SPH Welcomes Babatunde Olowokure as Associate Dean for Global Health
Welcome
Dean Giles and Senior Associate Dean Chriqui and the entire SPH community are excited to welcome Babatunde Olowokure, MD, MPH, PhD as the new Associate Dean for Global Health and Professor in the Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the School of Public Health.
Dr. Olowokure is an internationally respected global health leader with more than 35 years of experience dedicated to public health, infectious disease epidemiology, emergency preparedness, and global health security. Most recently, he served as the Regional Emergency Director for the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Western Pacific Region, where he played a key role in pandemic preparedness, emergency responses, and advising on health security strategies, and worked closely with over 35 member states. He is a medical doctor and holds advanced degrees in medicine, public health, and business administration. He is a fellow of the UK Faculty of Public Health, and a Visiting Professor at the Australia National University.
Over the course of his distinguished career, Dr. Olowokure has held senior leadership roles at WHO headquarters and in regional offices, including posts in Fiji, Geneva, Manila, and Viet Nam. He was also the inaugural Director of Surveillance Disease Prevention and Control at the Caribbean Public Health Agency. He has played a vital role in global preparedness, readiness, and response to health emergencies such as SARS, COVID-19, avian influenza, H1N1 pandemic, Ebola, and numerous natural disasters. In addition to his work in the field, he has contributed extensively to public health education and capacity building, leading the establishment of postgraduate training programs and field epidemiology programs.
Dr. Olowokure is also an accomplished scholar, with nearly 100 peer-reviewed publications and significant contributions to global health policy and strategy. He is widely recognized for his service and impact, receiving honors from governments and institutions.
We are excited to have Dr. Olowokure join our community. In his new role, he will help shape our School’s global health vision, foster new international collaborations, and support global research and training initiatives. His leadership and global perspective will be instrumental in preparing the next generation of public health professionals.