Grace Oladunni Taylor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Grace Oladunni Taylor
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Grace Oladunni Lucia Olaniyan
24 April 1937 Efon-Alaiye, Ekiti State, Nigeria
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| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Other names | Oladunni Olaniyan-Taylor |
| Occupation | Biochemist |
| Years active | 1970–2004 |
| Spouse(s) | Ajibola Taylor |
| Awards | L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science |
Grace Oladunni Taylor, born on April 24, 1937, is a famous biochemist from Nigeria. She used to work at the University of Ibadan. Dr. Taylor made history as the second woman to join the important Nigerian Academy of Science. She was also the first African woman ever to win the special L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science. This award celebrates women who do amazing things in science.
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Early Life and School Days
Grace Oladunni Lucia Olaniyan was born in Efon-Alaiye, Ekiti State, Nigeria. Her parents were Elizabeth and R. A. W. Olaniyan.
From 1952 to 1956, she went to Queen's School in Ede, which is in the Osun State. After that, in 1957, she started her college studies at the Nigerian College of Arts and Science in Enugu.
In 1959, she moved to the University College of Ibadan, which is now known as Ibadan University. Grace Olaniyan worked hard and graduated with high honors in 1962. She earned a degree in chemistry.
Her Amazing Career and Research
After finishing her degree, Grace Taylor started working right away. She joined the Regional Agricultural Research Station in Ibadan. This place is now called the National Root Crops Research Institute.
In 1963, she became a research assistant at Ibadan University. She worked in the chemical pathology department. She continued her studies and earned her doctorate degree in chemical pathology in 1969.
In 1970, the university hired her as a lecturer. Later, in 1975, she visited the Northwest Lipid Research Laboratory in Seattle, Washington to do more research.
When she returned to Ibadan University, she was promoted to senior lecturer in 1975. By 1979, she became a reader. Around this time, she married Professor Ajibola Taylor.
Dr. Taylor traveled to different places to share her knowledge and learn more.
- In 1980, she was a visiting scientist at the University of West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica.
- In 1984, she became a full professor of chemical pathology at Ibadan University.
- That same year, she went back to Seattle for another research fellowship.
- She also worked as a visiting scientist in Port of Spain, Trinidad.
In 1990, Dr. Taylor worked as an associate professor at the University of Zimbabwe School of Medicine in Harare. She taught in the pathology department there.
She returned to Ibadan University in 1991. From 1991 to 1994, she was the head of the chemical pathology department. She also worked as an honorary consultant at the University College Hospital in Ibadan. She officially retired in 2004 but continued to teach at Ibadan University.
What She Studied
Dr. Taylor was an expert in studying lipids. Lipids are like fats in our bodies. She focused on how lipids are connected to heart diseases. Her research showed that cholesterol levels are not about a person's race. Instead, they depend on what people eat and how much they exercise. This was a very important discovery!
Awards and Honors
Grace Taylor received many awards for her important research:
- The Shell-BP Scholarship in Chemistry
- A World Health Organization Fellowship
- The Fulbright–Hays Fellowship
- A Ciba-Geigy Fellowship
- The Association of African Universities Fellowship
In 1997, Dr. Taylor was inducted into the Nigerian Academy of Science. She was only the second woman ever to receive this great honor.
In 1998, a new award called the L'Oréal-UNESCO prize was created. It honors one woman from five different parts of the world for their scientific achievements. Dr. Taylor was the first African woman to win this special L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science. This made her the first African to ever get this award.
In 2012, the Ekiti State Government honored her. They recognized her for helping and teaching many medical students over the years.
Selected Works
- Taylor, G. O. (1971). Serum triglycerides and fatty acids in kwashiorkor. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 24(10), 1212–1215.
See also
In Spanish: Grace Oladunni Taylor para niños
