TITLE (PROF/DR/): PROF.

NAME: OLUWOLE BABAFEMI FAMILONI

POSITION: PROFESSOR                                         SPECIALISATION: ORGANIC CHEMISTRY- SYNTHESIS AND NATURAL PRODUCTS

EDUCATION/TRAINING (Begin with Bachelor’s degree or other initial professional education, such as nursing, include postdoctoral training and residency training if applicable. Add/delete rows as necessary.)

Personal Statement

Professor Oluwole Babafemi Familoni is an accomplished chemist with a distinguished academic and research career. He earned his B.Sc. (Hons) in Chemistry in 1981, followed by an M.Phil. and Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Lagos, Nigeria, in 1986 and 1990, respectively. In 1988, he was a Predoctoral Fellow at the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA), Rouen, France, and later undertook a Postdoctoral Fellowship (1993–1994) at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, under Professor Vic Snieckus as a CIDA/NSERC Research Fellow.

Beginning his academic career as Lecturer II, Professor Familoni rose to the rank of full Professor of Organic Synthesis in 2004. His research has been recognized with numerous awards, including multiple grants from the Royal Society of Chemistry, London, and the prestigious JWT Jones Travelling Fellowship (1997, 2007). These fellowships facilitated collaborations with Professor A. McKillop (University of East Anglia) and Professor Vic Snieckus at the university of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. He has also received the Alfred Bader Research Fellowship (1999, 2003, 2007) at Queen’s University , Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and the German DAAD Fellowship (2022). His TWAS Basic Research Grant in 2015 further underscores his contributions to organic synthesis. In 2023 he along with his colleagues won a research grant of Twenty three million Naira from TETFund for diabetes wound healing.

Professor Familoni is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (London) (FRSC) Chartered Chemist (C. Chem), the Chemical Society of Nigeria (FCSN), the Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (FIPAN), and the Nigerian Academy of Science (FAS). He is also a Chartered Chemist and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria (FICCON).   

At the University of Lagos, Professor Familoni has held significant administrative positions, including Head of the Department of Chemistry (2002–2005), Dean of Science (2008–2012). and  Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics and Research) (2019 -2022)

Nationally, Professor Familoni has served on the councils of University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria, He was also on the Governing Council of the Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria.  Internationally, He is the Chairman of the Royal Society of Chemistry, London (Nigerian Section), and a member of the Pan African Chemistry Network (PACN) Advisory Board (2014-2021).

His research specializes in the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds and natural product chemistry, with a focus on sulfur-containing heterocycles and physiologically active plant-derived compounds. He has supervised 15 Ph.D. students, many of whom have attained professorial positions, continuing his legacy in organic chemistry research.

Positions, Scientific Appointments, and Honours

1. Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and Research) 2018 – 2022
2. Member, Council of the University of Lagos, 2017 -2022
3. Chairman University Ethics Committee 2022 –
4. Member, University Management 2018 -2022
5. Member, Appointment and Promotion Committee, 2018 – 2022.
6. Chairman, Central Research Committee 2018 – 2022
7. Chairman, Publication Vetting Committee 2019 – date
8. Chairman, School of Foundation Studies, 2018 – 2022
9. Director, School of Foundation Studies, 2016 – 2018
10. Dean, Faculty of Science, August 2008 -2012.
11. Sub-Dean, Faculty of Science August 2000 – July 2002.
12. Head of Department of Chemistry, University of Lagos. 2002 – 2005
13. Member of Senate of the University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria 2005 –Date.

 Selected Most Recent Publications /Contributions to Knowledge 

1. Kolade, S. O., Aina, O. S., Gordon, A. T., Hosten, E. C., Olasupo, I. A., Ogunlaja, A. S., Asekun, O. T., & Familoni, O. B. Synthesis and       molecular docking studies of novel tricyclic and  angular tetracyclic benzothiadiazines via sp3-C-H activation as potential colon cancer inhibitors.     Journal of Heterocyclic Chemistry. 2023;60(10) 1738-1759  https://doi.org/10.1002/jhet4715
2. Jocelyn A Odusami, Monisola I Ikhile, Idris A Olasupo, Marthe CD Fotsing, Olayinka T Asekun, Derek T Ndinteh, Oluwole B Familoni  Synthesis And Antibacterial Activity of Angular Tetrahydrocycloamino [1, 2-a] Quinoxalin-4-one Derivatives.

          Scientific African 25 (2024) e02317,   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sciaf.2024.e02317.

3. Manickam Bakthadoss, Aina Oluwafemi Sb, Tadiparthi Thirupathi Reddya, Josephat U.Izunobi and Familoni Oluwole B  Mono and di ortho-C–H        acetoxylation     of 2-aryloxyquinoline-3-carbaldehydes.  RSC Adv., 2024,14, 13306-13310

             DOI https://doi.org/10.1039/D4RA01289E

4. O. Kolade, O.S. Aina, A.T. Gordon, E.C. Hosten, I.A. Olasupo, A.S. Ogunlaja, O.T. Asekun and O.B. Familoni .  Synthesis, crystal structure and          evaluation of aryl­sul­fon­amide Schiff  bases for potential activity against colon cancer Acta   Cryst. 2024, C80,           https://doi.org/10.1107/S205322962400233X
5.  Abdulfatai Temitope Ajiboye, Olayinka Taiwo Asekun, Tiruveedhula Somasekhar, Abdulrahman, Abdullahi Mukadam, Ridwan Oladayo                           Sulaimon, Kabir Opeyemi Otun , Oluwole Babafemi Familoni. DFT and Molecular Docking Studies of 10-Hydroxylstrictosamide from Methanol              Leaves  Extract  of Sarcocephallus latifolius (Smith, Bruce) Journal of the Indian Chemical Society 2024, 101347   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jics.2024.101347

Collaborators/ Networks (International inclusive)

    1. Prof Manickam Bakthadoss,  Department of Chemistry, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry 605 014, India.

2. Prof I.A.; Ogunlaja Department of Chemistry, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, 6031, South Africa
3. Prof Derek T. Ndinteh, Department of Applied Chemistry, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
4. Prof Xiaoguang Bao, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Material Science, and 3College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University     Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, People’s Republic of China
5. Jack M. Mphalele Chemistry Department, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, University of South Africa, P.O. Box 392, Pretoria 0003,     South Africa