Professor
Anthony
Afolayan

Internationally recognized Expert & Researcher

Prof Anthony Jide Afolayan is an Emeritus Professor at the Department of Botany, University of Fort Hare in South Africa. He was the Leader of the Medicinal Plants and Economic Development Research Niche Area of the same institution.

He is a regularly sought after and requested lecturer at the majority of biological conferences and symposia throughout Africa, the United States, Europe and Asia.

Prof Afolayan has published over 500 scientific peer reviewed papers in various internationally accredited journals. He has supervised more than 45 PhD and 18 MSc degree candidates and mentored 26 postdoctoral fellows who completed their programmes on record time.

He is an internationally recognized expert in many areas of phytomedicine, pharmacology and toxicology including bioprospecting for novel drugs from medicinal plants.

Academic Qualifications

  • PhD Botany (Plant Physiology), University of Pretoria, South Africa, 1996.
  • MSc Botany (Plant Ecology), University of Ibadan, Nigeria, 1982.
  • BSc (Hons) Botany, Second Class (Upper Division), University of Ibadan, Nigeria, 1980

Merit Awards

  • Rated Scientist Researcher Category C1 by the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa.; December 2012 to date
  • The Vice Chancellor’s Senior Research Medal in recognition of sustained research and scholarly achievements that reflect quality and excellence; May 2005.
  • The Vice Chancellor’s discretionary ex-gratia merit award in recognition of outstanding research outputs; May 2004.
  • The University of Fort Hare Merit Award for research in recognition of outstanding research output for the years 1997, 1998, 1999.

Prof Afolayan is a member of several editorial boards of scientific journals. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Medicinal Plants for Economic Development (JOMPED). Prof Afolayan is a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa, the highest scientific body of the country. He is the Founder and first President of the Society of Medicinal Plants for Economic Development (SOMPED).

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My research focus has been within the general area of plant science. From 1980 to 1993, I retained a research interest in plant ecology and physiology with emphasis on phytosociology as reflected in my list of publications. Since 1994, I have applied my research to bioprospecting for novel compounds from higher plants and currently focusing on Phytomedicine and drug development including essential oil projects. The following are my research positions:

1. Moringa oleifera: bridging the gap between laboratory knowledge and human consumption, January 2019 to date
2. Project Leader: Medicinal Plants and Economic Development Research Niche Area (several projects). 2013 to date
3. Project Leader: Validation of the medicinal values of crude extracts and pure compounds extracted from plants used in herbal medicine. 2006 to date.
4. Research Niche Area Leader: Unlocking the potential of indigenous plants for sustainable livelihood in the Eastern Cape. 2006 to 2013.
5. Project Leader: Propagation and cultivation of ethnoveterinary plants as means for their conservation and preservation in the Eastern Cape. 2005 – 2011
6. Leader: Phytomedicine Research Centre, University of Fort Hare. 2005 – 2013
7. Project Leader, Chemical analysis of high valued plants in the Eastern Cape. University Research Development Project of NRF. 2002 – 2006.
8. Project Leader: Screening of medicinal plants in the Eastern Cape for antimicrobial investigations, Indigenous Knowledge System of the NRF. 1999 – 2005.
9. Research Niche Area Co-Leader: Sustainable Agriculture and Land Use Strategies of the NRF, South Africa 2002 – 2005.
10. Project Leader: Screening of medicinal plants for antibiotics, Medical Research Council of South Africa. 1999 – 2001.
11. Project Leader: Bioprospecting for drugs from higher plants, NRF of South Africa. 1998 -2001.

Completed and On-Going Research Projects

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Prof Anthony J. Afolayan