The University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED) in Ondo has achieved another international research milestone, as one of its faculty members has secured three major global awards. These include Germany's prestigious Georg Forster Research Fellowship and two grants backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Dr. Olumuyiwa Peter's Achievements
Dr. Olumuyiwa Peter, a researcher in the Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences and the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, has been awarded the competitive Georg Forster Research Fellowship for Postdoctoral Researchers by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in Germany. This fellowship is recognized as one of the world's most selective research programs and will support advanced research, international collaboration, and professional development in Germany.
In a statement released by the institution's Public Relations Officer, Isaacs Oluyi, Dr. Peter also secured two research grants funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through Imperial College London under the Measles Analytics Hub (MAH) initiative. According to Oluyi, these grants will support innovative work in measles surveillance, immunization modeling, and evidence-based public health decision-making in Nigeria and other countries.
Expertise and Recognition
Dr. Peter is an internationally recognized expert in infectious disease modeling and vaccine analytics. He was listed among the World's Top 2% Scientists in both 2024 and 2025, according to the global ranking compiled by Stanford University, USA, in collaboration with Elsevier. He earned his PhD in Applied Mathematics, specializing in Infectious Disease Modelling, from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria, with his doctoral benchwork undertaken at the Institute of Informatics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia, under the Slovak Government National Scholarship Programme.
Over the years, Dr. Peter has held research fellowships and undertaken academic visits across Europe and Asia. He also participated as an invited expert in a World Health Organization (WHO) consultation on Mpox research priorities and has secured several competitive international research grants, including funding from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Geneva, Switzerland. With more than 150 peer-reviewed scientific publications to his credit, he is widely regarded as one of Nigeria's leading scholars in infectious disease modeling and public health analytics.
UNIMED Vice-Chancellor's Response
Reacting to the development, the Vice-Chancellor of UNIMED, Prof. Ebunoluwa Adejuyigbe, congratulated Dr. Peter on his achievement, describing it as a testament to the university's commitment to world-class research and innovation. She stated, "Dr. Olumuyiwa James Peter's latest achievements are a source of immense pride to the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo. His success in securing the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship and two Gates Foundation-supported research grants reflects the quality of scholarship and research culture we are nurturing at UNIMED."
The Vice-Chancellor noted that the awards would further enhance the institution's international visibility and strengthen its contributions to global health research. She added, "These recognitions underscore UNIMED's growing reputation as a center of excellence in medical and health-related research. They also demonstrate the capacity of our academics to compete successfully on the global stage and contribute meaningfully to solving critical public health challenges."
Prof. Adejuyigbe reaffirmed the university's commitment to supporting cutting-edge research and fostering international collaborations that advance knowledge and improve healthcare outcomes. She said, "As a university dedicated to innovation, discovery, and societal impact, we will continue to create an enabling environment for our researchers to excel. We are confident that the outcomes of Dr. Peter's research will contribute significantly to disease control, immunization policy, and evidence-based health interventions in Nigeria and beyond."
The Vice-Chancellor also expressed optimism that the achievement would inspire younger academics and students to pursue excellence in research and scholarship. She concluded, "This accomplishment serves as an inspiration to our staff and students. It demonstrates that with dedication, hard work, and institutional support, our researchers can attain global recognition and make lasting contributions to humanity."
This latest feat adds to a growing list of international accomplishments by UNIMED scholars and reinforces the institution's position as one of Nigeria's emerging centers for high-impact research and global health scholarship.
