Rufus O. Akinyemi, winner of the 2023 Gold Medal Prize (Life Sciences) of the Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS), is a Professor of Geriatric Neurology and Translational Neuroscience and Director of the Biomedical Research Centre, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He holds a PhD from Newcastle University, UK; an MSc in Cell Biology and Genetics and a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Ibadan, fellowships of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (Internal Medicine/ Neurology) and the Global Brain Health Institute. He was recently elected into the fellowship of both the Nigerian Academy of Science and the Academy of Medicine Specialties of Nigeria. His research focuses on vascular and degenerative brain disorders using a translational bench-bedside-community framework. He spearheaded the establishment of the African Stroke Organization (ASO) and the African Dementia Consortium (AfDC) and hosted the first African Stroke Leaders’ Summit in 2022. He has co-led the largest study of stroke in Africa, the NIH-funded SIREN-SIBS Genomics Study in the last decade and currently leads the current largest study of dementia in Africa, the NIH/NIA - funded READD – ADSP Study. Professor Akinyemi has been elected fellow of the African Academy of Sciences based on his contribution to deepening understanding of the genetic epidemiology of stroke among indigenous Africans and global populations; and for enhancing ancestry - specific risk prediction and unmasking novel targets for prevention/treatment. His excellent translational research on stroke and dementia led to the discovery of clasmatodendrosis as a critical neuroinflammatory substrate of vascular cognitive impairment and dementia with therapeutic implications. He currently leads the largest study of dementia in Africa aimed at unravelling the genetic architecture of dementia in African ancestry populations. He is a pioneer in neurobiobanking in Africa and recently established the IBADAN Brain Bank. He’s well published in peer-reviewed journals with over 250 publications, H- index of 68 and 86,389 citations. He’s married to Tolulope, an excellent biomedical scientist and the union is blessed with four brilliant children.
