Professor Olanrewaju Oladimeji is a Full Professor of Epidemiology and Head of Doctoral Studies in the Department of Public Health at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU). He is the Chair of the Research Capacity Development Subcommittee in the School of Health Care Sciences. He is a NRF Y1 rated researcher (in 2020).
He obtained his medical degree from the University of Ibadan, followed by postgraduate training in epidemiology and biostatistics in the same institution. He earned his PhD in Public Health from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and thereafter awarded a Fogarty Global Health Postdoctoral Fellowship which he completed at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Professor Oladimeji is one of the leading implementation scientists in Africa whose research focuses on translating evidence into practice, particularly in Tuberculosis, HIV, health innovation, mental health and other non-communicable diseases. His work addresses how context-responsive, scalable interventions can strengthen health systems and improve outcomes in resource-constrained settings.
Since joining SMU, he has strengthened doctoral training, expanded collaborative research funding, and increased scholarly output. In 2025, he was recognised as Champion of Research Excellence at the Vice-Chancellor’s Research and Innovation Awards. He has supervised over 65 postgraduate students and continues to mentor emerging researchers across Africa and beyond.
His academic contributions include an extensive publication record with significant global impact citations of 61,113, h-index of 36 and i10-index of 84. He has led major research and capacity development initiatives such as the SAMRC-funded AKITH Study and the NIH D43 Khulani Siphile Siphuhle Doctoral Training Programme. He is also a Faculty Mentor in the Sustained Academic Research and Doctoral Training Programme, a joint UCLA-NIH initiative involving the University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University, and 10 other South African institutions.
Professor Oladimeji actively contributes to the global scientific community as Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Open Public Health Journal, and seat in the editorial board of seven international high-impact journals. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health (UK) and a member of leading international professional bodies, including the American College of Epidemiology and the American Public Health Association.
In 2023, he received the South African Medical Research Council Scientific Merit Bronze Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to public health research in South Africa and across the African continent.
As Director of the SAMRC/SMU Public Health Intervention, Innovation, and Implementation Research Unit (PHIRu), he leads a multidisciplinary platform advancing evidence-based, innovative, and context-responsive solutions to improve population health and drive sustainable impact.
Contact Details
Address:
Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Molotlegi St, Ga-Rankuwa Zone 1, Ga-Rankuwa, 0208
Tel office: +27 (0 )12 521 4613
Email: olanrewaju.oladimeji@smu.ac.za