Education

1980 - 1985     MB.BS College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (CoMUI)

1998 – 1999    MSc., Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, (LSHTM) University of London

2004 - 2014     Ph.D., Epidemiology, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto (DLSPH). PhD. Thesis: ‘Prevalence and Correlates of HIV, Syphilis, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C Infections and sexual behaviours of men who have sex with men in two cities in Nigeria’.

Post Graduate Education and Training

1986 - 1987     Internship, Medicine & Surgery, CoMUI)

1990 – 1994    Residency - Registrar, Department of Community Health, College of Medicine, University of Lagos (CMUL)

1994 – 1996    Residency - Senior Registrar, Depart. of Community Health, CMUL

I am a public health physician, epidemiologist, and implementation scientist with more than two decades of experience conducting research and providing HIV prevention and treatment services to vulnerable populations including adolescents and young people, sexual minority men, and women at elevated risk of HIV in Nigeria, across sub-Saharan Africa and recently the USA. My career has been defined by a sustained commitment to generating rigorous evidence that reaches the populations least served by conventional health systems and translating that evidence into policy and programme impact at scale.

My foundational contribution to the field came in 2006, when I pioneered Nigeria's first bio-epidemiological study using respondent-driven sampling reaching 1,200 men at high risk of HIV across two states within three months. At a moment when key populations in Nigeria were largely invisible to national health policy, this landmark study amplified the voices of at-risk individuals, catalysed the generation of subsequent research, and directly shaped Nigeria's HIV response. It established the scientific and ethical precedent for key population research in Nigeria that continues to inform the field today.

My research career has been complemented by substantive programme leadership across the public, private, and non-governmental sectors. At the Population Council Nigeria, I served as Director of the HIV and AIDS Programme and Country Director, where I supervised the establishment of the CDC-funded flagship HIV prevention and linkage-to-care intervention for key populations harnessing resources across both public and private sectors to deliver services at scale. I directed and managed Nigeria's One-Stop-Shop (OSS) comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support community centre in Lagos, which partnered with researchers from the University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins University, the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria, the Henry Jackson Foundation/Military HIV Research Programme, and the International Center for Advocacy on the Rights to Health (ICARH) in Abuja to evaluate the role of trusted community venues in engaging men who have sex with men (MSM) in HIV care and prevention services. Together, the resulting TRUST cohort has made seminal contributions to key population research, yielding over 60 peer-reviewed publications.

My current research portfolio reflects a deliberate and strategic broadening of my scientific agenda to address the full spectrum of health challenges facing vulnerable populations living with and at risk of HIV. As Multiple Principal Investigator on the NIH-funded Integrated Model for the Prevention of Anal Cancer using screen and Treat for HSIL (IMPACT study) (U01CA275053), I co-lead a landmark implementation science effort to improve the detection and treatment of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, the primary precursor to anal cancer among sexual minority men living with HIV in Abuja, Nigeria, through the operationalization of high-resolution anoscopy. As co-Investigator on the Resilient HIV Implementation Science with Young Men using Evidence (RISE) (NIH UG1HD113162), I contribute to a multi-country implementation science study deploying a digital Health Empowerment Application to deliver evidence-based HIV prevention, mental health, and behavioural support interventions to adolescent and young sexual and gender minority men across East, West, and Southern Africa leveraging mobile technology to reach populations for whom structural barriers to in-person care are greatest. I also serve as co-Investigator on the Synergistic epidemics of non-communicable diseases, stigma, depression, and material insecurities among sexual and gender minorities living with HIV in Nigeria (NIH - R01HL165686) (SYDEMICS study), which examines the intersecting epidemics or syndemics of non-communicable diseases including hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, obesity, and depression, compounded by structural determinants including stigma, food insecurity, and social marginalisation, among sexual minority men living with and without HIV in Nigeria. Together, these three studies represent a cohesive and complementary research agenda examining the clinical, behavioural, and structural dimensions of health among one of the most underserved and epidemiologically critical populations globally.

From February 2020 to September 2024, I served as Nigeria Country Director of the University of Maryland Baltimore's Center for International Health, Education, and Biosecurity (CIHEB), where I provided strategic leadership, oversight, and management of multiple donor-funded HIV/AIDS health systems strengthening and service delivery programmes in close collaboration with the Government of Nigeria and implementing partners. In this role, I led, mentored, and created an enabling and inclusive environment for a multidisciplinary team of 130 clinicians, researchers, and programme staff drawn from diverse disciplines, ethnic groups, and religious backgrounds fostering a culture of excellence, mutual respect, and shared purpose.

Across my career, mentorship has been a defining and intentional dimension of my professional practice. Before transitioning to research and development work, I served as a Lecturer in the Department of Community Health, College of Medicine, University of Lagos where my commitment to training the next generation of public health professionals was first formed and tested. I have since mentored more than 20 early-career researchers across master's and doctoral programmes at institutions in Nigeria, Canada, the Netherlands, and the United States, guiding them through every stage of the research cycle from research design and methodology through data analysis, scientific writing, and dissemination. These mentees have become independent investigators, first authors of peer-reviewed publications, and leaders in their respective fields, reflecting the depth and durability of the mentorship relationships I have cultivated across decades of academic and programme leadership. 

My breadth of experience in implementation science, mixed-methods research, health systems strengthening, and key population engagement combined with this established record of mentorship and scientific training positions me uniquely to contribute to the development of the next generation of researchers working at the intersection of HIV, non-communicable disease, digital health, and implementation science in resource-limited settings. I have co-authored more than 90 scientific articles published in reputable international peer-reviewed journals, contributing to the global evidence base on HIV epidemiology, key population health, anal cancer prevention, digital health intervention, syndemic theory, implementation science, and health systems strengthening in resource-limited settings.

Epidemiology, Implementation Science, Translational Research, HIV and AIDS, HPV, Non-Communicable Diseases, Reproductive Health, Stigma, Gender and Youth, HPV, Mental Health, Anal Cancer Prevention, Key population research, Internalized stigma Digital health interventions, Mixed-methods research, Low- and middle-income countries, Adolescent and young adult health.

1. Adebajo S, Eluwa G*, Njab J, Oginni A, Ukwuije F, Ahonsi B, Lorenc Evaluating the effect of HIV prevention strategies on uptake of HIV counselling and testing among male most-at- risk-populations in Nigeria; a cross-sectional analysis. Sex Transm Infect. 2015 Dec;91(8):555-60. doi: 10.1136/sextrans-2014-051659. Epub 2015 Apr 28. PubMed PMID: 25921019.

2. Akindipe T, Abiodun L, Adebajo S, Lawal R, Rataemane S. From addiction to infection: managing drug abuse in the context of HIV/AIDS in Africa. Afr J Reprod Health. 2014 Sep;18(3 Spec No):47-54. PubMed PMID: 26050376.

3. Keshinro B, Crowell TA, Nowak RG, Adebajo S, Peel S, Gaydos CA, Rodriguez-Hart C, Baral SD, Walsh MJ, Njoku OS, Odeyemi S, Ngo-Ndomb T, Blattner WA, Robb ML, Charurat ME, Ake J. High prevalence of HIV, chlamydia and gonorrhoea among men who have sex with men and transgender women attending trusted community centres in Abuja and Lagos, J Int. AIDS Soc. 2016;19(1):21270. doi: 10.7448/IAS.19.1.21270. eCollection 2016. PubMed PMID: 27931519; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5146323.

