Seyi completed his PhD and post-doctoral training in Prof Cristobal Uauy lab at the John Innes Centre (UK). During this time, he mapped and confirmed a major causal gene in wheat controlling pre-harvesting sprouting – a common grain defect characterised by premature germination of grains before harvest. In 2019, Seyi was awarded a FLAIR fellowship by the Royal Society (UK) and the African Academy of Sciences to lead crop improvement projects in Kenya and Ethiopia.
During his fellowship, Seyi also developed a passion for underutilised crops. These are climate-resilient and nutritious crops but that are often under-researched and under-developed, but can contribute to improving global nutrition. Seyi has led several efforts in developing genomics resources for orphan and underutilised crops including tef, hyacinth bean, african yam bean and kei apple. Before joining the university, Seyi worked as a Senior Scientist at BASF Agricultural Solutions supporting the hybrid wheat research.