Olayinka M. Olajiga

Olayinka M. Olajiga is a PhD student in the Department of Tropical Medicine at Tulane University School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine. She holds an MSc in Entomology from Kansas State University and a BSc in Microbiology from Osun State University, Nigeria. Her research centers on arboviruses, vector-host-pathogen interactions, and the biological factors that influence transmission dynamics, particularly in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

She has contributed to projects investigating dengue and chikungunya virus seroprevalence, host immune responses to arboviral infections, and the development of artificial feeding systems for vector research. Her growing portfolio of peer-reviewed publications appears in journals including Frontiers in Immunology, Biology, Vaccines, and Immunologic Investigations, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach across virology, immunology, and vector biology.

Currently a research fellow at the Tulane National Primate Research Center, Olayinka is examining the immunopathogenesis of Mayaro virus infection in the brain. She previously worked in the Arthropod Molecular Physiology Lab at Kansas State University and has presented her research at national and international scientific meetings. Her work has earned several awards, including travel grants from the Louisiana Mosquito Control Association and Kansas State University.

Olayinka is actively engaged in the scientific community through multiple leadership and service roles. She serves on the International Membership Committee of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) and as the Trainee Councilor within ASTMH’s American Committee of Medical Entomology (ACME). She is also a peer reviewer for Frontiers in Immunology and mentors emerging researchers through initiatives such as Mind Thrive Africa. Her long-term goal is to contribute to global health by supporting the development of targeted, evidence-based strategies for the prevention and control of arboviral diseases.