4. Mugo C, Adedokun O, Alo OD, Ezeokafor N, Adeyemi S, Kpamor Z, Madueke L, James E, Adebajo SB, Semo BW. Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on HIV service delivery and viral suppression: Findings from the SHARP program in Northern Nigeria. PLoS One. 2024 Apr 2;19(4):e0300335. PMID: 38564514.

5. Adebajo SB, Adebiyi R, Chama J, Bello S, Ononaku U, Aka A, Lai S, Baral SD, Dyer TV, Crowell TA, Nowak RG, Charurat M; TRUST/RV368 Study Group. Depression and Sexual Stigma Are Associated With Cardiometabolic Risk Among Sexual and Gender Minorities Living With HIV in Nigeria. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2023 Jan 1;92(1):50-58. PMID: 36150037; PMCID: PMC9742173.

1. 1. Odujinrin O, Lawson SB. Adoption in Nigeria - A review of Lagos cases: 1993. Early Child Development and Care. 1993; 93:71-77.

2. Adebajo SB. Growth Patterns of infants in their first six months of life in Mushin, Lagos State Nigerian Qt. J. Hosp. Med. 1999 Oct 9(2). doi: 10.4314/nqjhm.v9i2.12359.

3. Agboghoroma C, Adebajo S. Perceptions and Attitudes of Secondary School Teachers to Adolescent Sexuality and Reproductive Health in Lagos State, Qt J. Hosp. Med. 2001 Jul-Sep;20(3):191-8. PubMed PMID: 11922150.
4. Adebajo SB. An Epidemiological Survey of the Use of Cosmetic Skin Lightening Cosmetics among Traders in Lagos, Nigeria. West Afr J Med. 2002 Jan-Mar;21(1):51-5. PMID: 12081345
5. Adebajo SB, Bamgbala AO, Oyediran Attitudes of health care providers to persons living with HIV/AIDS in Lagos State, Nigeria. Afr J Reprod Health. 2003 Apr;7(1):103-12. PubMed PMID: 12816317.
6. Anorlu RI, Oluwole A, Abudu OO, Adebajo SB. Risk factors for ectopic pregnancy in Lagos, Nigeria. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2005 Feb;84(2):184-8. doi: 10.1111/j.0001- 2005.00684.x. PubMed PMID: 15683381.
7. Ekanem EE, Afolabi BM, Nuga AO, Adebajo SB. Sexual behaviour, HIV-related knowledge and condom use by intra-city commercial bus drivers and motor park attendants in Lagos, Nigeria. Afr J Reprod Health. 2005 Apr;9(1):78-87. PubMed PMID: 16104657.
8. Bamgbala AO, Adebajo SB, Inem VA, Onajole AT, Ayankogbe OO, Roberts AA, Campbell Perceptions and practices of private medical practitioners to adolescent reproductive health in Lagos State, Nigeria. Niger Postgrad Med J. 2006 Jun;13(2):117-22. PubMed PMID:16794648.
9. Allman D*, Adebajo S, Myers T, Odumuye O, Ogunsola S. Challenges for the sexual health and social acceptance of men who have sex with men in Nigeria. Cult Health Sex. 2007 Mar- Apr;9(2):153-68. doi: 10.1080/13691050601040480. PubMed PMID: 17364723.
10. Adebajo S, Odeyemi K, Oyediran M, Anorlu R, Wright L. Knowledge and experiences of andropause among men in Lagos, West Afr J Med. 2007 Apr-Jun;26(2):106-11. PubMed PMID: 17939310.
11. Gardezi F, Calzavara L, Husbands W, Tharao W, Lawson E, Myers T, Pancham A, George C, Remis R, Willms D, McGee F, Adebajo S. Experiences of and responses to HIV among African and Caribbean communities in Toronto, AIDS Care. 2008 Jul;20(6):718-25. doi: 10.1080/09540120701693966. PubMed PMID: 18576174.
12. Beiser M, Wiwa O, Adebajo S. Human-initiated disaster, social disorganization and post- traumatic stress disorder above Nigeria's oil Soc Sci Med. 2010 Jul;71(2):221- 227. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.03.039. Epub 2010 Apr 22. PubMed PMID: 20471148.
13. Ebuehi OM, Adebajo SB. Improving caregivers' home management of common childhood illnesses through community level J Child Health Care. 2010 Sep;14(3):225- 38. doi: 10.1177/1367493510364167. Epub 2010 Apr 14. PubMed PMID: 20392783.
14. Vu L, Tun W, Karlyn A, Adebajo S, Ahonsi B. Attitudinal and behavioral factors associated with extramarital sex among Nigerian men: findings from a national survey International Journal of Sexual Health. International Journal of Sexual Health. 2011; 23:258–268.
15. Balogun M, Odeyemi K, Ogunsola F#, Adebajo SB. HIV/AIDS training of traditional birth attendants in Southwest Nigeria. Journal of Medical and Biomedical Sciences. 2012; 3(1):9-14. DOI:10.7813/jmbs.2012/3-1/2
16. Eluwa GI, Strathdee SA, Adebajo SB, Ahonsi B, Azeez A, Anyanti J. Sexual risk behaviors and HIV among female sex workers in Nigeria. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2012 Dec 1;61(4):507-14. doi: 10.1097/QAI.0b013e31826dfb41. PubMed PMID: 22918155.
17. Adebajo SB, Eluwa GI, Allman D, Myers T, Ahonsi BA. Prevalence of internalized homophobia and HIV associated risks among men who have sex with men in Nigeria. Afr J Reprod Health. 2012 Dec;16(4):21-8. PubMed PMID: 234
18. Eluwa GI, Strathdee SA, Adebayo SB, Ahonsi B, Adebajo SB. A profile on HIV prevalence and risk behaviors among injecting drug users in Nigeria: should we be alarmed? Drug Alcohol Depend. 2013 Jan 1;127(1-3):65-71. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep. 2012.06.013. Epub 2012 Jul 8. PubMed PMID: 22776443.
19. Vu L, Adebajo S, Tun W, Sheehy M, Karlyn A, Njab J, Azeez A, Ahonsi B. High HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men in Nigeria: implications for combination prevention. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2013 Jun 1;63(2):221-7. doi: 10.1097/QAI.0b013e31828a3e60. PubMed PMID: 23406978.
20. Tun W, Vu L, Adebajo SB, Abiodun L, Sheehy M, Karlyn A, Njab J, Ahonsi B, Issa BK, Idogho Population-based prevalence of hepatitis B and C virus, HIV, syphilis, gonorrhoea and chlamydia in male injection drug users in Lagos, Nigeria. Int J STD AIDS. 2013 Aug;24(8):619-25. doi: 10.1177/0956462413477553. Epub 2013 Jul 19. PubMed PMID: 23970571.
21. Adebajo SB, Eluwa GI, Tocco JU, Ahonsi BA, Abiodun LY, Anene OA, Akpona DO, Karlyn AS, Kellerman S. Estimating the number of male sex workers with the capture- recapture technique in Afr J Reprod Health. 2013 Dec;17(4 Spec No):83-9. PubMed PMID:24689319.
22. Vu L, Andrianopoulos K, Tun W, Adebajo S. High levels of unprotected anal intercourse and never testing for HIV among men who have sex with men in Nigeria: evidence from a cross- sectional survey for the need for innovative approaches to HIV Sex Transm Infect. 2013 Dec;89(8):659-65. doi: 10.1136/sextrans-2013-051065. Epub 2013 Jul 12. PubMed PMID: 23851190.
23. Sheehy M, Tun W, Vu L, Adebajo S, Obianwu O, Karlyn A. High levels of bisexual behavior and factors associated with bisexual behavior among men having sex with men (MSM) in Nigeria. AIDS Care. 2014 Jan;26(1):116-22. doi: 1080/09540121.2013.802281. Epub 2013 Jun 6. PubMed PMID: 23742663.
24. Adebajo S, Obianwu O, Eluwa G, Vu L, Oginni A, Tun W, Sheehy M, Ahonsi B, Bashorun A, Idogho O, Karlyn A. Comparison of audio computer assisted self-interview and face-to- face interview methods in eliciting HIV-related risks among men who have sex with men and men who inject drugs in Nigeria. PLoS One. 2014;9(1):e81981. doi: 1371/journal.pone.0081981. eCollection 2014. PubMed PMID: 24416134; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3885382.
25. Scheibe A, Kanyemba B, Syvertsen J, Adebajo S, Baral S. Money, power and HIV: economic influences and HIV among men who have sex with men in sub-Saharan Africa. Afr J Reprod Health. 2014 Sep;18(3 Spec No):84-92. Review. PubMed PMID: 26050380.
26. Syvertsen JL, Robertson Bazzi AM, Scheibe A, Adebajo S, Strathdee SA, Wechsberg WM. The promise and peril of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP): using social science to inform prep interventions among female sex workers. Afr J Reprod Health. 2014 Sep;18(3 Spec No):74- Review. PubMed PMID: 26050379; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4605136.
27. Akindipe T, Abiodun L, Adebajo S, Lawal R, Rataemane S. From addiction to infection: managing drug abuse in the context of HIV/AIDS in Africa. Afr J Reprod Health. 2014 Sep;18(3 Spec No):47-54. PubMed PMID: 26050376.
28. Oginni AB, Ahonsi B, Adebajo SB. Trend and Determinants of Unmet Need for Family Planning Services among Currently Married Women and Sexually Active Unmarried Women Aged 15-49 in Nigeria (2003—2013). African Population Studies. 2015; 29(1).
29. Folayan MO, Adebajo S, Adeyemi A, Ogungbemi KM. Differences in Sexual Practices, Sexual Behavior and HIV Risk Profile between Adolescents and Young Persons in Rural and Urban PLoS One. 2015;10(7):e0129106. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129106. eCollection 2015. PubMed PMID: 26171859; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4501747.
30. Eluwa GI, Adebajo S, Idogho O, Fajemisin O, Anyanti J, Ahonsi Evaluating the Impact of Health System Strengthening on HIV and Sexual Risk Behaviors in Nigeria. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2015 Sep1;70(1):67-74. doi: 10.1097/QAI.0000000000000701. PubMed PMID: 26322668.
31. Adebajo S, Eluwa G, Njab J, Oginni A, Ukwuije F, Ahonsi B, Lorenc Evaluating the effect of HIV prevention strategies on uptake of HIV counselling and testing among male most-at- risk-populations in Nigeria; a cross-sectional analysis. Sex Transm Infect. 2015 Dec;91(8):555-60. doi: 10.1136/sextrans-2014-051659. Epub 2015 Apr 28. PubMed PMID: 25921019.
32. Keshinro B, Crowell TA, Nowak RG, Adebajo S, Peel S, Gaydos CA, Rodriguez-Hart C, Baral SD, Walsh MJ, Njoku OS, Odeyemi S, Ngo-Ndomb T, Blattner WA, Robb ML, Charurat ME, Ake J. High prevalence of HIV, chlamydia and gonorrhoea among men who have sex with men and transgender women attending trusted community centres in Abuja and Lagos, J Int. AIDS Soc. 2016;19(1):21270. doi: 10.7448/IAS.19.1.21270. eCollection 2016. PubMed PMID: 27931519; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5146323.
33. Okafor U, Crutzen R, Okekearu I, Adebajo S, Uzoh A, Awo EA, Chima C, Agwagwa O, van den Borne B. Using brothel leadership to promote condom use among brothel-based female sex workers in Abuja, Nigeria: study protocol for a cluster randomized pilot trial. Pilot Feasibility Study. 2017 Feb 20:3:10. doi: 10.1186/s40814-017-0124-0. eCollection 2017. PubMed PMID: 28239486; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5317047.
