Public Health Student Spotlight: Oluwabusayomi Akeju

ALBANY, N.Y. (May 11, 2026) —Oluwabusayomi (Busayo) Akeju is a fourth-year Doctor of Public Health student at the University at Albany College of Integrated Health Sciences, with over 10 years of experience in public health. Her interests center on global health and chronic diseases, with a focus on nutrition and maternal and child health. She is particularly passionate about reducing the burden of malnutrition among children in low- and middle-income countries. 

After graduating with her degree in biochemistry, Akeju knew she wanted to experience life beyond the laboratory. She began working as an intern with a non-governmental organization and later transitioned into a full-time role implementing malaria programs. During this time, she gained experience working across HIV, tuberculosis, immunization, and malaria programs, and developed a strong interest in how public health programs are designed, implemented, and evaluated. A key highlight of her work was leading large-scale insecticide-treated net distribution campaigns, where she provided oversight, monitoring, and supervision of program activities across hard-to-reach areas, conflict zones, and other complex operating environments, while working with international non-governmental organizations to strengthen coordination and service delivery. These experiences led her to pursue an MPH at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria, where she strengthened her foundation in public health and deepened her interest in program implementation and evaluation. 

Akeju is currently interning with the Partnership for Research and Action for Health in Tbilisi, Georgia, while also working with the AIDS Institute at the New York State Department of Health as a graduate research assistant. In these roles, she contributes to research activities, including conducting literature reviews, supporting data analysis and assisting with manuscript development. She evaluates prevention and care services to assess program effectiveness and identify equity gaps. 

Akeju is also a Fellow with the Center for Women in Government and Civil Society and completed her fellowship at the New York State Office of Mental Health in the Division of Managed Care. In addition to this, she serves as an abstract reviewer for the American Public Health Association. She was the first runner-up in the UAlbany Future Leaders in Policy competition and a recipient of the Initiative for Women award at UAlbany. 

After graduation, Akeju plans to apply the skills and experiences gained from her DrPH training to improve population health outcomes globally, including in low- and middle-income countries. She is particularly interested in strengthening public health programs to ensure they are effective, scalable, and responsive to community needs.