Babatunde Lawal SALAKO

 Profile of Professor Babatunde Lawal Salako

Professor Babatunde Lawal Salako is a seasoned physician, teacher, researcher and administrator. He is currently the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba Lagos. His primary employment remains as Professor of Nephrology at the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan and an Honorary Consultant Physician and Nephrologist at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria.

He became the Head of Department of Medicine in both Institutions in 2011 and was the Provost of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan between 2014 and 2016. His foray into Medicine began in 1986 when he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Ibadan and further went on to become a Fellow of the West African College of Physicians in 1994. By dint of hard work and good clinical practice he was elected Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh in 2014 and the Royal College of Physicians of London in 2016. Professor Salako was the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association in Oyo State 2002-2004, Editor of the Tropical Journal of Nephrology 2005-2012, Assistant Editor-in-Chief African Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences the official journal of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan 2012 to 2014 and President of the Nigerian Association of Nephrology 2016 to 2018.

Over the years Professor Salako has worked on Hypertension and kidney diseases with grant support from the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Senate of the University of Ibadan, the MacArthur Foundation and 5 NIH grants as both site PI and in a project with multiple PI on the H3Africa Kidney Disease Research Network Consortium in collaboration with the Department of Public Health Sciences of the Loyola University, Chicago, University of Michigan USA, University of Arizona and the University of Ghana.

Professor Salako formulated the drug Miniplus an antihypertensive drug to replace Minizide in the market in collaboration with Neimeth Pharmaceuticals International when Minizide became scarce. The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research developed both the DNA and RNA extraction kits for life science research under his leadership. He is currently a Temporary Adviser to the WHO, member of the General Assembly of the European and Developing Country Clinical Trial partnership (EDTCP), member of the WHO/TDR Standing Committee and Joint Coordinating Board. He is the chairman of the Disease Endemic Country Committee of the WHO/TDR Joint Coordinating Board.

Professor Salako was appointed Foundation Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Medicine (FNAMed) in 2019 and Fellow Nigerian Academy of Science (FAS) in February 2020. He is a member of the Central Bank of Nigeria Body of Expert on the Healthcare Sector Research & Development Intervention Grant Scheme, Chairman National Health Research Committee and Chairman National COVID-19 Research Consortium. He has received awards for Commitment to medical practice and excellence by the Board of the University College Hospital, Ibadan and recognition as a worthy ambassador by the current management of the University of Ibadan.   He has more than 160 published articles in both local and international journals including two.