The Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS) has announced Professor Rufus Olusola Akinyemi as the winner of the 2023 NAS Gold Medal Prize for Life Sciences.
Akinyemi, a Professor of Geriatric Neurology and Translational Neuroscience at the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, won the prize for his research over the last decade on stroke, post-stroke vascular cognitive impairment, and dementia (PSVCID), and stroke bio-banking.
The chairman of, the NAS Science Prize Committee, Dr Sonny Folorunso Kuku, in a statement Thursday said: “This has yielded novel outputs of potential impact on millions of African and global populations in this era of precision medicine.”
He said the work of Professor Akinyemi and his collaborators has significantly improved knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying vascular cognitive impairment and dementia, especially the role of neuroinflammation in the pathobiology of these disorders whose prevalence is increasing at an alarming rate globally.
Kuku added that Akinyemi has improved understanding of the epidemiology of dementia in Africa and molecular mechanisms of vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID).
The award is made annually, alternating between the Life and Physical Sciences, and consists of a medal, a certificate, and a purse. The 2023 award is in the Life Sciences.
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