(PhD, 2018)
Dr. Aduragbemi Banke-Thomas, a Champion for Maternal and Newborn Health
Dr. Banke-Thomas is a seasoned leader in the field of maternal and newborn health, with extensive experience in research, policy, and practice. He is currently an Associate Professor of Maternal and Newborn Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Principal Investigator for the Google-funded ‘On Tackling In-transit delays for Mothers in Emergency’ (OnTIME) Project. He is also Health Systems Research Lead at the Maternal and Reproductive Health Research Collective, Nigeria.
With a passion for maternal and newborn health issues dating back to medical school, Dr Banke-Thomas pursued his doctoral training at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. During his time at LSTM, he pioneered the application of the innovative social return on investment methodology in assessing the value for money of a maternal health intervention. He also served as the Postgraduate Representative and was the first student in the school's history to serve on the Board of Trustees. One of Dr Banke-Thomas's fondest memories whilst serving on the board was being part of the delegation that welcomed the Princess Royal, Princess Anne to the School when she came to commission the Wolfson Building.
During his PhD, Dr Banke-Thomas was selected as a McCain Institute Next Generation Leader, which gave him a platform to launch into global health and lead several research projects focusing on maternal health issues of Somali refugee women. This experience, combined with his part-time research assistant role at LSTM, prepared him for his future career as a leader and expert in the field of maternal and newborn health.
After leaving LSTM, Dr Banke-Thomas had a fellowship at the London School of Economics and Political Science, where he conducted research and taught post-graduate students. He then secured his first permanent post as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Greenwich, where he quickly rose to the rank of Associate Professor. During his time at the University of Greenwich, he set up the first dedicated Global Maternal and Newborn Health Hub and developed a new innovative MSc program in Global Health Management.
Dr Banke-Thomas's advice to current and prospective PhD students is to think of their PhD as more than just their research. For him, the PhD is an opportunity to also evolve as an expert and a leader in their field, and It is best to start concretely thinking about their career beyond the PhD early on.
Dr Aduragbemi Banke-Thomas is a true champion for maternal and newborn health, with a proven track record of success in research, policy, and practice. His dedication and passion for improving the lives of pregnant women and newborns is an inspiration to us all.