Ebenezer Olatunde Farombi is a Professor of Biochemistry and Toxicology at the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. A quondam Dean, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, he is currently the Director, Molecular Drug Metabolism and Toxicology Laboratories in the University. He is also the President of the Forum of Nigerian Toxicologists (FONTOX) and Vice President, Society for Free Radical Research Africa (SFRR-Africa). He is the immediate past Public Affairs Secretary of the Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS) and member of the Governing Council of this Apex Scientific body in Nigeria.

 Professor Farombi’s cherished academic career in the University has spanned 33 years. After successful completion of his PhD programme, he proceeded to the University of Liverpool, England under the World Bank Project Staff Development Programme for Postdoctoral training with Dr. George Britton, a distinguished scholar and former President of International Carotenoid Society, as his preceptor. He had another UNESCO-MCBN sponsored Postdoctoral training in Denmark between where he worked with three academic giants in the field of Chemical Carcinogenesis—Dr. Lars Dragsted of the Institute of Food Safety and Toxicology, Soborg, Professor Steffen Loft, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen and Professor Herman Autrup  (former President of International Union of Toxicology (IUTOX)) of the Department of Environmental Health, University of Aarhus, Denmark.

Professor Farombi was at different times Visiting Professor to the National Research Laboratory of Molecular Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention, Seoul National University, South Korea (2005/2006); the Department of Nutritional Toxicology, Friedrich-Schiller University of Jena, Germany (2007); College of Science, Engineering and Technology, Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi, USA (2009, 2010-2017); Cape Peninsular University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa (2011); University of Chicago Medical School, USA (2011); Indiana University, Bloomington, USA (2014), China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing China (2015) and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta USA (2019). Professor Farombi has extensive and expanded international networks as his engagement in interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary with translational impact, has resulted in collaboration and networking with over 100 scientists across the globe in world-class institutions.

 Undoubtedly, Professor Farombi has exceled and distinguished himself nationally and internationally in research. His research areas over the past 25 years have been on Molecular Toxicology, Cellular Oxidative Stress Mechanisms, Reproductive and Environmental Toxicology, Antioxidant Redox Biochemistry, Nutraceuticals as Prophylactic agents and Nutrigenomics as well as natural product Biotechnology. He is known Nationally and Internationally for his novel works on the elucidation of the Biochemical and Molecular Mechanisms of Chemoprevention of Phytochemicals. For instance, he has led national, regional and international research works on characterizing Garcinia kola (Bitter kola) of the Guttiferae family and derived phytochemicals as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and chemopreventive agents. Recent advances in Garcinia kola research by Professor Farombi led to the patenting of 4 Novel Chemopreventive compounds from Bitter kola with translational role in the health sector for the management of certain diseases such as viral infections, respiratory illnesses, heart-related disorders and diabetes. In totality, his translational works have developed and uniquely promoted indigenous knowledge and new therapeutic signatures relevant in disease conditions such as viral infections, liver disorder and neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.

Globally especially in research in the field of Biochemistry, Toxicology and Chemoprevention of diseases with natural products, Professor Farombi naturally commands respect and recognition for blazing the trail of research excellence. For instance, in 2005, he was cited and listed among top 10 productive researchers in the University of Ibadan who contributed research articles within a 10 year frame (1995-June 2005) (SESRTCIC, http://sesrtcic.org/statisticstate) – and ten years later, following the February 2015 Webometric Ranking of Nigerian Scientists, he was top-rated (ranked number 1 Nigerian scientist). Ever since, he has been consistently ranked and listed among top Nigerian researchers selected for exceptional research performance and output. In the Top 500 Authors by Scholarly output in Nigeria over the period 2014-2019 by International SciVal Elsevier body, he was Top rated. In the US-based Stanford University World ranking of scientists (2021), he was ranked among Top 2% World Scientists, Top 1% of 45,124 Toxicologists in the World and Number 1 (one) Toxicologists in Nigeria. Most recent is the AD Scientific Index Ranking of World Scientists and Universities (2021) in which he was ranked best scientist in University of Ibadan.

