NAME:  Ahmed Kolade OLOYO		POSITION TITLE: Professor
eRA COMMONS USER NAME (AHMEDOLOYO )
EDUCATION/TRAINING
INSTITUTION AND LOCATION	DEGREE (if applicable)		YEAR(s)	FIELD OF STUDY
University of Ibadan, Nigeria	BSc		2001	Physiology
University of Ibadan, Nigeria	MSc		2004	Physiology
University of Lagos, Nigeria Texas Southern University Houston TX USA	PhD Postdoctoral		2010 10/11/10 –04/12/ 2011	Cardiovascular Physiology Cardiovascular Physiology
Charite University of Medicine, Berlin & Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Buch, Germany	Postdoctoral		January – April, 2014	Molecular Cardiology
University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa	Postdoctoral		June 2014 – May 2016	Stem Cell and Molecular Biology
Center for Bioethics and Research, Nigeria	Diploma in Research Ethics		October 2018 – December 2018	Bioethics and Research
Stellenbosch University, South Africa.	Cert. Global Health		2021  (2021)	Global Health
Stanford University	Cert – Genetics and Genomics		September 2020 – September 2021	Genetics and Genomics
Stanford University	Cert- Medical Statistics		September 2020 – September 2021	Medical Statistics

Personal Statement

I am a basic biomedical scientist with a keen interest in translational research. I have a broad background in biomedical research with specific training and expertise in cardiovascular research. My career goal is to inform the design and conduct of human and clinical studies by the outcomes of my basic biomedical research. My current research focuses on mechanisms underlying salt-sensitive hypertension. My interest in salt-sensitive hypertension stems from the importance of hypertension as a global leading non-communicable public health challenge, contributing significantly to the high and increasing burden of stroke, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease. A high salt diet is the most important modifiable environmental risk factor for hypertension, and persons of black African ancestry are particularly at risk of innate salt sensitivity. Consequently, a significant population of Nigerians are salt-sensitive. However, experimental measurement of salt sensitivity in the general population is not currently feasible. Therefore, my research goal is to find simple biological markers that can predict salt sensitivity in the population and ultimately promote earlier risk identification and primordial prevention of hypertension.

I have the required background, knowledge, training, and drive that is necessary to lead and successfully complete research projects. I am a professor of cardiovascular physiology at CMUL, Nigeria. I received my doctorate in Physiology in 2010. My PhD research focused on the interactions between two important risk factors for hypertension – diet (modifiable) and sex (non-modifiable). This study is important because, globally, hypertension is of enormous public health concern. In Nigeria, about 38% of the adult population suffer from hypertension and about 54% and 35% of persons with and without hypertension respectively are salt-sensitive, a trend that is similar in most of the SSA populations. As a basic biomedical scientist, I have acquired very important research tools and skills during my laboratory visits to international research Centers (Center for Cardiovascular Diseases (CCD) of the Texas Southern University (TSU), USA funded by the Nigerian Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) scholarship for Academic Staff Training and Development (AST&D); Gender in Medicine Institute (GiM) of the Charite University and Molecular Muscle Physiology lab at Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in Berlin, Germany (funded by The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) and German Research Foundation (DFG) TWAS-DFG Cooperation visit fellowship; the Institute for Cellular and Molecular Medicine (ICMM), University of Pretoria (UP), South Africa (supported by the Prestigious UP Vice Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellowship). I have used the knowledge gained from these various trainings to apply for, and secure career-enhancing (5-year (2019-2024) NIH/FIC Emerging Global Leader Award) as well as a career advancement (2-year (2020-2022) Nigerian NRF) research grants.

