Prof. Temitope Olomola

Prof. Temitope Olomola

Professor

Email Address: tolomola@gmail.com

Name: Prof. Temitope Olomola

Staff: Academic Staff

Rank in the department: Professor

Short Bio, Academic, and Research Activities:

Temitope Olomola joined the services of the Chemistry Department, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, in 2006 and rose to the rank of Professor in 2021. He has served in different capacities in the University, such as Chemistry Coordinator for the Predegree Programme (2013-2016), elected member of the University Senate (2013-2017) and elected member of the University Appointment & Promotions Committee (2016-2017).
Prof. Olomola’s research thrust involves using basic synthetic chemistry tools to find solutions to the ‘poor man’s diseases’, which are particularly endemic to Africa (such as HIV-1, sickle cell anaemia and malaria). Specifically, his research combines the synthesis and evaluation of heterocyclic compounds with medicinal potential, asymmetric synthesis of drug-like molecules and kinetic-mechanistic studies of organic reaction mechanisms.
Prof. Olomola has been involved in the development of science through various community engagement initiatives. Effort in this direction led to him receiving the 2011 Rhodes University Engaged Student of the year Award and the Investec Rhodes Top 100 Award, Community Engagement (2011). Prof. Olomola became a member of the Nigerian Young Academy in 2015 and later served as the fourth President of the academy (2017-2019). He was a visiting researcher to University of South Africa from 2018-2020. He was a member of the planning committee for the 7th world conference on research integrity (WCRI) that took place in Cape Town, South Africa in 2022.

Office/Room Number: 236

Area of Specialization: Synthetic Organic Chemistry

Current Research Projects for Postgraduate Students:

  1. Design, Synthesis and Evaluation of Novel Coumarin Derivatives as Antisickling Compounds. Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is one of the most common genetic disorders, it is endemic to Africa, has no cure and very few medications are available for its management. There is need to continue the search for potent drugs that can be used to manage this disorder, hence this study.
    The proposed project will be focused on an extension of the application of Baylis-Hillman methodology to access coumarin derivatives using a rational design approach. The rational approach would involve the use of computational chemistry to narrow the potential wide array of compounds by evaluating the potential sickling inhibition profile and druglikeness. The identified hits and their derivatives would then be synthesized and characterized. The synthesized compounds would then be screened for their ability to reverse and inhibit sickling in red blood cells using different models.
    2. Design and rational optimization of purine-based deoxyribose triphosphates as Lassa fever nucleoprotein DNA inhibitors
    Lassa fever (LF) is a viral hemorrhagic infection, first discovered in 1969 in Lassa town, Borno State, Nigeria and later became endemic exclusively in the West African countries. The disease presents a spectrum of symptoms, ranging from acute to fatal. The etiologic agent of LF is the Lassa virus (LASV), transmitted to humans through contact with secretions from its vector, the multimammate rat. Human to human transmission can also occur through contact with an infected person’s body fluid. LASV also threatens importation and economic growth because of misuse as a bioterrorism agent in industrial countries. As a neglected tropical disease indigenous to the West African region, it becomes imperative to develop drugs specifically for the treatment of this disease, hence the need for this study.
    This project will identify a number of scaffolds and evaluate their potential as lead compounds in the treatment of Lassa fever.

List of Selected Publications (with DOI Number or a Hyperlink):

Olomola, T.O., Mphahlele, M.J. and Gildenhuys, S. (2020) Benzofuran-selenadiazole Hybrids as Novel α-Glucosidase and Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibitors with Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Properties. Bioorganic Chemistry, 100, 103945.
DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.103945
Torabi, M., Yarie, M., Zolfigol, M.A. Rouhani, S., Azizi, S., Olomola, T.O., Maaza, M., Msagati, T.A.M. (2021) Synthesis of new pyridines with sulfonamide moiety via a cooperative vinylogous anomeric-based oxidation mechanism in the presence of a novel quinoline-based dendrimer-like ionic liquid. RSC Advances, 11, 3143–3152.
DOI: 10.1039/D0RA09400E
Adekunle, A.S., Olasunkanmi, L.O., Durodola, S.S., Oyekunle, J.A.O. and Olomola, T.O. (2021). Investigation on corrosion inhibition of mild steel by extract of Dracaena arborea leaves in acidic medium. Chemistry Africa, 4, 647–658.
Olomola, T.O., Durodola, S.S., Olasunkanmi, L.O. and Adekunle, A.S. (2022). Effect of selected 3-chloromethylcoumarin derivatives on mild steel corrosion in acidic medium: experimental and computational studies. Journal of Adhesion Science and Technology, 36, 2547-2561. DOI: 10.1080/01694243.2022.2094147

Google Scholar and/ Scopus Link(s): Google Scholar link:
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=G4iThTkAAAAJ&hl=en
Scopus link:
https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=36911461100