Dr. Olubukola Omobowale, Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant Community Physician in the Department of Community Medicine, is currently a Visiting Scholar at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. She is based at the Psychosis Research Program in the Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and at Stikland Hospital, hosted by Prof. Laila Asmal.
The HIV Research Trust Scholarship The placement is funded through the HIV Research Trust Scholarship, administered by the Terrence Higgins Trust. The Terrence Higgins Trust, founded in 1982, is the United Kingdom's leading HIV and sexual health charity. Its subsidiary, the HIV Research Trust, awards competitive annual scholarships to early and mid-career researchers from low and middle-income countries. The scholarship enables recipients to train at leading international centres and return with skills that strengthen research at their home institutions.
Her Research
As part of her larger Women’s Health program, Dr. Omobowale is focusing on the intersection of mental health, HIV and menopause. As women living with HIV increasingly reach midlife, their mental health and menopause needs remain largely overlooked in both care and research. Her placement aims to strengthen the evidence base and build collaborations that will help integrate these services into routine HIV care in Nigeria.
The Psychosis Research Program
The department of Psychiatry at Stellenbosch University began the Psychosis Research Program in the mid-1990s and is a leading centre for psychosis research in Africa. It focuses on risk and resilience factors for psychosis, pharmacological and psychosocial intervention research includingclinical trials, and training of professionals and researchers from developing countries. The University of Ibadan is already one of its international collaborators, alongside King's College London, UCLA and Utrecht University. 
Benefits to the College
This placement deepens an established partnership between the University of Ibadan and Stellenbosch University. It will strengthen the College’s capacity in HIV and mental health research, open avenues for joint grant applications, publications and postgraduate training, and position the College at the forefront of research on the health of ageing women living with HIV in Africa. The visit also advances Dr. Omobowale’s work as Chair of the Structure and Governance Committee of the Africa Psychosis Research Network (APRN), giving the College a voice in this emerging pan-African network.
The College of Medicine, University of Ibadan congratulates Dr. Omobowale on this achievement.
COMUI Lecturer Awarded HIV Research Trust Scholarship to Stellenbosch University