34. Crowell TA, Keshinro B, Baral SD, Schwartz SR, Stahlman S, Nowak RG, Adebajo S,Blattner WA, Charurat ME, Ake JA. Stigma, access to healthcare, and HIV risks among men who sell sex to men in Nigeria. J Int AIDS Soc. 2017 Apr 20;20(1):21489. doi: 10.7448/IAS.20.01.21489. PubMed PMID: 28453241; PubMed Central PMCID:
35. Oginni AB, Adebajo SB, Ahonsi Trends and Determinants of Comprehensive Knowledge of HIV among Adolescents and Young Adults in Nigeria: 2003 - 2013. Afr J Reprod Health. 2017 Jun;21(2):26-34. doi: 10.29063/ajrh2017/v21i2.4. PubMed PMID: 29624937.
36. Okafor UO, Crutzen R, Ifeanyi O, Adebajo S, Van den Borne H. HIV prevalence and high- risk behaviour of young brothel and non-brothel based female sex workers in Nigeria. BMC Research Notes. 2017 Aug 10;10(1):380. doi: 10.1186/s13104-017-2712-8. PubMed PMID: 28797278; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5553858.
37. Okafor UO, Crutzen R, Aduak Y, Adebajo S, Van den Borne Behavioural interventions promoting condom use among female sex workers in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review. Afr J AIDS Res. 2017 Sep;16(3):257-268. doi: 10.2989/16085906.2017.1358753. Review. PubMed PMID: 28978291.
38. Eluwa GI, Adebajo SB, Torpey K, Shittu O, Abdu-Aguye S, Pearlman D, Bawa U, Olorukooba A, Khamofu H, Chiegli R. The effects of centering pregnancy on maternal and fetal outcomes in northern Nigeria; a prospective cohort BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2018 May 11;18(1):158. doi: 10.1186/s12884-018-1805-2. PubMed PMID: 29751797; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5948874.
39. Tun W, Vu L, O, Sekoni A, Shoyemi E, Njab J, Ogunsola S, Adebajo S. Uptake of HIV self- testing and linkage to treatment among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Nigeria: A pilot programme using key opinion leaders to reach MSM. J Int AIDS Soc. 2018 Jul;21 Suppl 5:e25124. doi: 10.1002/jia2.25124. PubMed PMID: 30033680; PubMed Central PMCID:
40. Ramadhani HO, Ndembi N, Nowak RG, Ononaku U, Gwamna J, Orazulike I, Adebajo S, Crowell TA, Liu H, Baral SD, Ake J, Charurat Individual and Network Factors Associated with HIV Care Continuum Outcomes Among Nigerian MSM Accessing Health Care Services. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2018 Sep 1;79(1):e7-e16. doi: 10.1097/QAI.0000000000001756. PubMed PMID: 29781881; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6092228.
41. Hardick J, Crowell TA, Lombardi K, Akintunde A, Odeyemi S, Ivo A, Eluwa G, Njab J, Baral SD, Nowak RG, Quinn TC, Barbian K, Anzick S, Adebajo S, Charurat ME, Ake J, Gaydos CA. Molecular screening for Neisseria gonorrhoeae antimicrobial resistance markers in Nigerian men who have sex with men and transgender women. Int J STD AIDS. 2018 Nov;29(13):1273-1281. doi: 10.1177/0956462418780050. Epub 2018 Jul 4. PubMed PMID: 29969978; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6391878.
42. Crowell TA, Hardick J, Lombardi K, Parker Z, Kokogho A, Amusu S, Odeyemi S, Ivo A, Baral SD, Nowak RG, Adebajo S, Charurat ME, Ake J, Gaydos CA. Asymptomatic lymphogranuloma venereum among Nigerian men who have sex with Sex Transm Infect. 2018 Dec;94(8):578-581. doi: 10.1136/sextrans-2017-053414. Epub 2018 Jan 29. PubMed PMID: 29378902; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6064673.
43. Crowell TA, Lawlor J, Lombardi K, Nowak R, Hardick J, Odeyemi S, Kokogho A, Malia J, Stewart C, Baral S, Adebajo S, Charurat M, Ake J, Peel S, Gaydos C. Anorectal Mycoplasma genitalium Is Common Among Nigerian MSM and Associated with HIV. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2018 Nov 26;5(Suppl 1):S462–3. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofy210.1325. PMCID: PMC6253101.
44. Crowell TA, Kijak GH, Sanders-Buell E, O'Sullivan AM, Kokogho A, Parker ZF, Lawlor J, Polyak CS, Adebajo S, Nowak RG, Baral SD, Robb ML, Charurat ME, Ake JA, Ndembi N, Tovanabutra S. Transmitted, pre-treatment and acquired antiretroviral drug resistance among men who have sex with men and transgender women living with HIV in Antivir Ther. 2019;24(8):595-601. doi: 10.3851/IMP3342. PubMed PMID: 32125280; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7304299.
45. Crowell TA, Baral SD, Schwartz S, Nowak RG, Kokogho A, Adebajo S, Keshinro B, Makanjuola O, Michael NL, Robb ML, Charurat ME, Ake JA. Time to change the paradigm: limited condom and lubricant use among Nigerian men who have sex with men and transgender women despite availability and counseling. Ann Epidemiol. 2019 Mar;31:11- 19.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2018.12.004. Epub 2018 Dec 21. PubMed PMID: 30642695; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6732794.
46. Nowak RG, Mitchell A, Crowell TA, Liu H, Ketende S, Ramadhani HO, Ndembi N, Adebajo S, Ake J, Michael NL, Blattner WA, Baral SD, Charurat ME. Individual and Sexual Network Predictors of HIV Incidence Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Nigeria. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2019 Apr 1;80(4):444-453. doi: 10.1097/QAI.0000000000001934. PubMed PMID: 30550487; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6519125.
47. Billings E, Kijak GH, Sanders-Buell E, Ndembi N, OʼSullivan AM, Adebajo S, Kokogho A, Milazzo M, Lombardi K, Baral S, Nowak R, Ramadhani H, Gramzinski R, Robb ML, Michael NL, Charurat ME, Ake J, Crowell TA, Tovanabutra S. New Subtype B Containing HIV-1 Circulating Recombinant of sub-Saharan Africa Origin in Nigerian Men Who Have Sex With Men. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2019 Aug 15;81(5):578-584. doi: 10.1097/QAI.0000000000002076. PubMed PMID: 31107298; PubMed Central PMCID:
48. Eluwa GIE, Adebajo SB#, Eluwa T, Ogbanufe O, Ilesanmi O, Nzelu Rising HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men in Nigeria: a trend analysis. BMC Public Health. 2019 Sep 2;19(1):1201. doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-7540-4. PubMed PMID: 31477073; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6721282.
49. Crowell TA, Lawlor J, Lombardi K, Nowak RG, Hardick J, Odeyemi S, Kokogho A, Malia J, Stewart C, Robb ML, Baral SD, Adebajo S, Charurat ME, Ake JA, Peel SA, Gaydos Anorectal and Urogenital Mycoplasma Genitalium in Nigerian Men Who Have Sex With Men and Transgender Women: Prevalence, Incidence, and Association With HIV. Sex Transm Dis. 2020 Mar;47(3):202-206. doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001105. PubMed PMID: 31880740; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7309576.
50. Jones MU, Ramadhani HO, Adebajo S, Gaydos CA, Kokogho A, Baral SD, Nowak RG, Ake JA, Liu H, Charurat ME, Robb ML, Crowell Seizing opportunities for intervention: Changing HIV-related knowledge among men who have sex with men and transgender women attending trusted community centers in Nigeria. PLoS One. 2020;15(3):e0229533. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229533. eCollection 2020. PubMed PMID: 32119701; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7051043.
51. Kokogho A, Amusu S, Baral SD, Charurat ME, Adebajo S, Makanjuola O, Tonwe V, Storme C, Michael NL, Robb ML, Ake JA, Nowak RG, Crowell Disclosure of Same- Sex Sexual Practices to Family and Healthcare Providers by Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgender Women in Nigeria. Arch Sex Behav. 2020 Mar 19; doi: 10.1007/s10508- 020- 01644-8. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 32193812.
52. Dirisu O, Eluwa G, Adams E, Torpey K, Shittu O, Adebajo S. "I think this is the only challenge… the stigma" Stakeholder perceptions about barriers to Antenatal Care (ANC) and Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) Uptake in Kano state, Nigeria. PLoS One. 2020;15(4):e0232028. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232028. eCollection 2020. PubMed PMID: 32339180; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7185580.
53. Okereke E, Unumeri G, Akinola A, Eluwa G, Adebajo S. Female clients' gender preferences for frontline health workers who provide maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) services at primary health care level in Nigeria. BMC Health Serv Res. 2020 May 19;20(1):441. doi: 10.1186/s12913-020-05251-0. PubMed PMID: 32429915; PubMed Central PMCID:
54. Tiamiyu AB, Lawlor J, Hu F, Kokogho A, Charurat ME, Ekeh C, Robb ML, Adebajo S, Eluwa G, Ake JA, Baral SD, Nowak RG, Crowell TA. HIV status disclosure by Nigerian men who have sex with men and transgender women living with HIV: a cross-sectional analysis at enrollment into an observational cohort. BMC Public Health. 2020 Aug 26;20(1):1282. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-09315-y. PubMed PMID: 32842997; PubMed Central PMCID:
55. Robbins SJ, Dauda W, Kokogho A, Ndembi N, Mitchell A, Adebajo S, Gaydos CA, Peel S, Ramadhani HO, Robb ML, Baral SD, Ake JA, Charurat ME, Crowell TA, Nowak RG. Oral sex practices among men who have sex with men and transgender women at risk for and living with HIV in Nigeria. PLoS One. 2020;15(9):e0238745. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238745. eCollection 2020. PubMed PMID: 32886722; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7473579.
56. Kayode BO, Mitchell A, Ndembi N, Kokogho A, Ramadhani HO, Adebajo S, Robb ML, Baral SD, Ake JA, Charurat ME, Crowell TA, Nowak RG. Retention of a cohort of men who have sex with men and transgender women at risk for and living with HIV in Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria: a longitudinal analysis. J Int AIDS Soc. 2020 Oct;23 Suppl 6:e25592. doi: 10.1002/jia2.25592. PubMed PMID: 33000914; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7527765.
57. Ramadhani HO, Crowell TA, Nowak RG, Ndembi N, Kayode BO, Kokogho A, Ononaku U, Shoyemi E, Ekeh C, Adebajo S, Baral SD, Charurat ME. Association of age with healthcare needs and engagement among Nigerian men who have sex with men and transgender women: cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses from an observational cohort. J Int AIDS Soc. 2020 Oct;23 Suppl 6:e25599. doi: 1002/jia2.25599. PubMed PMID: 33000907; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7527771.
