Core Team
The C²REST Study is led by researchers from Nigeria and the UK, with principal investigators from Teesside University and the University of Lagos.
Davies Adeloye
Principal Investigator
About
Davies Adeloye is the UK principal investigator for the C²REST Nigeria Study. He is a medical doctor and epidemiologist. He has over 10 years of experience in clinical practice, research, and teaching in the United Kingdom and Africa. He obtained his PhD in global health epidemiology from the University of Edinburgh in 2015. He then went on to lead the Global Health Epidemiology Research Group (GHERG) in Nigeria, where he focused on the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Africa.
In 2018, he developed the NCDs data profile for Nigeria, a project commissioned by the World Health Organization and the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health. He is a recipient of the US Carnegie fellowship, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) for African researchers, and the African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC) Leadership Institute Award. His main research interest is the global burden of chronic respiratory diseases, such as COPD, asthma, allergies, and lung cancer. He has led international research collaborations on the global burden and research prioritisation for these diseases, as well as COVID-19 and pandemic preparedness.
Dr Adeloye has served as an external PhD examiner for institutions in Africa, Australia, China, and the UK. He has over 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals and is currently the Editor in-Chief of the Journal of Global Health Reports and Associate Professor of Public Health at Teesside University, UK.
Obianuju Ozoh
Principal Investigator
About
Dr Obianuju Ozoh is the African Principal Investigator on the C2REST study. She is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine of the University of Lagos, Lagos Nigeria. She is also a Consultant Pulmonologist at the affiliated Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos, Nigeria.
Her research focuses on understanding the epidemiology of chronic respiratory diseases and exploring potential interventions to reduce exposure to risk factors and improve access to diagnosis and treatment for persons with respiratory diseases. She led the first National surveys of the prevalence and status of asthma management and access to medicines for asthma and COPD in Nigeria. She engages in clinical and research capacity building for respiratory disease in Africa and is the Co-Director of the Pan African Thoracic Society Methods in Epidemiologic, Clinical and Operations Research (PATS MECOR) program and the Vice President of PATS.
Dr Ozoh strongly advocates for persons with respiratory diseases and has developed a program for chronic respiratory disease patient education using task shifting. She is the recipient of the Buist’s Pathway to leadership award and the World Lung Health award of the American Thoracic Society in 2023.
Olayemi Akinnola
Co-investigator
About
Dr. Olayemi Akinnola is a preeminent scholar in the field of microbiology with experience in the field of Public Health Microbiology and Antimicrobial Resistance. Her research focus also includes investigating the role of the Human Microbiome in health and disease especially non- communicable diseases such as Asthma and Prostate Cancer. Dr Akinnola's research is characterized by a rigorous and innovative approach, and she has published numerous articles in high-impact journals.
In addition to her research achievements, Dr Akinnola is a dedicated educator, inspiring and mentoring the next generation of scientists. Her work has been recognized with awards, and she is widely regarded as a leading voice in the field of microbiology.
Boni Maxime Ale
Co-Investigator
About
Boni M. Ale is a Co-investigator for the C2REST Nigeria Study. He is a Medical Doctor, Biostatistician and Health Data Scientist. He has over 9 years of global research and clinical work exposure in over 10 countries in low middle-income countries spearheading high-profile research programs within large consortium with complex governance structures.
Dr Boni M. Ale led high profile Ebola Vaccine’s Trials, multi-country Lassa Fever research programs and contributed to large-scale Cardiovascular Implementation Science Programs which results has been published in renowned scientific journals including New England Journal and Lancet. He is currently Lead Investigator in Cardiovascular Research Unit at University of Abuja in Nigeria, Lecturer of Health Informatics at MOI University in Kenya, and Associate Editor of Archives of Public Health.
Alexander Iseolorunkanmi
Co-Investigator
About
Dr. Alexander Iseolorunkanmi is a seasoned family medicine practitioner and the Head of the Medical Department at Covenant University Medical Centre in Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria. As a dedicated grassroots and community healthcare provider, he has extensive experience working with patients of all ages. His unwavering motto and passion, Health and Wellness for All reflects his commitment to promoting well-being across the community.
Dr. Iseolorunkanmi's research interests focus on public health issues that significantly impact the African continent. His expertise and dedication make him a valuable asset to public health research initiatives in Nigeria.
