Nationality Nigerian-American Alma mater Howard University | Fields Neurosurgery Field Neurosurgery | |
Known for First African-American neurosurgeon trained in the United States; first neurosurgeon in Africa. Died 20 August 1974, London, United Kingdom | ||
Latunde Odeku (born, Emmanuel Olatunde Alaba Olanrewaju Odeku, 1927, Lagos, Nigeria - died, London, 1974) was the first African American neurosurgeon trained in the United States who also pioneered neurosurgery in Africa.
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Early life and education
Of Yoruba heritage, Latunde was born in Lagos, Nigeria. His father was a native of Awe while his mother was a Lagosian. He attended Methodist Boys High School, Lagos. and proceeded to Howard University and graduated summa cum laude in Zoology in 1950. He was subsequently awarded a scholarship to study Medicine at Howard University, earning his MD in 1954.
Medical career
After passing the Licencuate Medical exam of Canada, Latunde spent the following year in Nigeria as a medical officer at the Lagos General Hospital. In 1961, he returned to the United States and was offered a residency position, training under Dr. Kahn (from 1956 to 1960) at the University of Michigan. Afterwards, he trained in Neurology under Dr. Webb Haymaker at the Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C . He subsequently underwent another pediatric neurosurgery residency at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia under Dr. Eugene Spitz, creator of the Spitz-Holter valve for treating hydrocephalus. In 1961, he was appointed Instructor of Neuroanatomy and Neurosurgery at the College of Medicine, Howard University.
Although Latunde was subsequently offered multiple appointments including two distinguished academic neurosurgery faculty positions in the United States; however, he chose to return to Nigeria. Latunde came to the University of Ibadan in 1962 as the first neurosurgeon of West Africa. In 1962, he was appointed as senior faculty and became a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. In 1965, he was appointed as a Professor of Neurosurgery; from 1968 to 1971, serving as the head of the Department of Surgery and the Dean of the University of Ibadan College of Medicine. He also established the National and West African Postgraduate Medical Colleges and the initiation processes at the University of Ibadan College of Medicine, presently performed in all Nigerian medical schools.
Latunde was also a poet and writer: He made significant contributions to the neurosurgical literature, publishing 61 scientific articles over a period of about 12 years.
Latunde was awarded the Howard University alumni award for a distinguished service.
Personal life
Latunde married a British medical doctor; Katherine Jill. They had four children.
Later years
From 1972, his health began to fail from complications of Diabetes. He died on August 20, 1974 at Hammersmith Hospital, London and was laid to rest at St Peter's Church, Burnham, England.