58. Dirisu O, Sekoni A, Vu L, Adebajo S, Njab J, Shoyemi E, Ogunsola S, Tun 'I will welcome this one 101%, I will so embrace it': a qualitative exploration of the feasibility and acceptability of HIV self-testing among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Lagos, Nigeria. Health Educ Res. 2020 Dec 23;35(6):524-537. doi: 10.1093/her/cyaa028. PubMed PMID: 32879956; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7768665.
59. Tola M, Habib RO, Sylvia A, Crowell TA, Rebecca NG, Charurat ME, Dakum P, Ndembi N. Field evaluation of HIV-1 viral load monitoring in adults and children receiving antiretroviral treatment in Nigeria by dried blood spot testing with RealTime HIV-1 on m2000. J Clin Virol. 2021 Feb;135:104694. doi: 10.1016/j.jcv.2020.104694. Epub 2020 Nov 25. PMID: 33476928; PMCID: PMC9518813.
60. Hamill MM, Hu F, Kokogho A, Shoyemi E, Ekeh C, Charurat ME, Robb ML, Adebajo S, Baral SD, Nowak RG, Crowell Factors Associated with Condom Failure in a Longitudinal Cohort of Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgender Women in Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2021 Mar 1;86(3):329-338. doi: 10.1097/QAI.0000000000002559. PubMed PMID: 33234806; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7878282.
61. Okereke E, Eluwa G, Akinola A, Suleiman I, Unumeri G, Adebajo S. Patterns of financial incentives in primary healthcare settings in Nigeria: implications for the productivity of frontline health workers. BMC Res Notes. 2021 Jun 30;14(1):250. doi: 10.1186/s13104-021-05671-z. PMID: 34193253; PMCID: PMC8243849.
62. O Olawore O, Crowell TA, Ketende SC, Ramadhani HO, Liu H, Ake JA, Kokogho A, Adebajo S, Charurat ME, Nowak RG, Baral SD; TRUST/RV368 Study Group. Individual and partnership characteristics associated with consistent condom use in a cohort of cisgender men who have sex with men and transgender women in Nigeria. BMC Public Health. 2021 Jun 30;21(1):1277. doi: 10.1186/s12889-021-11275-w. PMID: 34193101; PMCID: PMC8243438.
63. Blanco N, Lavoie MC, Koech E, Riedel DJ, Ngeno C, Adebajo S, Ludeman E, Stafford KA. Re-Engagement into HIV Care: A Systematic Review. AIDS Behav. 2022;26(1):132-146.
64. Sekoni A, Tun W, Dirisu O, Temitope Ladi-Akinyemi, Elizabeth Shoyemi, Sylvia Adebajo, Folasade Ogunsola & Lung Operationalizing the distribution of oral HIV self-testing kits to men who have sex with men (MSM) in a highly homophobic environment: the Nigerian experience. BMC Public Health. 2022;22(1):33
65. Dirisu Osasuyi, Adediran Mayokun, Omole Adekemi, Akinola Akinwumi, Ebenso Bassey, Shoyemi Elizabeth, Eluwa George, Tun Waimar, Adebajo Sylvia. The Syndemic of Substance Use, High-Risk Sexual Behavior, and Violence: A Qualitative Exploration of the Intersections and Implications for HIV/STI Prevention Among Key Populations in Lagos, Nigeria. Frontiers in Tropical Diseases 3 (2022);
66. Elyse LeeVan, Fengming Hu, Andrew Mitchell, Afoke Kokogho, Sylvia Adebajo, Eric C. Garges, Haoyu Qian, Julie A. Ake, Merlin L. Robb, Manhattan E. Charurat, Stefan D. Baral, Rebecca G. Nowak, and Trevor A. Crowell, for the TRUST/RV368 Study Group. Associations of gender identity with sexual behaviours, social stigma and sexually transmitted infections among adults who have sex with men in Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria. Journal of the International AIDS Society 2022, 25:e25956
67. Adebajo SB, Adebiyi R, Chama J, Bello S, Ononaku U, Aka A, Lai S, Baral SD, Dyer TV, Crowell TA, Nowak RG, Charurat M; TRUST/RV368 Study Group. Depression and Sexual Stigma Are Associated With Cardiometabolic Risk Among Sexual and Gender Minorities Living With HIV in Nigeria. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2023 Jan 1;92(1):50-58. PMID: 36150037; PMCID: PMC9742173.
68. Iriemenam NC, Mpamugo A, Ikpeazu A, Okunoye OO, Onokevbagbe E, Bassey OO, Tapdiyel J, Alagi MA, Meribe C, Ahmed ML, Ikwulono G, Aguolu R, Ashefor G, Nzelu C, Ehoche A, Ezra B, Obioha C, Baffa Sule I, Adedokun O, Mba N, Ihekweazu C, Charurat M, Lindsay B, Stafford KA, Ibrahim D, Swaminathan M, Yufenyuy EL, Parekh BS, Adebajo S, Abimiku A, Okoye MI; Evaluation Working Group. Evaluation of the Nigeria national HIV rapid testing algorithm. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2022 Nov 2;2(11):e0001077. PMID: 36962660; PMCID: PMC10021713.
69. Adeyemi OA, Nowak RG, Marzinke M, Morgan D, Sam-Agudu N, Craddock J, Min Zhan, Trevor A. Crowell, Stefan Baral, Nicaise Ndembi, Sylvia Adebajo, Manhattan E. Charurat3, for the TRUST/RV368 Study Group. Correlates of self-reported and biomarker-based adherence to daily oral HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis among a cohort of predominantly men who have sex with men in Nigeria. PLoS ONE 2023 Mar 16;18(3):e0282999.
70. Aravantinou M, Plagianos M, Kokogho A, Adebajo S, Nowak RG, Shoyemi E, Ekeh C, Lombardi K, Peel S, Baral SD, Crowell T, Derby N, Teleshova N, Martinelli E. HSV-2 prevalence and association with inflammatory cytokines among sexual and gender minorities (SGM) living with and without HIV-1 from Lagos, Nigeria. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2023 Sep;39(9):485-494. PMID: 36825536.
71. Lavoie MC, Ehoche A, Blanco N, Ahmed El-Imam I, Oladipo A, Dalhatu I, Odafe S, Adebajo S, Ng AH, Rapoport L, Lawton JG, Obanubi C, Onotu D, Patel S, Ikpeazu A, Ashefor G, Adebobola B, Adetinuke Boyd M, Aliyu G, Stafford KA. Effect of Test and Treat on clinical outcomes in Nigeria: A national retrospective PLoS One. 2023 Aug 22;18(8):e0284847. PMID: 37607206;
72. Chama J, Adebiyi R, Volpi C, Ononaku U, Maigida J, Aka A, Katu C, Shutt A, Charurat M, Adebajo S, Nowak RG. Prevalence and Predictors of Concern about Anal Cancer among Sexual and Gender Minorites Living with HIV in Abuja, Nigeria. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. United States; 2023 Aug 1;93(4):313-318. PMID: 37018922.
73. Connor R Volpi, Yerima Jibrin, Kolawole Kazeem, John Chama, Uche Ononaku, Ruxton Adebiyi, Ayuba Doroh, Jumoke Aigoro, Jonathan Madukwe, Oluwole Olaomi, Paul Jibrin, Cheryl Knott, Joel Palefsky, Sylvia Adebajo, Rebecca G Nowak. Initial anal cancer screening among sexual and gender minority males living with HIV in Nigeria. (2023, January). Sexual Health (Vol. 20, No. 5, pp. LII-LII).
74. Olusegun Adeyemi; Rebecca Nowak; Daniel Morgan; Nadia Sam-Agudu; Jaih Craddock; Min Zhan; Trevor Crowell; Stefan Baral; Sylvia Adebajo; Manhattan Charurat. Behavioral Risk Compensation after Initiation of Daily Oral Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis among Sexual and Gender Minorities in Nigeria. (Accepted for publication – Archives of Sexual Behavior 10.1007/s10508-024-02859-9; 2024 April 9).
75. Kalu N, Ross MW, Taegtmeyer M, Spicer N, Adebajo S, Owolabi R, Lamontagne E, Howell S, Neuman M. Is Internalised Homonegativity associated with HIV testing and HIV risk behaviours of men who have sex with men: a multilevel cross-sectional study of sub-Saharan African countries. BMJ Open. 2024 Jan 29;14(1):e074791. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-074791. PMID: 38286695; PMCID: PMC10826579.
76. Mugo C, Adedokun O, Alo OD, Ezeokafor N, Adeyemi S, Kpamor Z, Madueke L, James E, Adebajo SB, Semo BW. Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on HIV service delivery and viral suppression: Findings from the SHARP program in Northern Nigeria. PLoS One. 2024 Apr 2;19(4):e0300335. PMID: 38564514.
77. Mpamugo, A., Iriemenam, N., Bashorun, A., Okunoye, O., Bassey, O., Onokevbagbe, E., Jelpe, T., Alagi, M., Meribe, C., Aguolu, R., Nzelu, C., Bello, S., Ezra, B., Obioha, C., Ibrahim, B., Adedokun, O., Ikpeazu, A., Ihekweazu, C., Croxton, T., Adebajo, S., Okoye, M., & Abimiku, A. (2024). Lessons learnt from assessing and improving accuracy and positive predictive value of the national HIV testing algorithm in Nigeria. African Journal of Laboratory Medicine, 13(1), 7 pages. doi: https://doi.org/10.4102/ajlm.v13i1.2339
78. Tiamiyu AB, Hu F, Kokogho A, Charurat ME, Ekeh C, Adebajo S, Shoyemi E, Iroezindu M, Ake JA, Baral SD, Nowak RG, Crowell TA; TRUST/RV368 Study Group. Discussion of HIV and Other Sexually Transmitted Infections with Sex Partners of Nigerian Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgender Women: Implications for Interventions to Promote Safer Sex Practices. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2025 Feb 1;98(2):161-170. doi: 10.1097/QAI.0000000000003552. PMID: 39446488; PMCID: PMC12206435.
79. Volpi C, Adebiyi R, Chama J, Ononaku U, Aka A, Mitchell A, Shutt A, Kokogho A, Tiamiyu AB, Baral SD, Charurat M, Adebajo S, Crowell TA, Nowak RG; TRUST/RV368 Study Group. Impact of Age of Sexual Debut on HIV Care Engagement Among Sexual and Gender Minorities in Nigeria. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2025 Mar 1;98(3):242-251. doi: 10.1097/QAI.0000000000003574. PMID: 39630093.
80. Connor R. Volpi, John Chama B, Natalia Blanco C, Ruxton Adebiyi B, Kareshma Mohanty D, Ayuba Doroh B, Jumoke A. Aigoro B, Christiana Katu B, Uche Ononaku B, John Maigida B, Abayomi Aka E, Ashley Shutt C, Patrick Dakum B, Man Charurat C, Sylvia Adebajo, and Rebecca G. Nowak. Does human papillomavirus (HPV) cause cancer?’ – A cross-sectional study of HPV awareness among sexual minority men in Nigeria. Sexual Health. 2025;22(1): https://doi.org/10.1071/SH24250
81. Omotayo Bolu, Oluwafemi D. Alo, 1, Emem Iwara, Ashley T. Longley, Ikwe Hadley, Comfort Ogar, Chukwuka Ezekwe, Uchenna Elemuwa, Oluwasanmi Adedokun, Habib O. Ramadhani, Stephen Ohakanu, Nancy Ortiz, Gladys Antonza, Asmau Abubakar, Adeyelu Asekun, Bitrus Fraden, Robert Chen, Dale Nordenberg, Sylvia Adebajo, Moji Christianah Adeyeye, Kristen A. Stafford, Nigeria COVID-19 Vaccine Cohort Event Feasibility of cohort event monitoring and assessment of reactogenicity and adverse events among a cohort of AstraZeneca and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine recipients in Nigeria, 2021. Vaccine, 52, 2025, 126907, ISSN 0264-410X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2025.126907.