Recently, I just concluded a study titled “the role of oxygen-sensing mechanism(s) in the fetal programming of salt-sensitive hypertension”. This study is funded by the US National Institute of Health and Fogarty International Center (NIH/FIC). Findings from this study demonstrated the early origin of salt-sensitive hypertension in offspring of parent rats that were fed a high salt diet during pregnancy. This prompted me to investigate the predictability of salt sensitivity in a young adult human population. To this end, I lead a 6- person research team of cardiovascular and renal physiologists, a consultant cardiologist, and a public health physician that investigated the role of blood pressure variability and inflammation in the predictability of salt sensitivity in normotensive young-adult Nigerian population – a study funded by the Nigerian National Research Fund (NRF). Because hypertension and CVDs are leading causes of morbidity and mortality with a great impact on socio-economic activities globally, my research will potentially contribute substantially to mitigating hypertension and CVDs in populations of African ancestry and globally.

 Positions and Honors

Positions and Employment

Assistant Lecturer, Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria. October 2005 – July 2009

Lecturer II, Department of Physiology, College of Medicine University of Lagos, Nigeria.

July 2009 – June 2012

Lecturer I, Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria,

June 2012 –September 2015

Senior Lecturer, Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria,

October 2015 – February 2019

Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria,       February 2019 – September 30, 2022

Professor, Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria,       October 1, 2022 – Till date

Honors, Awards and Distinctions

• Visiting Scholar (2021-2025: September 2021 – March 2022; September 2022 – June 2023; September 2024 – February 2025) to the Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A & M University, College Station Texas, USA.
• 2022 Building Research and Innovations in Nigerian Sciences (BRAINS)award on outstanding mentorship and grantsmanship.
• Attracted an on-site visit of the GSK Research and Development team from the UK and USA to the University (June 26 – 27, 2018) for a GSK African NCD open lab research grant (150,000 GBP)
• 2018 – Faculty of Basic Medical SciencesBest Lecturer Award in Physiology Department, College of Medicine, University of Lagos.
• 2018 Best Lecturer Award inFaculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos.
• Fellow of the U.S. Fogarty-CBR Bioethics – 2018
• Full Sponsorship to attend and participateat the GSK African NCD Round Table Scientific Meeting and Deliberation at the Hilton Hotel Cape Town South Africa, October 28 – November 1, 2018
• 2017 – Faculty of Basic Medical SciencesBest Lecturer Award in Physiology Department, College of Medicine, University of Lagos.
• Postdoctoral Training: University of Pretoria Vice Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellowship (2014 – 2016) at the Institute of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
• Visiting Scholar: TWAS-DFG 3- Months Cooperation visit to the Institute for Gender in Medicine, Center for Cardiovascular Research, Charite University, Berlin, and Max Delbrück Institute for Molecular Medicine, Buch, Germany. January – April 2014.
• International Union of Physiological Sciences (IUPS) (500GBP), Physiological Society (UK) (700GBP)and American Physiological Society (APS) ($750) Travel Award to attend The IUPS teaching workshop, Bristol UK, International Early Career Symposium (IESC) and IUPS Congress Birmingham, UK. July 18 – 26, 2013.
• APS 2010 International Early Career Physiologist (IECP) ($500) Travel Award to attend the Experimental Biology EB 2011 in Washington DC, USA.
• Postdoctoral training: Education Trust Fund (ETF) Academic Staff Training & Development [AST&D] Intervention Scholarship One Million Naira (N1,000,000).For 3-6 months of research training at the Center for Cardiovascular Diseases (CCD), College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Texas Southern University, Houston Texas U.S.A.
• India Science Academy INSA-JRD TATA3 months (September 1 – December 1, 2008) predoctoral fellowship at SREE Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) Trivandrum Kerala India under the Center for Cooperation in Science and Technology Among Developing Countries (CCSTDS) 2008.

