Professor Gabriel Babatunde Ogunmola, is Chancellor and Chairman, Board of Trustees, Lead City University and Past President Nigerian Academy of Science, Professor of Chemistry University of Ibadan 1980 – 2005, Director, Laboratory of Biophysical Chemistry, He was Head Department of Chemistry 1991 – 1993, Dean Faculty of Science 1986-1988, at the University of Ibadan. He had his early education at St. Paul’s School, Sagamu 1946-1952 and his Secondary School Education at Remo Secondary School Sagamu 1953-1958. He attended the Federal Emergency School of Science in Lagos 1959 – 1961 for his A level studies before proceeding to University of Ibadan in 1962. He graduated B.Sc. Degree in Physical Chemistry at the University of Ibadan in 1965 and Ph.D. degree in 1968 from the University of Ibadan. He was a Rockefeller Post Doctoral Research Fellow with Professor Britton Chance at the Johnson Research Foundation, Department of Biophysics and Medical Physics, University of Pennsylvania 1969-70.

He rose through the ranks to become a Professor of Biophysical Chemistry at the University of Ibadan in 1980. Professor Ogunmola has been involved in international science research collaboration on Structure Function Studies, of Hemoglobins using diverse technique of Fast Reaction Kinetics Thermodynamic and molecular spectroscopy. He was at Princeton as a Fullbright Fellow in 1974, to collaborate with Walter Kauzmann on High pressure studies and hydration of proteins, at California Institute of Technology as a Visiting Research Associate in 1974; with Professor Michael Raffery on F19 NMR Studies of Human hemoglobins at University of California Berkeley as Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley collaborating with George Pimentel, Visiting Scientist to the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, Berkeley in 1976; a Visiting Hill Professor of Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University of Minnesota Minneapolis in 1983. He served on the Curriculum Development Committee for the establishment of Ogun State University in Nigeria, He became the Foundation Dean in 1983 and Dean again in 1988/89. He was a Visiting Professor of Biochemistry Stanford University Medical School and Beckman Centre for Genetic Diseases, Stanford Medical School, California in 1989 – 1990, Visiting Investigator, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, New York, 1998. Executive Director, Science and Technology Development Foundation, Ibadan and Chairman, Institute of Genetic Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Ibadan, Nigeria.

Professor Ogunmola was appointed into the Endowed Chair of Olu Allinson Professor of Applied Chemistry in recognition of his achievements in Applied Chemistry in 1989. He was elected into the Fellowship of the Nigerian Academy of Science in 1981 and has served several times on the Council of the Academy. He served as President Nigerian Academy of Science January 2003 to August 2006. He brought great developments to the Academy leading to its selection and participation in the ASADI programmes in collaboration with US National Academy. He has collaborated with many research teams nationally and internationally. He directed the Laboratory of Biophysical Chemistry at the University of Ibadan, which was named as a member of UNESCO Global Network of Molecular and Cell Biology. He was elected into the Fellowship of the Sickle Cell Association of Nigeria in 1997 and Fellowship of Chemical Society of Nigeria, 1999. He was appointed a Trustee of the Fullbright Alumni Association of Nigeria in 2002. He was honored with a D.Sc. (Hon. Causa) from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso in 2004, and Chancellor, Lead City University in 2008.

Professor Ogunmola has made significant contributions to knowledge in the studies of the relationship between structure and function and molecular pathology of the hemoglobins and in particular the molecular pathology of the prevalent sickle cell and hemoglobin C diseases. His noteworthy contribution in hemoglobin research has also been extended to the Physical Chemistry and Molecular Pathology of genetic variants of Glucose 6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) enzymes in the Nigerian environment. He has made major and scholarly advances on Biophysical Chemistry of Genetic materials, mostly erythroid and Proteins. He has collaborated with many international scientists on sickle cell disease on both hemoglobinopathies, enzymopathies studies and structure function correlation in biological macromolecule. For his research achievement he has been cited as one of ten scientists for significant contribution to Science in Africa by American Association for advance of science in 1991 In 2001 he published with Ohnishi, a seminal and innovative paper in ‘nutrition’ on the strategy for sickle cell management, classified as a major research result from bench side to bed side using ‘antioxidant cocktail therapy’ based on compensating for red cell injury in sickled cell disease.
Professor Ogunmola helped wrote the implementation plan for first National Science Policy for Nigeria in 1988 and participated in the development of new Science Policy debate for Nigeria in 2011. He has contributed immensely to the development of the scientific enterprise and the image of the discipline of Chemistry and Science in Nigeria. As President of the Nigeria Academy of Science he forged much international agreement and linked with many academies and served on the Executive committee of IAP and contributed to the working programs of NASAC and Africa Science Academy Development Initiative (ASADI).

He currently serves as Executive Director of the Science and Technology Development Foundation, Ibadan, Nigeria; and Chairman, Institute of Genetic Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine. He has been Consultant / Resource Person to national and international agencies in Science and Technology Policy, Science Education Database Development and Information Technology and Science Diplomacy which he has used effectively in promoting Science Development in Sub Sahara Africa and global science collaboration to aid African Development.

Professor Ogunmola served Ogun State Government as Chairman Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, 2004 – 2007. He served as a member of governing council of National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, Abuja 2003 – 2006. Member, Honourary Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology to the President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo 2005 – 2006. He has been Chairman of the International Council for Sciences (ICSU) Regional Committee for Africa since 2004 – 2010. He is currently Chairman, Board of Trustee and Chancellor Lead City University, Ibadan.