Odunayo Elijah, PhD, MS
Nursing Expansion Grant Program Coordinator
- PhD, Interdisciplinary Studies (Public Health), The University of Alabama, 2025
- MS, Environmental Biology and Public Health, Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria, 2019
- BS, Biology, Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria, 2012
Dr. Odunayo Elijah is an interdisciplinary public health researcher and Program Coordinator of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Nursing Expansion Grant Program within the Capstone College of Nursing. He holds a PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies (Public Health), with research focus on the syndemic intersections of substance use, sleep quality, and mental health among college students.
Originally from Nigeria, Dr. Elijah holds an M.S. in Environmental Biology and Public Health and a B.S. in Biology from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria. His international experience spans academic, governmental, and nonprofit settings – having worked on large-scale HIV/AIDS outreach initiatives, global development campaigns, and health systems strengthening efforts in Nigeria and the United States. With over a decade of experience, he brings a unique blend of cross-disciplinary research, public health programming, and executive-level coordination. At the University of Alabama, he has collaborated on multi-institution faculty engagement studies and college-wide strategic planning initiatives. He also developed and managed a large-scale databank compiled from 11 nationally representative datasets, supporting secondary data analysis in public health research.
Previously, he served as Executive Assistant to the CEO of Teach For Nigeria, where he coordinated strategic communications, prepared impact-driven grant reports for international funders, and facilitated executive engagements. His early work in Nigeria included leading HIV/AIDS education and counseling programs in rural and urban communities, particularly through school-based youth interventions and community mobilization.
Dr. Elijah’s scholarly work has been presented at leading national conferences, including the American Public Health Association (APHA), American Academy of Health Behavior (AAHB), and Sigma Nursing. His peer-reviewed publications address digital behavioral interventions, e-cigarette use, and telehealth for rural health populations. He is also a peer reviewer for top-tier journals, including the Journal of Medical Internet Research, Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation, and the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
Passionate about advancing health equity, Dr. Elijah has been a student member of APHA, AAHB, SOPHE, and Sigma Theta Tau International. His global health perspective is rooted in lived experience and service – from leading grant-funded HIV/AIDS programs in Nigeria to driving evidence-based public health solutions in the U.S. He remains committed to bridging health disparities through interdisciplinary collaboration, data-driven research, and inclusive program development.