The Provost, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, the management and students heartily congratulate Professor Ebenezer Olatunde Farombi, on his appointment as a Fellow of the World Academy of Sciences, (FTWAS), based in Trieste, Italy.
This is on account of his outstanding contributions to Biomedical Sciences globally. It is on record that Professor Farombi is the only Nigerian elected into this prestigious academy in the current year.
Short Profile of
Professor Ebenezer Olatunde Farombi, PhD, FRSC, ATS, FAS, FAAS, FNSBMB, FAMedS
Professor Farombi is a distinguished figure in the field of Biochemistry and Toxicology, with a rich career spanning over 35 years in academia, research, and administrative roles at the University level. He holds esteemed fellowships from institutions including the Royal Society of Chemistry of UK, the Nigerian Academy of Science, African Academy of Sciences, Academy of Toxicological Sciences of USA, Nigerian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Academy of Medicine Specialties of Nigeria as foundation fellow underscoring his eminence in the fields. A quondam Head of Department of Biochemistry and Dean, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences at the University of Ibadan, he currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Chrisland University, Abeokuta and President, Forum of Nigerian Toxicologists (FONToX).
He earned a BSc Second Class Upper degree in Biochemistry and was the best graduating student. He received the Departmental Prize and UTC Annual Prize, completed his MSc Biochemistry with Distinction and was the overall best student.For his PhD in Biochemistry from University of Ibadan, he specialized in Toxicology. He received postdoctoral training at the University of Liverpool, UK; University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Seoul National University, South Korea; Institute of Food Safety and Toxicology, Soborg; Friedrich-Schiller University of Jena, Germany, and Institute of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, University of Aarhus, Denmark. Highlighting his commitment to continuous learning and professional development, he holds the specialized training certificate in Web Resources for Environmental Health and Biomedical Research, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Tennessee, USA. These background training and exposure serve as veritable platform and solidify his trailblazing career and distinction in academia.
Professor Farombi's research endeavors over the past 30 years have primarily focused on Molecular Toxicology, Cellular Oxidative Stress Mechanisms, and Nutrigenomics. His work is particularly notable for elucidating the chemopreventive properties of phytochemicals and their potentials in combating neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. He has patented four novel therapeutic signatures of relevance to certain disease conditions.
Professor Farombi’s commitment to progressive professional development and advancement of knowledge in science is evident in his association with highly revered bodies like the Society of Toxicology (SOT), UNESCO Global Network for Molecular and Cell Biology, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), Biochemical Society (UK) and International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
His scholarly contributions have garnered international recognition, with rankings among the top scientists globally by ranking bodies such as the SESRTCIC (Top 10 productive researchers in the University of Ibadan, 2005), US-based Stanford University (ranked Top 2% World Scientists, Top1% of world Toxicologists and Number 1 (one) Toxicologist in Nigeria for 6 consecutive years) SciVal/Elsevier and AD Scientific Index (Best scientist in University of Ibadan, 2021).
He has received and administered numerous grants and fellowships as Principal Investigator, Co-Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on several internally and externally funded projects and grants including World Bank, UNESCO Global Network for Molecular and Cell Biology, WHO/TDR, MacArthur Foundation, IUTOX, IUBMB, Lady Bank-Anthony Grant for Cancer Research, TETFUND IBR and NRF, the 1M dollar grant that led to the establishment of Center for Drug Development and Production at the University of Ibadan and the 2014 Society of Toxicology SOT (USA) Global Senior Scholar Exchange Toxicology Fellowship. Beyond his research pursuits, Professor Farombi is esteemed as a mentor, having supervised hundreds of undergraduate, 270 Masters students and 30 PhD candidates(fifteen of them are already full Professor in various Institutions).
He has contributed to over 300 scientific articles in reputable international journals having over 17,800 citations and H-index of 68. He is credited with the supervision of the adjudged best PhD Thesis in Basic Medical Sciences within the Nigerian University system during 2009 assessment by NUC and the best PhD Thesis in the University of Ibadan in 2018.
At the University of Ibadan, Professor Farombi has uniquely contributed to and added value to the University of Ibadan project. Apart from being two times Head of Biochemistry Department, Dean Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, he served as Sub-Dean Postgraduate, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences; Coordinator, Zonal Committee, National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) Zonal Biotechnology Centre; Leader, University of Ibadan Biotechnology Center of Excellence Project; Member, University Central and Appointment and Promotions Committee, Acting Director, Institute for Advanced Medical Research and Training (IAMRAT) and Acting Provost, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan.
He is the Foundation Editorial Board Chairman of the Archives of Basic and Applied Medicine (ABAM). All these contributions informed his recognition with the honor of the Outstanding Research Award for Commitment and Outstanding Contributions to Research and Innovation; Research Champion in the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan; the University of Ibadan Roll of Honour of Researchers with the highest Research output; Citation in Who is Who: University of Ibadan (1948-2022); and Senior Research and Academic Leader on the Board of University of Ibadan Research Foundation.
His dedication to advancing the fields of Biochemistry, Toxicology and translational medicine underscores his profound impact on scientific understanding and societal well-being. In 2014, he was invited and involved by the Federal Ministry of Health (Nigeria) to the High-level experts consultative and intersectorial committee meeting on Research and Treatment of Ebola Virus Disease during the Epidemic in Nigeria and some African countries. He served as a veritable stakeholder and member of Research and Development Subcommittee of the homegrown herbal solution to COVID-19 committee in Oyo state, Nigeria in 2020. Consequently, his expertise on the role of certain natural products and medicinal foods on viral illnesses was harnessed by the Governor. His contribution in these areas was adjudged to be partly responsible for the low incidence and mortality from COVID 19 in Oyo State where no stay-at-home order (lockdown) was declared. He also serves on the African Academy of Sciences Epidemics and Preparedness Committee (2019-date). He was recently elected a Fellow of “The World Academy of Sciences” (TWAS) being the only Nigerian elected in 2025, on account of his contributions to the advancement of biomedical sciences globally.
A widely traveled academic, he has been a visiting Professor to over 20 world class institutions and has given over 250 invited lectures in countries spanning 4 continents of the world. He is married to Dr. Temitope Farombi, MD, PhD, a Consultant Neurologist at the Geriatrics Centre, University College Hospital, Ibadan and they are blessed with children.