CITATION OF PIONEER VICE CHANCELLOR
PROFESSOR AKEEM OLAWALE LASISI MBChB, MD, FWACS, FMCORL, FNAMED
Professor Akeem Olawale Lasisi assumed duty as the pioneer Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila-Orangun on 18th February, 2022, following his announcement by the Honourable Minister of education. He. Until his appointment he was the Head of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Ibadan and the University College Hospital, Ibadan.
He attended St. Charles’ Grammar School, Osogbo between 1978 and 1983 where he passed out in flying colors. He was admitted to study Medicine and Surgery at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in 1984. He completed the programme in 1990 and had his housemanship training at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital between 1990 and 1991.
After the mandatory National Youth Service at the Comprehensive Health Centre in Guma, Benue State between 1991 and 1992, he started residency training in Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at the University College Hospital, Ibadan in December 1993, completing the Fellowship of the West African College of Surgeons in October 1999 and Fellowship of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria in May 2000.
He was appointed Lecturer in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Ibadan in December 2000, promoted to the rank of Senior Lecturer in July 2004 and Professor in October 2010. His passion for research led him to complete his Doctor of Medicine Thesis in Immunobiology at the University of Ibadan in 2013.
Professor Lasisi underwent numerous clinical and research experience round the globe including the Otology/Skullbase Base Surgery Fellowship in Chinese University, 2003; the Edinburgh General Hospital, United Kingdom 2005 and Visiting Physician at the House Ear Institute, Los Angeles. He was a Research Fellow in Inner Ear Autoimmunity at the University of California, San Diego between November 2006 and February 2007. He was a Visiting Professor and Research Fellow in Genomics of Deafness at the Hussmann Institute of Human Genomics and Visiting Professor, University of Miami, Florida between 2014 and 2015.
He is a recipient of several travel and research grants including the Faculty of Clinical Sciences Travel Grant 2003 and 2005, MacArthur Travel Grant 2006, National Institute of Health Travel Grant 2013, the University of Ibadan MacArthur Foundation Multidisciplinary Team Research Grant in 2008 for the immunological study of prenatal risk factors of ear infection in first year of life, the University of Ibadan Senate Research Grant on the biology of age-related deafness, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund and the National Institute of Deafness Research Grant on Genomics of deafness. He is presently the Principal Investigator of the study on the “Genomics of Congenital deafness’ in collaboration with the University of Iowa and supported by the National Institute of Deafness Grant.
He has served the University of Ibadan in various capacities including membership of the University Senate, chairman or member of various committees at the Faculty, College and University levels and Head, Department of Otorhinolaryngology to mention a few. He is a member in good standing of the Society Building Evidence for Sound Treatment of ENT Diseases (BEST ENT), member of the American Academy of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, European Academy of Neuro-otology, Nigerian Society of Otorhinolaryngologist and Nigerian Medical Association among others. He is an Examiner at the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and the West African College of Surgeons. In addition, he sits on Editorial Board of reputable international journals and professorial promotion panel in other Nigerian Universities. He has a robust public service experience as he served as the Chief Medical Director of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo between 2015 and 2020.
He has chaired several scientific sessions at international conferences including the World Congress of the International Fellowship of Otorhinolaryngological Societies and the European Academy of Otorhinolaryngology. Excluding conference proceedings, abstracts, presentations, manuals and technical reports, Professor Lasisi has over 120 publications to his credit. He has been a major player in the development of hearing manpower all over the country. He delivered the prestigious 7th Victor Anomah Ngu Citation Lecture of the West African College of Surgeons in Abidjan in 2015. He also delivered the 72nd Postgraduate School Interdisciplinary Research Discourse on “Deafness: Biology, Burden, Diversity and Culture in Nigeria – implication for National Hearing Policy” in 2017. He has supervised over 15 dissertations leading to completion of the fellowship examinations in otorhinolaryngology mentored many trainees and younger faculty in various fields and disciplines in the science of research, grantsmanship and scientific publishing. He is married to Dr Jemilat Lasisi of the Departments of Physiology and Oral Pathology of the University of Ibadan and they are blessed with four children.