Professor Olatunde O. OWOEYE

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 BIOGRAPHY

Olatunde Owoeye, MBBS, M. Sc. Anatomy (Ibadan), Ph. D Neuroanatomy (Ibadan).

Dr. Olatunde Owoeye graduated MBBS from the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan in June 1983 receiving the (i) E. Latunde Odeku Prize in Neurosurgery and (ii) Glazo Prize in Paediatrics. He did his Housemanship same year at the University College Hospital, Ibadan. On completion, he proceeded to Kano State for the compulsory National Youth Service Corp during which he worked at Psychiatry Hospital, Goron Dutse, Kano. Thereafter, he worked as a Medical Officer at the Department of Surgery, Murtala Mohammed Hospital, Kano and later at the Alaafia-Tayo Hospital, Ibadan till 1998. He proceeded to the University of Ibadan in 1999 to pursue a Masters degree which he earned in Anatomy (2003) and a Ph. D in Neuroanatomy (2011).

He joined the faculty of the Department of Anatomy, University of Ibadan in January 2001 as Lecturer II, was promoted Lecturer I (2006), appointed Senior Lecturer (2011) and promoted Reader on October 1, 2015. He teaches Gross anatomy, Neuroanatomy, Embryology, Histology to preclinical Medical and Dental students; Physiotherapy, Nursing, Human Nutrition, Physiology, Environmental Health students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels and Histochemistry to Masters students.

He was Assistant Warden of Alexander Brown Hall (2007-2012) and Warden (2012 -2013). He was MBBS programme Coordinator and later PG Coordinator (2011 – 2015). He was appointed acting Head of the Department of Anatomy of the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences from August 01, 2018 till July 31, 2020 and has just been re-appointed acting Head of the same Department on August 01, 2022 for a two-year term.

Area of Specialization

Dr. Owoeye’s research focus is in Neuroprotection with special interest on the structural alterations that accompany neurotrauma and neural regeneration using chemical compounds and plant medicinal products with anti-oxidant activities to observe the neural responses to such induced trauma irrespective of their aetiology. Debilitating neural conditions viz: brain/spinal cord trauma, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis among others have been linked to oxidative damage due to generation of excess reactive oxygen species. His focus has been to investigate substances that might protect the neuron and glial cells from trauma, degeneration and death thus limiting micro-anatomical alterations, neuronal dysfunction, and maintenance of cellular integrity.

Different free radical generating sources like trauma, carotid artery occlusion, sepsis and substances like gamma radiation, Cisplatin, Mercuric Chloride, Lead acetate, Cisplatin, Benzo[a]pyrene, Dichlorvos among others were used to induce oxidative damage in Wistar rat. Intervention with anti-oxidatives like ascorbic acid, Immunocal©, alpha-tocopherol, kolaviron bioflavonoids, taurine as well as plants products from Vernonia amygdalina, Lycopersicon esculentum, Launaea taraxacifolia, Telfairia occidentalis, Sida acuta, Hibiscus sabdariffa, Celosia argentea and Carica papaya.followed to ascertain their ameliorative effects. Central nervous system components investigated in rats included: the spinal cord, trapezoid nucleus in pons, cerebellum, cerebral cortex, Cornu ammonis1, Cornu ammonis3 and dentate gyrus of the hippocampal formation. His research findings have shown histological/immunohistological alterations of tissues caused by oxidative damage which experimentally have been reversed by experimented antioxidants due to their contents of polyphenols and flavonoids which mitigated the effects thus restoring the microanatomy of the altered examined portions. It was while working on these, that he isolated a novel compound, Epivernodalol, from a Vernonia amygdalina (bitter leaf) fraction which demonstrated anticancer activity against skin melanoma. His research continues with the aim of discovering substances which may be used in preventing histological alterations associated with neurotrauma and neurodegeneration.

Dr Owoeye has published over 73 articles in peer reviewed journals and one book chapter. He is a member of the following learned societies: Nigerian Medical Association, Anatomical Society of Nigeria, Society for Experimental and Clinical Anatomists of Nigeria, Society of African Neuroscientists and the Nigerian Society of Neuroscientists. Dr. Owoeye has been very active in the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International since 1994 where he rose to become a Field Representative in the SW 1 District of Nigeria. 

Resume

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Research

1. Current Research and Capacity Building Projects including Grants

Title: The effects of Phyllanthus amarus on Monosodium glutamate-induced alterations on the rat brain through behavioural, biochemical, histological and immunohistochemical investigations.
Funder: Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan.
Brief Summary: Infertility is a product of reduced fertility in the couple (WHO, 2000). It can occur in both men and women but male infertility associated factors are mostly pointed out by abnormal semen parameters. The World Health Organisation reported that 8% of infertility cases were attributable to male factors and 35% to both male and female factors. Monosodium glutamate (MSG), the sodium salt of glutamic acid, is a flavor enhancer used in food industries. The reported ability of MSG to damage neural tissue of the hypothalamus is a pointer to the fact that it may alter the neural control of reproductive hormone secretion via the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal regulatory axis (Igwuebuike, et al., 2011; Bawaskar et al., 2017). Other parts of rat brain have been reported to be affected by monosodium glutamate (MSG) toxicity via oxidative stress in experimental animals (Eweka 2007; Khalil and Khedr. 2016; Owoeye and Salami, 2017; Owoeye et al., 2018). This study aims to investigate the antioxidative capacity of Phyllanthus amarus (Bashan et al., 2009; Yang et al., 2012) to possibly modulate the oxidative stress induced by high consumption of MSG in various parts of neural tissue. The benefit of the outcome will be acquiring data that can modify attitudes concerning excessive consumption of MSG.
Role: Principal Investigator
Collaborators: Femi Folorunsho, Edoabasi Obong

2. Completed Research

This evaluating the effects of a common antacid, Cimetidine on an anti-cancer drug Cimetidine has since been published: Owoeye, O and Olaoye, H.O. (2022). Cimetidine ameliorated the effect of Cisplatin treatment on brain of Wistar rats. Journal of Anatomical Sciences. Vol. 13. No. 1: 26 – 36.  

Publications

Supervision

CURRENT STUDENTS
Masters Level

SET OF M. Sc. STUDENTS SUPERVISED BY PROF. O. OWOEYE

Doctoral level

PREVIOUS STUDENTS (Selected)

     Masters Level

LIST OF M. Sc. STUDENTS SUPERVISED BY PROF. O. OWOEYE

     Doctoral level (Ph. D)

Grants

Not Available

Social Media Handle

Other Interest/Hobbies

Bible Study, Christian Music, Sharing with old school mates, Anatomy Atlases, Neuroanatomy