Society Membership

• Physiological Society of Nigeria (PSN)
• Lagos University Medical Society (LUMS)
• The Physiological Society UK (PHYSOC)
• The American Physiological Society (APS)
• Association of African Biomedical Scientists (AABS)
• Nigerian Young Academy (NYA)
• American Association for Cancer research (AACR)
• International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT)

1. Contributions to Science
2. Adejare, A.A, Oloyo, A.K,Dahud, Y, Adeshina, M, Agbaje, A, Ejim, C, Ismail-Badmus, K and Jaja, A (2024). Renal denervation ameliorated salt-induced hypertension by improving cardiac work, cardiac enzyme, and oxidative balance in Sprague-Dawley rats. International Journal of Cardiology Cardiovascular Risk and Prevention 21: 200290. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcrp.2024.200290
3. Stallone, JN and Oloyo, AK.(2023) Cardiovascular and metabolic actions of the androgens: Is testosterone a Janus-faced molecule? Biochemical Pharmacology, 2023, 115347, ISSN 0006-2952, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcp.2022.115347. 
4. Oloyo A.K, Ambele A.A and Pepper MS, (2017). Contrasting views on the role of mesenchymal stromal/stem cells in tumour progression: a systematic review of experimental design. Advs Exp. Medicine, Biology – Innovations in Cancer Research and Regenerative Medicine DOI 10.1007/5584_2017_118.
5. Oloyo A.K, Sofola O.A and Yakubu M.A (2016). Orchidectomy Attenuates High Salt Diet – Induced Increases in Blood Pressure, Renovascular Resistance, and Hind Limb Vascular Dysfunction: Role of Testosterone. Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology. 43: 825-833.
6. Oloyo, A.K, Sofola, O.A, Anigbogu, C.N, Nair, R.R, Vijayakumar, H.S and Fernandez, A.C. (2013a). Testosterone reduces vascular relaxation by altering cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) pathway and potassium channel activation in male Sprague-Dawley rats fed a high salt diet. Therapeutic Advances in Cardiovascular Diseases. 7(2): 75 – 85 doi: 1177/1753944713479996

Research Support

Ongoing Research Project   

• 2025 Tertiary Education Trust Fund National Research Fund/ Institution Based Research (TETFUND/IBR) Grant (N3,8550,800.00): Biological Timing Disruption in the fetal programming of salt-sensitive hypertension. Oloyo A.K (PI)
• 2021 Tertiary Education Trust Fund National Research Fund (TETFUND NRF) Grant(N15,000,000 ≈ $36,320): COVID-19: Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Metabolic Functions and Stress in Subjects Using Various Face Masks in Corona Virus and COVID-19 Prevention. Oloyo A.K (Co-PI)

Completed Project

• 2020 Federal Government TETFUND/NRF Research Award (#37,313,210 ≈ $95,000) – Predictability of salt-sensitive Hypertension in young-adult normotensive Nigerian population (2020 – 2022).Oloyo A.K (PI)
• 2019 National Institute of Health (NIH) – Emerging Global Leader (K43) Award ($488,108). Oxygen sensing mechanism(s) in the fetal programming of salt-sensitive hypertension (2019 – 2024). Oloyo A.K (PI)
• 2018 University of Lagos Central Research Committee Research Grant (N2,500,000 ≈$7000): Vascular implications of fetal Programming of salt-sensitive hypertension in Sprague-Dawley rats (2018 – 2020). Oloyo A.K (PI)
• 2017/2018-Building Research in Nigerian Sciences (BRAINS) Mentored Research Grant ($5000):Do donor’s age and duration of ex-vivo expansion affect the homing capacity of dental pulp derived stem cells (2017 – 2018) – Oloyo, AK: (PI) and Adeyemo W.L (Mentor).
• 2013/ 2014 Medical Education Partnership in Nigeria (MEPIN) Mentored Research Grant ($5000) to study Pre – and Perinatal Programming of Salt-dependent Hypertension: Gender, Renal and Vascular implications (2012- 2014). Oloyo, AK: (PI)and Sofola OA. (Mentor).
• University of Lagos Central Research Committee (CRC)grant 2007/14 (N3,000,000 ≈ $25,424) 2008. The role of Gonadal hormones in the onset and severity of salt induced hypertension (2008 – 2010). Oloyo, AK: (Co-investigator) and Sofola OA. (PI)