Olamide Todowede is a Research Fellow II at the Health Services Management Centre with over 10 years of experience in global public health research, including mental health research. Her expertise spans both quantitative and qualitative research, with experience in conducting systematic reviews, co-design, citizen science, and participatory approaches (PPIE). She has collaborated on research initiatives involving diverse groups such as individuals with lived experiences of mental health challenges, people living with HIV/AIDS, and those affected by tuberculosis and chronic hepatitis, both in the UK and in low- and middle-income countries.
Olamide completed her PhD at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (2016–2020), focusing on the prevalence and differential risk factors of metabolic syndrome among people living with HIV and HIV-negative populations. During this time, she worked part-time as a graduate research assistant within the University’s HIV unit, aiming to understand the key factors influencing HIV risk and prevention among students, as well as the accessibility and factors influencing testing and uptake of treatment towards achieving the UNAIDS 90-90-90 goal.
Upon completing her PhD, she worked as a GCDC Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Kent (2020), focusing on understanding the communication and outreach strategies that impact HPV vaccination hesitancy and acceptance in Kenya. She later moved to the University of York as a Research Associate, where she worked on an NIHR project, IMPACT South Asia, aimed at improving mental and physical health comorbidity in South Asian countries. She co-designed the integration of depression screening and management services into tuberculosis services with community members, patients, carers, and healthcare workers in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.
In 2022, she joined the University of Nottingham to develop the proof of concept for using citizen science in mental health research and developed best practice guidelines for conducting such research. She worked with people with lived experience of mental health challenges to actively engage them in research. She is also a member of the Global Burden of Diseases Collaborators Networks at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
Olamide’s current research interests explore how populations' social capital can be leveraged to understand their specific health needs and improve health outcomes. She is dedicated to identifying innovative, context-specific approaches and methods to address health inequalities and advance public health initiatives.