The University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo, has recorded another major international research breakthrough as Dr. Olumuyiwa James Peter, a lecturer and researcher in the Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences, with a joint appointment in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, has secured three prestigious international research awards.
Dr. Peter has been awarded the highly competitive Georg Forster Research Fellowship for Postdoctoral Researchers by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany, one of the world’s most respected and competitive research fellowship programmes. The fellowship will support advanced research, international collaboration, and professional development in Germany.
In addition, the accomplished scholar has secured two research grants funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through Imperial College London under the Measles Analytics Hub (MAH)initiative. The grants will support innovative research in measles surveillance, immunisation modelling, and evidence-based public health decision-making in Nigeria and other countries.
An internationally recognised expert in infectious disease modelling and vaccine analytics, Dr. Peter 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 obtained a PhD in Applied Mathematics, specialising in Infectious Disease Modelling, from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria. His doctoral benchwork was 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, Dr. Peter is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s leading scholars in infectious disease modelling and public health analytics.
Reacting to the development, the Vice-Chancellor of UNIMED, Professor Ebunoluwa Adejuyigbe, congratulated Dr. Peter on the remarkable achievement, describing it as a testament to the university’s commitment to world-class research and innovation. “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. “These recognitions underscore UNIMED’s growing reputation as a centre 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.”
Professor Adejuyigbe reaffirmed the university’s commitment to supporting cutting-edge research and fostering international collaborations that advance knowledge and improve healthcare outcomes. “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, immunisation 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. “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.”
The 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 centres for high-impact research and global health scholarship.
