Research seminar with Dr Bernadine Idowu and Oluwaseun Ogundele

As part of our Black History Month celebrations, this seminar offers an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the valuable contributions and challenges faced by Black women in the field of research.

Hear from Dr Bernadine Idowu-Onibokun, Associate Professor of Biomedical Science at University of West London and Oluwaseun Ogundele, an Astra-Zeneca funded doctoral researcher working in stem-cell research at Cambridge University.

A graduate of King’s College London (KCL) and the IRC Queen Mary University of London, Bernardine is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Science and the Course Leader of Biomedical Science at the University of West London.

About Dr Bernadine Idowu-Onibokun

Highly regarded by her colleagues and students, Bernardine has been published in peer reviewed journals, most notably winning the Roger Cotton prize of €10,000 for the best paper in the Histopathology Journal. Bernardine has been nominated the Best Lecturer of the year in her school for three consecutive years from the Student Union’s STAR awards and was recently nominated for the African Achievers Award for Academic impact at the House of Parliament and the University Alliance awards. She is also a Diversity & Inclusion Champion supporting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students and staff at various Universities around the UK

Bernardine is also the Founder and Chair of the BME Early Career Researcher Conference, which is now in its eighth year, and earlier this year founded the undergraduate conference Changing the Story for Black Biomedical Scientists.

Bernardine is the Founder & Director of YACnCAY charity, a registered charity which organises mentoring for BME future Leaders. She freelances for the Guardian newspaper and Times Higher Education. And she is a Principal Fellow of HEA and was elected to be a member of the Royal Society of Biology and is the Co-Chair of the MRC Black Biomedical Research Action Group.

About Oluwaseun Ogundele

Formerly a research assistant in the Hendrich Lab at the Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Oluwaseun is now working in the same lab within Cambridge University as an Astra-Zeneca funded doctoral researcher working in stem-cell research, using mESCS, gastruloids and zebrafish to understand how TFs facilitate cell fate decisions.

Oluwaseun also uses her social media platform to increase the visibility of women of colour working in STEM fields. She was also awarded the Diana Award in 2021.