Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Lagos

Born on April 21, 1946 in Oyo, Oyo State, Professor George Olabode Gbenle had his primary school education at St. Andrew Demonstration School, Oyo, from 1951 to 1957. In 1958, he proceeded to Ogbomoso Grammar School, Ogbomoso where he passed the West African School Certificate in the Grade 1 Division in 1962. He moved to Ibadan Grammar School in 1963, where he obtained the Higher School Certificate (HSC) in 1965. He was at the University of Ibadan from 1966 to 1969 and graduated with B.Sc. (Hons.), Biochemistry in 1969. While in the University of Ibadan, Professor Gbenle won the University (College) Scholar Award in 1967.

He worked at the Federal Ministry of Health as a Scientific Officer and was the Head, Forensic and Toxicology Laboratory, Food and Drugs Administration and Control, Federal Ministry of Health. While at the Ministry of Health, he obtained a Masters Degree in Forensic Science & Toxicology from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Great Britain in 1976.

The erudite scholar joined the services of the University of Lagos in 1978 as a Junior Research Fellow at the Department of Biochemistry. In 1982, he obtained a Doctoral Degree in Biochemistry from the University of Lagos and was promoted to Lecturer I. He became Senior Lecturer in 1986; Associate Professor in 1995 and Professor of Biochemistry (Protein Chemistry and Molecular Biology) in 2003.

Professor Gbenle has served the University in several academic and administrative capacities. These include: Director, Medilag Consult, College of Medicine (2005 – 2010); Acting Head, Department of Biochemistry (1993 – 1995 and 2003 – 2004); Expert Assessor and Examiner of Ph.D Thesis and Oral Examinations (1990 –Date) and  Supervisor of Projects for the award of Bachelor of Science, Master’s and Doctoral Degrees in Biochemistry.

The Professor of Biochemistry was Chairman of the Departmental Postgraduate Studies Committee (1990 – 1993 and 1997 – 2000) and Departmental Technical (Consultancy) Implementation Committee (1995 – 1998). He was also a member of the Academic Board, College of Medicine (1988 – 1992 and 2002 – 2004) and Faculty of Science Appointment and Promotions Committee (1998 – Date).

Outside the University of Lagos, Professor Gbenle is the Chairman of the Management Committee, Lagos Cheshire Home, Mushin, Lagos and Leader of Environmental Studies Group (1993 – Date). He is the Editor of Environmental Studies (1993 – Date) and Editing Reviewer for the Journal of Scientific Research and Development, Nigerian Journal of Medical Research among others.

The don was Chairman, LOC (Technical) 10^th Annual Conference of the Biochemical Society of Nigeria, Lagos (1985); Co-Chairman, Scientific Session of the Fifth International Congress of Parasitology, Toronto, Canada (1983); Rappoteur, Scientific Papers of the First National Conference on Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Research and Control in Nigeria, Kaduna (1981) as well as Invited Presenter and Rapporteur, Technical papers, National Workshop on Biotechnology, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, Lagos (1993). He was the Head, Forensic and Toxicology Laboratory, Food and Drugs Administration and Control, Federal Ministry of Health, Lagos (1976 – 1977).

Professor Gbenle, who has at least 19 unpublished papers presented at various conferences, also has over 41 articles in learned local and foreign journals.  Although he has completed three research projects which are yet to be published, the Professor of Biochemistry is currently working on three research studies. They are:

v  Medicinal plant research for sickle cell disease biochemistry.

v  Survey, evaluation and optimization of natve fungi as mycoherbicides for water hyacinth control in Nigeria.

v  Bio degradation of high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by tropical bacteria from polluted soils.

He is a recipient of many international fellowship awards, scholarships, research grants and honours.  These include the Fogarty International Fellowship at the National Institute of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, USA (1989 – 1990); Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship, Stanford, California, USA (1987 – 1988), World Health Organization Research Training Grant at Brussels, Belgium (1993) among others.

Professor Gbenle is a member of the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA), Forensic Society of Great Britain, New York Academy of Science, Nigerian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (NSBMB), Biotechnology Group, UNILAG and Nigerian Environmental Society. He is the Founding President of the Association for Environmental Impact Assessment of Nigeria.

• Biochemistry
• sickle cell disease