Adeyinka Gladys Falusi Quotes

How to do research properly: Take community into confidence and share your result properly.

When I retired in 2010, from the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, I took up the challenge of looking after sickle cell patients in my own way with the assistance of professionals. I retired without blemish. Even now, I still have a vibrant laboratory at the College of Medicine where I still do my research work. I still get grants to do research.

When God gives you a vision and you do it, with His help you will succeed. When I have challenges, I go to God and He helps me out. As a woman you can achieve a lot by being nice to people. Be charismatic. Always leave your problem at home. Pray and ask God to help you, He is always there to help.

It was not easy. When I went to do research at Oxford, I left my baby, the only son who was one and a half years in Nigeria, crying. However, the work I was to do for one year, I did it in seven months. No laxity, working hard so I could get back home in time. My husband and my mother supported me. In the African setting, if you have a good home, you can make it. If your husband is not in support of what you are doing, you are in trouble. There is no template. If God places you in a family where your husband and in-laws like you, you will combine the two successfully. As a woman, you need the love, support and cooperation of your husband. Both of you must ensure that your children too face their studies so they too can be successful. When God gives you a vision and you do it, with His help you will succeed. When I have challenges, I go to God and He helps me out. As a woman you can achieve a lot by being nice to people. Be charismatic. Always leave your problem at home. Pray and ask God to help you, He is always there to help.

Be aware, know your genotype as a youth, be educated about it and make informed decision later in life. That way, the frequency of SCD will gradually decrease and the burden of it will be reduced in Nigeria.

Sickle Cell Hope Alive Foundation (SCHAF) came from scarf which is something you put on your head to look beautiful. SCHAF is about giving hope to people born with sickle cell disorder. God gave me the ability to transform peoples’ lives by talking to them. When I talk to people, they understand the purpose of God in their lives. So, I decided to create awareness to people with sickle cell disorder and give them hope.

I paid a lot of prices. My husband was a year ahead of me in the university. When we got married, I felt we could not both go for higher degrees so I decided he should go ahead and get his PhD, while I took care of the children. My family was my priority. I didn’t know I would ever become anything. I just wanted to take care of the children, we have five of them and today, I have no regret. Today, they are my backbone after my husband. They are all doing well because I paid the price to take care of them.

I was born many years ago to the family of Chief Ologbenla of Efon Alaye. I went to Queen School, Ede, Osun State and University of Ibadan (UI), where I studied Chemistry. After leaving UI, I got married to my heartthrob, Abiodun Falusi, now a professor. We are happily married. We lived in the United State of America for the first five years of our marriage, so we got used to each other before returning to Nigeria. He is a professor of Agricultural Economics, while I moved from Chemistry to Haematology (blood study) at the College of Medicine, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan. From there, I got my M.Phil in 1981 and my PhD in 1986. I was able to find a novel information about Thalassaemia incidence in Nigeria. It was a first and novel finding. The Lord blessed the work and since then, the genetic world has expanded, the scope of my work has expanded.

The awareness in Nigeria is very low. How many people are doing what we are doing? My retirement money has been going into this project since 2012. My family and friends have been supporting me financially. However, I am not in it for monetary gain. The children we are doing it for are grateful and I am deriving joy from what I am doing. My advice is: Be aware, know your genotype as a youth, be educated about it and make informed decision later in life. That way, the frequency of SCD will gradually decrease and the burden of it will be reduced in Nigeria.

For many years, I was a technician but when I moved to academics the Lord blessed my work, everything I found out was new. It took me a long time to get to where I am today because I devoted myself to my family. However, when I joined academics, my husband gave me all the necessary support. Even when I was always in the lab and would get home late, he didn’t complain. So, I had peace. I sacrificed a lot but God has rewarded me more than I could ever ask for.

I got many awards along the way, notable among them was L’OREAL UNESCO Outstanding Woman of Science in 2001. The award took place in Paris and it was one woman per continent. There I was told to raise champions and bring more women up. That has been my passion and that is what I have been working on. When I retired in 2010, from the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, I took up the challenge of looking after sickle cell patients in my own way with the assistance of professionals. I retired without blemish. Even now, I still have a vibrant laboratory at the College of Medicine where I still do my research work. I still get grants to do research.

My Current Research work is on Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C Prevalence and Epidemiology in Sickle Cell Patients and Controls in South West Nigeria. Community Access and participation towards an attitudinal change for a Preventive approach to Sickle Cell disease in South west Nigeria. Advocacy and Support for Sickle Cell Affected Individuals and their significant others in the Community in South West Nigeria.

However, my Chemistry knowledge brought a difference to Haematology because my work was different from everyone else’s it was analytical. I was finding out a lot about research of blood disorders. Till today, I am still challenged by research ideas in my head. My chemistry background has helped me a lot. It stands me out from the medical people.

Chemistry is a science that is applicable to many fields of life because it is analytical. I had always wanted to do research. When I was in Queen’s School, there was a day I went to the lab after school hours and was mixing chemicals, I almost blew up the lab. I put water into acid instead of the other way round. I was disciplined by my principal the next day. I have always had penchant for wanting to find out things.

I almost blew up the laboratory in secondary school.