancement of implementation science in Nigeria as a Senior Research
Fellow at the Center for Translation and Implementation Research (CTAIR), University
of Nigeria Nsukka. Before transitioning to public health practice and research, I
gained clinical experience as a physician in the early stages of my professional career.
Teaching Areas & Public Health Interests:
As a public health practitioner, I have actively been involved in policy development;
program planning, implementation, and evaluation; health systems strengthening; stakeholder
engagement and advocacy; and implementation science. Leveraging both my field expertise
and academic background, I am dedicated to nurturing the next generation of public
health professionals through teaching and mentoring. My teaching interests encompass
a diverse range of topics, including program evaluation, epidemiology, implementation
science, and grant writing. I currently teach MACH5391 –Topics in Maternal and Child
Health.
Professional Activities & Awards:
I am a member of the International AIDS Society, American Public Health Association,
and the Delta Omega Delta Theta public health honor society chapter.
Scholarly Interests:
My research areas include health services research, implementation science and epidemiology.
My research is focused on understanding the burden of important public health issues
and improving the implementation and uptake of evidence-based interventions, especially
among underserved and vulnerable populations in resource-limited settings. I am particularly
interested in infectious diseases (HIV and viral hepatitis), HIV-associated cancers
and related diseases, and maternal and child health