Dr. Iseolorunkanmi will be leading the advocacy and stakeholder engagement efforts for the C²rest Nigeria study.
Faatihah Niyi-Odumosu
Co-Investigator
About
Faatihah is a medical doctor and an Associate Professor of physical activity and health, University of West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom. Her research focuses on the multidisciplinary approach to developing physical activity and health improvement interventions for people with chronic kidney disease, older adults (55+), and ethnic minorities.
Her background in clinical exercise physiology creates the potential to codevelop personalised physical activity and health improvement interventions for people with multiple long-term conditions. She has keen interest in global health research with a focus on NCDs. She is leading the training and capacity development aspects of the C 2 REST project.
Expert Steering Committee
Our Expert Steering Committee brings together leading specialists in climate change, respiratory health, health economics, and public health. They provide strategic guidance and oversight for our research activities.
Adeyeye O. Olayinka
Advisor
Adeyeye O. Olayinka
About
Professor, Physician with specialization in pulmonology and public health, Certified medical educator, Teaches Medicine to medical and dental students : deliver didactic lectures, clinical skill demonstration , supervision, assignment grading, clerkship review, tutorials . Provide expert service in pulmonary medicine to the teaching hospital as well as lead team on call and clinic. provide training for resident doctors as well. Local Principal investigator in the Multi national study of asthma (Achieving Control of asthma in children in Africa) as well as the Child air pollution study in Africa (CAPPA) Acting Head of Department of Medicine
Nana Anokye
Advisor
Nana Anokye
About
Professor Nana Anokye is a Professor of Health Economics, Brunel University of London and a Visiting Professor at Imperial College London. He is the Health Economics Lead for NIHR NW London Applied Research Collaboration. Nana's research has been used by NICE to formulate three national public health guidelines on exercise referral schemes, and brief advice for adults in primary care. He is the Chair of ISPAH low and middle-income countries research council and a member of the Africa Research Excellence Fund College of Experts. As an ILM certified coach, mentor, and a former broadcast journalist, Nana is passionate about communicating research and supporting research careers.
Luciana Brondi
Lecturer
Luciana Brondi
About
Luciana Brondi is a physician and epidemiologist with specialist training in clinical infectious diseases. She holds a PhD in Population Health from the University of Edinburgh, where she has also taught at the Masters in Public Health (Usher Institute) for several years. Luciana worked in various capacities with national and international organisations, mainly in Low and Middle-Income countries. Her experience includes public health teaching and training, research, and health protection in South America, Africa and South Asia, Europe and the UK. More recently, she took part in the NHS Scotland COVID-19 pandemic response as an epidemiologist. Her main research interests are on health in Low and Middle-Income countries, including Communicable Diseases epidemiology and control, inequalities in health and health access, gender, analysis of complex survey data, infectious diseases and climate change and systematic reviews of the literature.
Rose Alani
Advisor
Rose Alani
About
Dr. Rose Alani, an Associate Professor of Chemistry at the University of Lagos, Nigeria, has over 19 years’ experience in research work on environmental pollution, and is internationally involved in air pollution, climate change, and environmental sustainability related researches. She is the Lead of the Air Quality Monitoring Research Group (AQMRG) of the University of Lagos. Her collaborative research on air quality over the years gives her a strong foundation of knowledge and experience that can be applied to Climate change. One of such projects is the ongoing project on “Clean Air for Healthier cities”, a project that involves five African cities, where she is the Nigerian Principal Investigator (PI). Under this project she coordinated the CLEAN-Air Forum in Nigeria in July 2024, now a yearly event, which brought together members of air quality community of practice from over 31 cities worldwide. Her experience in monitoring air quality, including the use of various instruments and techniques, enables her to accurately measure pollutants concentrations and identify trends, thus she can evaluate the effectiveness of various technologies and provide evidence-based recommendations to policymakers for effective mitigation strategies. She understands the local context and community needs, and so can help develop and implement community-based initiatives to combat Climate change. She has interdisciplinary collaborations with scientists from other fields, such as climate science, public health, and engineering. This interdisciplinary approach is crucial for addressing the complex challenges of air pollution and Climate change mitigation.