Kehinde Olubanjo has been accepted to participate in the 2022 Clinical and Translational Research Summer course organized by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The purpose of the course is to demonstrate the role of PhD scientists in clinical and translational research, provide an overview and examples of how basic science and clinical observations lead to translational research, increase awareness and access to PhD role models and potential careers at NIH.

In 2019, the NIH opened the Clinical and Translational Research summer course to basic science post-docs and junior faculty after years of offering the course only to basic science graduates. According to the NIH website, the course provides the opportunity for didactic learning through lectures, discussions and small group activities. The course also provides an opportunity to learn more about the unique resources available at the NIH, to meet with researchers and program administrators and to learn more about potential career opportunities at the NIH.

According to David J. Eckstein, the program director for strategic partnerships and policy development in the Office of Clinical Research, "One of the hallmarks of the course in previous years has been the ability of the students to meet with NIH researchers and/or administrators whose interest align with the students' interest." Participants will also be afforded the opportunity to view the proceedings of the NIH Institutional Review Board (IRB).

Olubanjo is a doctoral student in the lab of Julie Stenken; the major aim of his research project is to improve the relative recovery of microdialysis for the sampling of hydrophobic drugs using a technique known as affinity enhanced microdialysis (AE-MD) by using a novel material - the Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs) - as an affinity agent to improve relative recovery. The preliminary results from his research have been very encouraging and have been presented (virtually) at the Pittcon Conference and Expo 2022.