I am a PhD student in the Edwards Lab in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University. My research interests are plant anatomy, evolution and development, digital morphometrics, and systematics.
BSc, University of Ibadan, 2012; MSc, University of Ibadan, 2015.
Research
My research interests so far have been centered around these. I’m however open to working with other systems, techniques, and questions.
Interests
Anatomy and Systematics
Development and Evolution
Digital Morphometrics
Systems
Plants: Viburnum, Cucurbitaceae, Ruellia, Ficus, Temperate Woody Plants
Structures: Buds, Leaves, Stems, Roots, Wood
Techniques
Imaging: Light Microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy, MicroCT Scanning.
Computational: Excel, R, Python
Molecular: Phylogenetics
My current research seeks to understand the evolution and developmental trajectory of overwintering buds, and to evaluate the influence of bud-packing on temperate leaf forms and toothiness. My current study systems are temperate woody plants, particularly Viburnum, a clade of over 160 woody species with great diversity in leaf form and multiple evolutionary transitions between tropical and temperate forests that correspond with predictable changes in leaf forms.
Publications
Adebayo, O.B., Ajayi B.A., Oso O.A., Okanume O.E., Jayeola A.A., and Adenaike C. 2022. Comparative Macromorphology and Micromorphology of Hypoestes rosea P. Beauv. and Asystasia gangetica T. Anderson (Acanthaceae). Asian Journal of Research in Botany 7 (3), 1-8. https://journalajrib.com/index.php/AJRIB/article/view/30190. [PDF]
Okanume, O.E., Abok, S.G. and Oso, O.A. 2022. Leaf epidermal and petiole anatomical features as taxonomic characters in some Vernonia species in Nigeria. Bio-Research, 20(1), pp.1388-1397. https://doi.org/10.4314/br.v20i1.1. [PDF]
Oso, O.A., Ajayi, B.A. and Okanume, O.E. 2022. Descriptive Anatomy of Invasive Weed, Ruellia tuberosa Linn. Asian Journal of Research in Botany 7 (1), 31-36. https://journalajrib.com/index.php/AJRIB/article/view/30183. [PDF]
Oso, O.A., and Jayeola, A.A. 2021. Digital morphometrics: Application of MorphoLeaf in shape visualization and species delimitation, using Cucurbitaceae leaves as a model. Applications in Plant Sciences 9( 9-10): e11448. https://doi.org/10.1002/aps3.11448. [PDF]
Okanume, O.E., Ebelebe, L.C., and Oso, O.A. 2021. Anatomical Studies of the Foliar Epidermis and Petiole of some Lannea Species in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. Asian Plant Research Journal, 8(2), 41-55. https://doi.org/10.9734/aprj/2021/v8i230174. [PDF]
Oso, O.A., Olowoyeye, B.O., and Omosowon, S.M. 2017. Macromorphological and Micromorphological Study of Spathes of Musa sapientum L. and Musa paradisiaca L. in the University of Ibadan. Analele Universităţii din Oradea, Fascicula Biologie Tom. XXIV, Issue: 1, 2017, pp. 7-13. ISSN : 1224-5119 [PDF]
Okanume, O.E., Joseph, O.M., Agaba, O.A., Habila, S., Oso, O.A., and Adebayo, O.B. 2017. Effect of Industrial Effluent on the Growth, Yield and Foliar Epidermal Features of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. Notulae Scientia Biologicae, 9(4), 549-556. https://doi.org/10.15835/nsb9410106. [PDF]
Outreach
Outside academics, teaching, and research, I am a Youth Worker who is strongly committed to strengthening communities through the empowerment and engagement of young people as change agents in the society. I have applied (and still apply) my resourcefulness, creativity, digital skills, organizational and goal-driving abilities, and academic and research ideas, towards providing interventions and sustainable transformations to young people and different communities in Nigeria and the US. I did (and still do) these under the platform of Scholarpreneurs, Building Nations Initiative, Global School Africa, New Haven Science Fair, Afro-in-Bio, Yale Young Global Scholars Program, and Yale Young African Scholars Program. I continue to seek opportunities to enjoy and experience active leadership and volunteer opportunities, and the presence of multicultural people motivated by the desire for learning, community, and human capital development.
Afro-In-Bio is a community for Africans in Biological Sciences around the world
The New Haven Science Fair Program is dedicated to improving the quality of science and math education in New Haven Public Schools. I started with NHSF as a judge in 2022, then a family science night volunteer, and now a mentor, spending one hour weekly talking and designing really fun science experiments with school kids.
YYGS and YYAS are academic enrichment program for outstanding high school students from around the world, and an opportunity for them to immerse themselves in a global learning community at Yale University. So, asides going to the field or a conference, I spend my summer working as an instructor and mentor with YYGS and YYAS.
Scholarpreneurs is a community of online content creators with a passion for influencing youths through creative writing, stories, cartoons, poems, news, and blogposts on academic excellence, financial freedom, entrepreneurship, and positive youth development. We have also empowered about 1,350 Nigeria youths on financial literacy and how to make money via freelancing.
BNI is a youth-led, youth work, development, and empowerment organization, committed to raising a new generation of young people that will be builders of a better society. Established in 2010, we have implemented over 100 projects in several communities within and outside Ibadan, Nigeria. I have held organizational roles including BNI Head of Media and Communications, and BNI Head of Training and Capacity Building.
BNI-GRAMS is a life skills, capacity strengthening and mentorship program designed to empower young graduates in building resilience and the coping skills required to excel as they journey through adulthood. Participants have gone on to get fellowships, internships, international job opportunities, start their businesses, or fully funded PhD and Masters program in US, UK, Ireland, Germany, and top schools globally. I served as a Principal Officer of the school in 2019 and 2022
Global School Africa is committed to empowering people for global opportunities via: education in foreign and indigenous African languages; global competence and skills development, cross-cultural awareness and exchange programs; and courses on media & communication and data analysis for research & development.
