The Durban University of Technology’s (DUT’s) Professor Oludayo, O. Olugbara is the only professor from Africa to have been successfully selected by the journal of Applied Sciences as a guest editor of the special issue on Recent Advances in Bioinformatics and Health Informatics.
Professor Olugbara is the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Accounting and Informatics at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), where he holds the MICTSETA Chair of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
His primary fields of expertise are computer science, and information technology with a special inclination towards scientific computational methods in the specialised areas of machine learning, image processing, bioinformatics, health informatics, exponential technology, and technology acceptance for the development of a smart society.
He is deeply committed to the use of scientific methods to create relevant, insightful, and effective solutions to critical problems facing society. He is engrossed in conducting applied research in the chosen areas of specialisations, guiding research projects, and stimulating students to acquire relevant computing skills at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He is a reviewer for manifold reputable journals and has many years of computer programming experience in software development, operating systems, and productivity enhancement software tools.
Prof Olugbara shares his thoughts on being chosen as the guest editor of the Journal special issue: Special Issue: Recent Advances in Bioinformatics and Health Informatics.
“I have been selected together with Prof Kokol from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, the University of Maribor in Slovenia for the intellectual content of the special issue on advances in bioinformatics and health informatics. The special issue is composed of the recent advances in the fields to pique the interest of a wider audience. It presents a natural prospect for inviting prominent scholars to contribute to the hot topics in bioinformatics and health informatics that would help expand the spread and impacts of the journal,” he said.
Prof Olugbara, is the only professor from Africa to have been successfully selected as a guest editor of the special issue, shared his excitement with the DUT community.
“I am highly delighted of course to be selected by the journal of Applied Sciences as a guest editor of the special issue on Recent Advances in Bioinformatics and health informatics. The selection indicates the global recognition of my works, and it creates an opportunity for me to serve a larger research community. The special issue enables us as the two guest editors to collaboratively define parameters for an intellectual discussion about the trends in the fields of bioinformatics, health informatics, and their interaction,” he said.
Prof Olugbara added that the special issue on Recent Advances in Bioinformatics and Health Informatics enables himself and the other guest editor to craft a direction for intellectual engagement among notable scholars and to invite them to build a larger network of people with a communal mind on the disciplines.
“More excitingly, is the opportunity to do so for an excellent journal that is visible with an impact factor of 2.679, journal rank (JCR) of Q2, recognised by South African DHET, indexed by Scopus, Web of Science, and many other scholastic databases. It is a piece of great news for the entire African researchers,” he remarked.
Prof Olugbara explained the application process, saying that he was directly invited by the journal, Peradventure, who may have discovered him through the good review he had done for the journal in the past.
“In addition, the journal has published one of my innovative works on charging mobile device batteries wirelessly using the innovations of radiofrequency energy harvesting with magnetic resonance coupling. I guess the novelty of that work might be one of the considerations for the invitation. Honestly, I have done many interesting research works in recent times and most of my publications have appeared in quality journals and highly ranked conference proceedings indexed by Scopus, Medline, Web of Science, and IEEE among other scholastic databases. I am a highly visible researcher who regularly receives global invitations for different academic activities,” he added.
Giving a snapshot of what the journal is all about, he indicated that the ‘Applied Sciences’ is one of the journals published by the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) based in Switzerland, is an international, peer-reviewed, and open-access journal on all aspects of applied natural sciences.
For Prof Olugbara, he explained that his research can be broadly described as inter-and transdisciplinary and classified into Computer Science and Information Technology fields.
“It has significant relevance to healthcare, e-commerce, and education industries plus individuals and organizations wanting to develop strategies concerning the efficient, effective, and sustainable applications of technology to improve lives and livelihoods,” he said.
He explained that he was first introduced to Bioinformatics in 2002 by a friend who studied Bioinformatics at the University of Tubingen in Germany. He became interested in the field, but he was not enchanted by the approach his friend was promoting for solving problems in the field.
“I thought of introducing novel computational methods based on digital image processing to represent genes as images and simplify their processing using machine learning methods. Fortunately, one of his doctoral students came to work with me as a postdoctoral fellow between 2014-2016 which allowed me to introduce him to the computational methods I had wanted. We did incredible works in Bioinformatics, including the introduction of computational methods for lung cancer prediction. The works were published in good journal outlets, including PLoS One and Springer. Since then, I thought of looking at the interaction of the fields of Bioinformatics and health informatics being the area of my doctoral study. So, this special issue is an opportunity for us to invite notable scholars to contribute to this direction,” he replied.
Prof Olugbara indicated that it is important for academics who are involved in high-quality research to be part of a global journal like Applied Sciences so that their works can be recognised and appreciated among other benefits.
“The research network of the academics like myself will grow significantly and can help to raise the publication profiles of the academics. In addition, the academics will increase in visibility and will be able to provide leads on professional opportunities. More interestingly is that being involved in a special issue composed of the recent advances on a chosen theme is a way of promoting good journals to expand their reach and impacts globally,” he said.
He further relayed on how his academic role intertwines with DUT’s ENVISION2030.
“My role intertwines appositely with ENVISION2030 by collaboratively crafting a novel direction for a global research network of academics in the fields of bioinformatics and health informatics. The purpose is to find better ways of improving lives and livelihoods at a global level through collaboration. Moreover, this role aligns fittingly with the sustainable development goals that are enshrined in the ENVISION2030 to contribute to improving lives and livelihoods,” he conveyed.
Prof Olugbara said that he has taken a leading role as an ambassador of this great university to invite researchers worldwide to contribute to a special issue on advances in bioinformatics and health informatics. “The outcome of this special issue will help improve the process of drug design and accurate medical diagnosis, especially with the promotion of differential treatment. Health is wealth as we frequently quote, so any contribution to improving healthcare interventions is in direct consonance with the ENVISION2030,” he added.
Prof Olugbara said that students benefit from this journal in terms of the field of bioinformatics and health informatics.
“Students can contribute by voicing their views on the themes of the special issue. Everyone is given the chance to contribute. Most of the good papers that I have published are from the works of the students supervised by me,” he said.
Prof Olugbara’s also shared what is forthcoming in terms of projects, saying that DUT is one of the universities that recently got the British Council grant to innovate African Universities; a transdisciplinary project of the university that he and his faculty are committed to implementing for educating students through novel pedagogy that will enable them to leverage carbon literacy for youth employability and job creation in sub-Sahara Africa.
His advice to future, emerging academics at DUT who want to research further in this field is that the future is bright, pleasant, and gravid with multiple blessings.
“Emerging academics from this great university have huge potential to excel. But we must work as a cohesive team of productive minds to achieve the common goals. Moreover, let everyone strive to make this great university a better society for all, irrespective of colour, ethnicity, gender, or religious chauvinisms,” he said.
To view the journal, go to: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci/special_issues/Bioinformatics_Health_Informatics
Pictured: Professor Olugbara is the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Accounting and Informatics at the Durban University of Technology (DUT).
Waheeda Peters