83. Volpi CR, Chama J, Mansfield ME, Adebiyi R, Mitchell A, Aigoro JA, Bawa YJ, Kolawole KE, Ononaku U, Jibrin P, Olaomi O, Agbo F, Bentzen SM, Goldstone SE, Dakum P, Palefsky JM, Knott C, Adebajo S, Nowak RG. Strengthening anal cancer prevention in Abuja, Nigeria: Identifying barriers and potential strategies to improve training. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2025 Jul 2;5(7):e0004616. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0004616. PMID: 40601571; PMCID: PMC12221040.
84. Olufadewa, Isaac Iyinoluwa, Miracle Ayomikun Adesina, Ruth Ifeoluwa Oladele, Toluwase Ayobola Olufadewa, Evaezi Okpokoro, Oluwafemi Babatunde Daodu, Fehintola Ige, Sylvia Adebajo, Ehimario Uche Igumbor, Joseph Ojonugwa Shaibu, Musbaudeen Olaitan Ibrahim & Rosemary Ajuma Audu. "A qualitative study of Nigerian community members awareness of Mpox and their willingness and barriers to receiving the Mpox vaccine." Discover Public Health 22, no. 1 (2025): 1-11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12982-025-00568-9

85. Isaac Iyinoluwa Olufadewa, Miracle Ayomikun Adesina, Ruth Ifeoluwa Oladele, Toluwase Ayobola Olufadewa, Evaezi Okpokoro, Oluwafemi Babatunde Daodu, Fehintola Ige, Sylvia Adebajo, Ehimario Uche Igumbor, Moyinoluwa Joshua Oladoye, Joseph Ojonugwa Shaibu, Dimie Ogoina, Rosemary Ajuma Audu. Mpox in endemic regions in Nigeria: awareness, knowledge, and willingness to accept the mpox vaccine. Pan African Medical Journal. 2025;50:(Supp 1):14. Published on 03 Jun 2025

