Obidimma Ezezika, PhD

Assistant Professor

Room 330, HSB
519 661-2111 x87823
oezezika@uwo.ca

Education

  • PhD (University of Georgia)
  • MEM (Yale University)
  • BSc Hons (University of Lagos)

Graduate Program Supervision

  • Health and Rehabilitation Sciences |

Research In Profile

Professor Obidimma Ezezika’s research lies at the nexus of global health and implementation science and examines how to scale evidence-based innovations to meet marginalized communities’ health needs locally and globally. These innovations range from mHealth (mobile health) technologies, vaccination campaigns, and infectious disease treatments, to large-scale nutrition programs. He is the founding director and principal investigator of the Global Health and Innovation Lab (an implementation science research and education initiative on the systematic uptake of evidence-based interventions into routine practice in global health). He is also the founder of the African Centre for Innovation and Leadership, Development; a non-profit think tank focused on fostering innovation and youth leadership in Africa.

Over the past 15 years, Professor Ezezika has worked at several organizations taking innovations to scale, including the United Nations Development Program, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Sandra Rotman Centre, and Grand Challenges Canada. He is the inaugural recipient of the Global Educator Award from the University of Toronto and the recipient of several international awards, including the D2L Innovation Award in Teaching and Learning and the Next Einstein Award. He has a PhD in microbiology from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree in environmental management from Yale University.

Featured Publications and Projects

Books

  • Seear, M., Ezezika, O. (2018). An Introduction to Global Health, 3rd Edition, Canadian Scholars Press. 550 pages, January 2018. Print ISBN: 9781773380032.

Chapters and Entries in Books and Dictionaries

  • Ragunathan, A., Ezezika, O. (2021). Work-integrated learning experience for public health students: A case study project in partnership with a community farm. In A. Stirling & J.Pretti (Eds.), The Practice of Co-op and Work-Integrated Learning in the Canadian Context (pp. 138-147). CEWIL

Articles in Peer-Reviewed Journals

  • Ezezika, O., El-Bakri, Y., Nadarajah, A. and Barrett K. (2022). Implementation of Insecticide-Treated Malaria Bed Nets in Tanzania: A Systematic Review. Journal of Global Health Reports; 6:e2022036.

  • Ezezika, O., Gong, J., Abdirahman, H. & Sellen, D. (2021). Barriers and Facilitators to the Implementation of Large-Scale Nutrition Interventions in Africa: A Scoping Review. Glob Implement Res Appl 1, 38–52 (2021).

  • Ezezika. O., Ragunathan, A., El-Bakri, Y., Barret, K. (2021). Barriers and Facilitators to Implementation of Oral Rehydration Therapy in Low and Middle-Income Countries. PLOS ONE.

  • Ezezika, O., Gong, J., Abdirahman, H. & Sellen, D. (2021). Barriers and Facilitators to the Implementation of Large-Scale Nutrition Interventions in Africa: A Scoping Review. Glob Implement Res Appl 1, 38–52 (2021).

  • Ezezika O, Mengistu M, Lear T (2021) Implementation of the Meningitis Vaccine Project in Africa: lessons for vaccine implementation programs. Journal of Global Health Reports: e2021097.

Visit for a comprehensive list of publications.

Current Grants and Research Projects

  • Charise, A. Mulligan, K., Ezezika, O., Dosani, N., Crawford, A. Arts, Wellness, Community: Mobilizing Creative Arts Access Equity for Post-Pandemic Flourishing in Canada (A Participatory Action Research Approach), New Frontiers in Research Fund, $237,970, 2022-2024.
  • Massaquoi, N. Mbuagbaw, L., Ezezika, O., Ramsay, H. Gebremikael, L. “Culturally Informed Intensive Case-Management for Black Communities in GTA, Ontario HIV Treatment Network, $599,938, 2022 – 2024.
  • For other projects, see:  

Graduate Student Opportunities

For potential research areas for graduate students, please see the .

Additional Information

Academic Appointments and Research Affiliations

  • Chair, Advisory Board, African Centre for Innovation & Leadership Development, Abuja, Nigeria
  • Assistant Professor (Status-only), Department of Health and Society, Univ. of Toronto, Scarborough, Canada
  • Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, Canada

Awards

  • , University of Toronto (2022)
  • , STLHE (2021)
  • , University of Toronto (2020)
  • , Next Einstein Forum (2020)