Dr Olabanji Surakat is a public health parasitologist and vector biology expert with 8 years' cognate and hands-on field/laboratory experience conducting qualitative, entomological, parasitological, and molecular studies on malaria, mosquitoes, black flies, and neglected tropical diseases such as lymphatic filariasis, loasis, onchocerciasis, soil-transmitted helminths, and schistosomiasis. He has also conducted safety and efficacy studies on the use of praziquantel and albendazole among school children in endemic communities in Nigeria. He is a recipient of several travel scholarships/awards and research grants on implementation research aimed at improving access and acceptability of preventive chemotherapy for the control and elimination of LF and onchocerciasis in Osun State. Dr Surakat is contributing to the scale-up of new vector control strategies such as next-gen nets for malaria in Nigeria. He has s consulting experience with research agencies and donors, including The Global Fund, Sightsavers International, Carter Center, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), UKAid, and served as a technical adviser to the World Health Organization (WHO) to the Republic of Sudan. In addition to his current work as a lecturer in Osun State University, he currently provide consultancy services in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) to the National Malaria Elimination Program's entomological surveillance studies across the country's sentinel sites