86. Volpi CR, Chama J, Mansfield ME, Adebiyi R, Mitchell A, Aigoro JA, Bawa YJ, Kolawole KE, Ononaku U, Jibrin P, Olaomi O, Agbo F, Bentzen SM, Goldstone SE, Dakum P, Palefsky JM, Knott C, Adebajo S, Nowak RG. Strengthening anal cancer prevention in Abuja, Nigeria: Identifying barriers and potential strategies to improve training. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2025 Jul 2;5(7):e0004616. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0004616. PMID: 40601571; PMCID: PMC12221040.
87. Nwachukwu William Enyereibe, Elsie Ilori, Laura Steinhardt, Kristen Stafford, Chioma Dan-Nwafor, Chinwe Lucia Ochu, Dalhatu Ibrahim, Matthias Alagi, Baffa Sule Ibrahim, Iwara Emem Iwara, Nwando Mba, Zainab Ibrahim, Rabiatu Aliyu Ahmed, Iliya Botson, Stanley Uche Ogbonna, Ehimario Igumbor, Jafiya Abubakar, Nasir Ahmed, Gloria Ogochukwu Nwiyi, Chima Emmanuel Ihemeje, Catherine Okoi, Doris John, Matthew Ashikeni, Basheer Lawan Muhammad, Nnaemeka C. Iriemenam, Olumide Okunoye, Stacie M. Greby, Orji Bassey, McPaul Okoye, Natalia Blanco, Andrew Mitchell, Oladipupo Ipadeola, Gladys S. Antonza, Augustine Mpamugo, Favour Makava, Manhattan Charurat, Sylvia Adebajo, Mahesh Swaminathan, Adetifa Ifedayo, Chikwe Ihekweazu, Enyereibe, N.W., Ilori, E, Steinhardt, L. et al. SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and COVID-19 vaccination coverage in two states of Nigeria from a population-based household survey. Sci Rep 15, 29272 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-14253-z