 He is a recipient of several International Fellowships and Grants including: UNESCO/MCBN (1998); IUBMB (1998, 2003); WHO/TDR (1998) Fellowships; Danish Research Council Grant (2002); Lady Bank-Anthony Cancer Research Grant (2004), Seoul National University, Korea Visiting Professorship Grant (2005), the MacArthur Foundation Grant for Multidisciplinary Team Research on Chemoprevention (2009), The MacArthur Foundation Grant for Specialized Linkages in the special area of Biotechnology and Medicinal Chemistry (2008, 2009). A Toxicologist of note, Professor Farombi was the winner and recipient by open international competition of the 2014 SOT Global Senior Toxicology Award for his outstanding contribution to the Science of Toxicology being the first Toxicologist from the University of Ibadan to win this international award.

 Professor Farombi is very rich in “Academic currency”. A very effective, productive and innovative researcher, supervisor and mentor, he has supervised 120 BSc, 200 MSc and 25 PhD students in Biochemistry and Toxicology. He had the singular honor of supervising the adjudged best PhD Thesis in the discipline of Basic Medical Sciences within the Nigeria University system during 2009 assessment by NUC. More recently, he has supervised the best PhD Thesis in the University of Ibadan in 2018, which won two distinguished prizes.  Professor Farombi has authored and co-authored 285 scientific articles in reputable international journals, 18 chapters in books and edited a book titled “Nutritional Antioxidants in Cancer and Degenerative Diseases” with contributors from Nigeria, Cameroon, USA, Mauritius, South Africa, Japan and Denmark.  His publications are well read and highly cited with H index of 54, i10-index of 205 and 12,000 citations. Professor Farombi is highly visible and well represented in Scopus, Web of Science and Research gate with scores of 39.07 and over 50,057 reads, a clear attestation of wide readership internationally and global impact of his research publications in international scientific community.

A resourceful, productive and successful mentor, six (6) of his former Postgraduate students are now full Professor in various Universities in the country and others hold position of responsibilities in academic, industry, government agencies at home and abroad. As a well-travelled and highly sought national and international conference and keynote speaker, He has given over 100 distinguished scientific and keynote lectures in countries spanning five continents of the world. He is the Foundation Editorial Board Chairman of the Archives of Basic and Applied Medicine (ABAM) and Foundation Editor-in-Chief of Toxicology Digest, the official journal of West Africa Society of Toxicology (WASOT), Associate Editor of the American Journal of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (AJPPS) and currently the President of the Forum of Nigerian Toxicologists (FONTOX).

Professor Farombi has been privileged to hold several administrative positions within and outside the University system including: Sub-Dean Postgraduate, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences (2006-2008), two times Head of Biochemistry Department, (February 1^st, 2008- 31^st July, 2010; August 1 2016-2020), Coordinator, Zonal Committee, National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) Zonal Biotechnology Centre (October 2008-2009), Leader, University of Ibadan Biotechnology Center of Excellence Project (November 2009-2010), Member University Central and Appointment and Promotions Committee( 2010-date), Dean, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences (2010-2014), Acting Director, Institute for Advanced Medical Research and Training (IAMRAT) (1^st May-31^st July 2011) and Acting Provost, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (2010-2014) (on several occasions). He features regularly as resource person; workshop facilitator and guest speaker and continues to serve the University having given over 50 seminal lectures on Human Capital Development at the University of Ibadan. He has served as External examiners to several Universities at the Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels as well as External Assessor for promotion of candidates to the grade of Professor in many Universities in Nigeria and abroad.

He has been graciously honored with the Outstanding Research Award for Commitment and Outstanding Contributions to Research and Innovation (2016) and identified as Research Champion in the College of Medicine (2018) University of Ibadan. He also featured in the University of Ibadan Role of Honor of Researchers with the highest Research output in 2017.

In the course of his academic career, he has been honored with the Fellowship of 6 prestigious National and International Academies: A Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) UK, Fellow Nigerian Academy of Science (FAS), Fellow Academy of Toxicological Sciences (FATS) of the USA, Fellow African Academy of Science (FAAS),  (first Nigerian Biochemist to be honored), Fellow Nigerian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (FNSBMB), being the first Biochemist from the University of  Ibadan to receive the award and recently, he was admitted to the Fellowship of the Academy of Medicine Specialties (FAMedS) of Nigeria as Foundation Fellow.

Professor Farombi is happily married to Dr. (Mrs.) Temitope Farombi, a Consultant Neurologist at the Geriatric Center, University College Hospital, Ibadan, and the founder of Brain Health Initiative of Nigeria and and Online Health Company. They are blessed with three children.