88. Geri R. Donenberg; Ucheoma Nwaozuru; Sylvia Adebajo; Joseph D. Tucker; Juliet Iwelunmor; Lisa M. Kuhns; Brenda Gati Mirembe; Lisa Hightow-Weidman; Brian Zanoni; Tapiwa A. Tembo; Maria Felix Lupogo; Franklin Yates. Strengthening Implementation Science Research to Improve Adolescent and Young Adult HIV-Prevention and Care in sub-Saharan Africa: PATC 3 H-IN. Accepted by BMC Public Health Journal. 2025.
89. Megan E. Mansfield, Connor R. Volpi, Chama John, Ruxton Adebiyi, Andrew Mitchell, Jumoke A. Aigoro, Yerima Jibrin Bawa, Kazeem E. Kolawole, Uchenna Ononaku, Paul Jibrin, Oluwole Olaomi, Francis Agbo, Abayomi Aka, Søren M. Bentzen, Stephen E. Goldstone, Patrick Dakum, Joel M. Palefsky, Cheryl Knott, Sylvia Adebajo, Rebecca G. Nowak. Facilitator and barrier perspectives on learning and implementing high-resolution anoscopy in Abuja, Nigeria: a qualitative study. BMC Cancer 2025 25:1766 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-025-15120-w
90. Sylvia Adebajo; Taylor Lascko; Marie-Claude Lavoie; Akipu Ehoche; Chester Mutumba; Nicholas Shima Aernan; Nathan Nganga; Benson Njoroge; Philip Daniel Chinseu; Richard Gichuki; Olawole Ayorinde; Ojore Godday Aghedo; Kennedy Sambambi; Gift Ndalumbira; Maria Chinoko Ngulube; bo; Elizabeth Shoyemi; Gift Trapence; Joshua Kimani; Cassidy W Claassen; Nadia A Sam-Agudu; Lisa Hightow-Weidman; Man Charurat. Implementing youth advisory boards with sexual minority adolescents and young men: sharing experiences, challenges and opportunities from East, South, and West Africa. Trials (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-026-09596-5 
91. Nowak RG, Gough E, Holm JH, Hu Fengming, Akinyombo K, Okudo C, Ozumba PJ, Jonathan EC, Tiamiyu AB, Kokogho A, Adebajo SB, Shoyemi E, Baral SD, Lombardi K, Peel S, Lim JN, Gaydos CA, Manabe YC, Sears C, Shardell M, Ravel J, Crowell TA and Tuddenham S. Metagenomic analysis reveals rectal microbiota features associated with HIV and behavioral factors in Nigerian men who have sex with men. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-42119-5
92. Julia Brasileiro; Kathryn E Muessig; Taylor Lascko; Nadia A Sam-Agudu; Aimee Rochelle; Megan E Mansfield; Akipu Ehoche; Sylvia Adebajo; Lisa B Hightow-Weidman; Man Charurat; Elizabeth Shoyemi; Cassidy W Claassen; Gift Trapence; Joshua Kimani; Ojore Godday Aghedo; Olawole Ayorinde; Kennedy Sambambi; Gift Ndalumbira; Richard Gichuki; Marie-Claude Lavoie. (2026). Adapting the HealthMpowerment (HMP) mobile application for youth living with or at risk of HIV in Africa using the ADAPT-ITT model. Implementation Science Communications. 1186/s43058-026-00913-2.
93. Adebiyi R, John C, Mansfield ME, Mitchell A, Jumare J, Robinson RS, Dyer T, Turpin R, Charurat M, Adebajo S. The moderating role of HIV status in the association between gender identity and depression among sexual and gender minorities in Abuja, Nigeria. PLOS Ment Health. 2026 May 4;3(5):e0000590. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmen.0000590. PMID: 42081510; PMCID: PMC13138651.
94. Connor R. Volpi, John Chama, Ruxton Adebiyi, Jumoke A. Aigoro, Yerima Jibrin Bawa, Kazeem E. Kolawole, Uchenna Ononaku, Naomi Ayuba, Ashley Shutt, Michelle B. Shin, Abayomi Aka, Stephen E. Goldstone, Patrick Dakum, Joel M. Palefsky, Sylvia Adebajo, Rebecca G. Nowak & Karin E. Tobin. Emotional support networks and discussion of anal cancer among sexual minority men in Nigeria: insights from an ego-centric analysis. BMC Public Health 26, 2424 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-026-27674-w
95. Volpi CR, Chama J, Adebiyi R, Aigoro JA, Bawa YJ, Kolawole KE, Ononaku U, Ayuba N, Shutt A, Aka A, Goldstone SE, Dakum P, Palefsky JM, Adebajo S, Tobin KE, Gonzalez JM, Nowak Understanding HPV vaccine preferences among sexual minority men living with HIV in Abuja, Nigeria using a discrete choice experiment. Vaccine. 2026 May 30;87:128771. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2026.128771. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42217449.
96. Mansfield Megan, Mohanty Kareshma, Chama John, Volpi Connor, Adebiyi Ruxton, Yerima Jibrin Bawa, Kolawole Kazeem, Ononaku Uchenna, Olaomi Oluwole, Goldstone Stephen, Palefsky Joel, Dakum Patrick, Adebajo Sylvia Knott Cheryl, Nowak Rebecca. (2026). Community-Led Operationalization of a Champion Implementation Strategy for Anal Cancer Prevention in Nigeria. Global Implementation Research and Applications. 1-14. 10.1007/s43477-026-00247-0.
97. Connor Volpi, John Chama, Ruxton Adebiyi, Ayuba J. Maigida, Megan E. Mansfield, Naomi Ayuba, Dorcas Y. Gemu, Uchenna Ononaku, Ashley Shutt, Joel M. Palefsky, Stephen E. Goldstone, Sylvia Adebajo. Rebecca G. Nowak, on behalf of the IMPACT Study Group. Preferences for Anal Cancer Screening Among Older Sexual Minority Men in Nigeria: A Discrete Choice Experiment. Accepted for publication by Archives for Sexual Behavior [ASEB-D-26-00269R4] August 2026
98.  

I am a public health physician, epidemiologist, and implementation scientist with over two decades of experience in communicable disease research, health programme design, and evaluation. My research portfolio spans HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infection (STI) epidemiology, sexual and reproductive health (SRH), implementation science, poverty, gender and youth (PGY), and the health needs of vulnerable and marginalised populations in Nigeria, across sub-Saharan Africa and recent focus on the United States.

My foundational contribution to the field came in 2006, when I pioneered Nigeria's first bio-epidemiological study using respondent-driven sampling — reaching 1,200 men at high risk of HIV across two states within three months. This landmark study gave national visibility to at-risk populations previously invisible to public health policy, catalysed a generation of subsequent research, and directly influenced Nigeria's HIV prevention response. It established the scientific and ethical precedent for key population research in Nigeria that continues to inform the field today, and contributed to the foundational evidence base of the TRUST/RV368 cohort, one of sub-Saharan Africa's most productive key population research platforms, with over 60 peer-reviewed publications on HIV prevention, treatment, stigma, and comorbid disease.

My research contributions to sexual and reproductive health have been equally substantive. As Principal Investigator on multiple SRH studies, I have generated evidence that has directly informed national policies and programmes particularly those governing youth participation in research and adolescents' access to SRH services in Nigeria. These studies have addressed critical gaps in the evidence base for SRH service delivery, including adolescent-friendly service design, contraceptive access, and the integration of SRH and HIV prevention services for young people. My work in this domain has consistently centred the perspectives and experiences of young people as both research participants and as agents of change within their own health systems — an approach that has strengthened both the scientific rigour and the community relevance of the evidence generated.

My current research portfolio reflects a strategic expansion into implementation science, digital health, and the intersection of HIV with non-communicable diseases. As Multiple Principal Investigator on the NIH-funded IMPACT study (U01CA275053), I lead an implementation science effort to improve detection and treatment of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions — the primary precursor to anal cancer — among sexual minority men living with HIV in Abuja, Nigeria, through coalition building and high-resolution anoscopy. As co-Investigator on the RISE Clinical Research Center (NIH UG1HD113162), I contribute to a multi-country study deploying a digital Health Empowerment Application to deliver HIV prevention and mental health interventions to adolescent and young sexual and gender minority men across Africa. I also serve as co-Investigator on the SYDEMICS study, examining the intersecting epidemics of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, depression, and stigma among sexual and gender minority men living with HIV in Nigeria — generating critical new evidence on multimorbidity in this underserved population.

Across all these domains, my research has been distinguished by its commitment to rigorous mixed-methods design, community engagement, and the direct translation of evidence into policy and programme impact. I have authored or co-authored over 80 peer-reviewed publications and mentored more than 20 early-career researchers through master's and doctoral programmes, contributing to the next generation of public health scientists in Nigeria and beyond. My work is united by a single overarching purpose: to generate evidence that improves health outcomes for the populations who need it most.

Although my career trajectory has been primarily oriented toward public health research, programme design, and evaluation rather than bedside clinical practice, my early clinical formation and subsequent consultancy roles provided an indispensable foundation for the epidemiological and implementation science career that followed. It is precisely this grounding in direct patient care and the clinical observations it generated that has consistently informed the way I design research, engage communities, and advocate for prevention-oriented health systems that reach the most vulnerable before illness becomes inevitable.

From 1987 to 1990, following completion of my medical degree and internship training, I served as a Consultant General Practitioner at Duro Soleye Hospitals in Ikeja, Lagos one of Nigeria's leading private healthcare institutions at the time. In this role, I provided comprehensive primary and general medical care to a diverse patient population across the full spectrum of acute and chronic conditions prevalent in urban Lagos during that period. This early clinical experience exposed me to the profound health consequences of delayed diagnosis, inadequate access to preventive services, and the social and economic determinants that shape health-seeking behaviour among urban Nigerian populations. It was during these formative years in clinical practice that I first observed, at the bedside, the preventable burden of communicable diseases including sexually transmitted infections among young people and vulnerable populations who arrived at the facility far too late for early intervention. These clinical observations planted the seeds of my subsequent commitment to prevention-focused public health research and programme design, and instilled in me a patient-centred perspective that has shaped every research question I have since pursued.

From 1996 to 2000, following completion of my Fellowship in Public Health at the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and my Master of Science in Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, I served as a Consultant in the Family Planning and Immunization Outpatient Clinics at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos one of Nigeria's premier academic medical institutions. In this consultancy role, I provided specialist clinical services in family planning counselling, contraceptive method provision, and immunization delivery to women and families attending the outpatient clinics, while simultaneously contributing to the training of medical students and junior clinicians in the principles and practice of preventive medicine and reproductive health. This dual clinical and academic role deepened my understanding of the structural barriers that limit women's and young people's access to sexual and reproductive health services in Nigeria barriers including financial cost, social stigma, inadequate provider training, and geographic distance from services that have since become central themes in my research on SRH policy and programme design.

Taken together, these two periods of clinical consultancy spanning a combined seven years across private and academic healthcare settings provided me with a clinically grounded understanding of disease burden, patient vulnerability, and health system gaps that continues to inform the rigour, relevance, and compassion with which I approach public health research. My clinical experience has not diminished with the passage of time; rather, it has been continuously reactivated through the community-based research settings in which I work, where the distance between the research question and the patient experience remains deliberately and purposefully small.

Honors and Awards

1998    British Chevening Scholarship for Master’s Degree Program in Epidemiology at LSHTM

2003    Young Investigator Award, Canadian Association of HIV Research (CAHR)

2005    Recipient of the Canadian Institute of Health Research Award

1995    Life Member, Fellow of Public Health, National Postgraduate Medical College, Nigeria. 

Active Grants

08/01/2022 – 07/31/2027   Co-Investigator, 10% (PI: M. Charurat)                          Synergistic epidemics of non-communicable diseases, stigma, depression, and material insecurities among sexual and gender minorities living with HIV in Nigeria. NIH - R01HL165686. 

09/15/2022 – 08/31/2027  MPI, 26.5% (PI: R. Nowak)

Integrated Model for the Prevention of Anal Cancer using screen and Treat for HSIL (IMPACT). NIH U01CA275053

07/01/2026 – 12/30/2027 Co-Investigator, 5.8% (PIs T. Darell and R. Audu)

Canada-Africa Monkeypox Partnership (CAMP): Characterizing transmission dynamics and evaluating medical countermeasures to inform the clinical and public health response to Mpox. 

09/01/2023- 06/30/2028 MPI, 20% (MPIs M. Charurat, Lisa Hightow-Weidman)

Resilient HIV Implementation Science with Young Men using Evidence (RISE) Clinical Research Center. NIH UG1HD113162.

07/1/2026—06/30/2028  Role: PI: Strengthening mental health and resilience within RISE (RISE-STRONG) – Resilient HIV Implementation Science with Young Men using Evidence (RISE) NIH UG1HD113162––Administrative Supplement.

05/07/2026 - 05/6/2027 Co-Investigator, 20% (PI: Prof Alash'le Abimiku)

Characterizing HIV Subtype-specific Epigenetic Signatures of Immune-Cellular Aging. SOAPF, University of Maryland, Baltimore

National/Local Service

1987 – 1988    National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Rivers State Police Headquarters,

2000 – Pres.    Member, African Child Trust, International.

2007 – 2010    Member, ‘Karale’ to uphold and improve the quality of life of women and children in Nigeria

2013 – Pres.    Board Member, The Initiatives for Equal Rights, Nigeria

2020 – 2024.    Board Secretary, Center for Population Health Initiatives (CPHI), Nigeria

2022 – Pres.  Member, Steering Committee, NIH-funded Fogarty Program - Integrated    Network of Scholars in Global Health Research Training (INSIGHT).

2023 – Date     Member, American Public Health Association (APHA)

2024 – Date     Board member, eHealth Africa

2025 – Date     Chairman of the Board, Center for Population Health Initiatives (CPHI), Nigeria.

Editorial Activities

2005 – 2008         Ad Hoc Reviewer, Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) 2x/yr.

2006 – 2020         Abstract Reviewer, IAS.

2024 – Date         Reviewer, National Health Research Ethics Committee in Nigeria (NHREC)