{"685398":{"#nid":"685398","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Postdoc Spotlight: Adetola Adewole on Harnessing Marine Biodiversity for Drug Discovery","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAdetola Adewole is a natural products chemist whose work is expanding the boundaries of drug discovery. He earned his bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees from Obafemi Awolowo University, in Nigeria, and his Ph.D. in Chemistry, specializing in natural products chemistry, from the University of Pretoria, in South Africa.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdewole\u2019s research at Georgia Tech explores drug leads from underexplored marine organisms to address urgent global health challenges, including chronic pain.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy interest in this field was sparked as an undergraduate when I observed a graduate student investigating the anti-inflammatory properties of natural products,\u201d shared Adewole. \u201cThat experience ignited a lifelong curiosity about how molecules from nature can be harnessed to improve human health.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat curiosity has since become the driving force of his career. Adewole has dedicated his research to investigating the therapeutic potential of rare and understudied species, contributing to discoveries that could reshape treatment options and advance healthcare.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecruited to Georgia Tech for his expertise in natural products chemistry and biological screening, Adewole was drawn to the Institute\u2019s state-of\u2013the-art instrumentation, world-class collaborators, and vibrant research community.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELife as a Postdoc at Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdewole begins each day in the lab at 8:00 a.m. He is currently leading a project focused on prioritizing, isolating, and characterizing novel, biologically active secondary metabolites from rare and understudied marine organisms.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFrom a library of over 2000 species, I have prioritized 20 candidates and developed an optimized pipeline that integrates analytical techniques such as High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC),\u003Ca\u003E Liquid chromatography-Mass spectrometry (LC-MS), Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and \u003C\/a\u003EMicrocrystal electron diffraction (MicroED)\u003Ca href=\u0022#_msocom_1\u0022 id=\u0022_anchor_1\u0022\u003E[NK1]\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022#_msocom_2\u0022 id=\u0022_anchor_2\u0022\u003E[AA2]\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;,\u201d he explained. He meets weekly with his advisor to track progress toward his milestones.\u0026nbsp; In addition to analyzing results, writing reports, and preparing manuscripts for peer-reviewed articles, he works closely with undergraduate and graduate students, taking pride in mentoring them and helping guide the next generation of scientists.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;His efforts led to the recent discovery of a new class of compounds with promising activity against pain-associated voltage-gated channels. This is a significant discovery that will hopefully lead to the discovery of more potent non-opioid alternatives for pain management, while also highlighting the therapeutic potential of marine biodiversity.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to his postdoctoral work, Adewole serves as a Licensing Intern at Emory University\u2019s Office of Technology Transfer. In this role, he evaluates invention disclosures, prepares commercialization reports, and supports licensing strategies. \u201cThese roles demonstrate my commitment to bridging scientific innovation with real-world application,\u201d he said, \u201censuring discoveries are translated in ways that benefit society.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELife Beyond the Lab\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen he is not focused on science, Adewole is an avid soccer fan who enjoys keeping up with major tournaments and cheering on his favorite teams. \u201cI also appreciate problem-solving in unexpected places, such as watching investigative and legal dramas,\u201d notes Adewole. He quips that these activities \u201cmirror the curiosity that drives my work in science.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELiving in Atlanta\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI value the diversity of experiences Atlanta offers,\u201d says Adewole.\u0026nbsp; \u201cI enjoy exploring the city\u2019s rich food culture with my friends, where each outing feels like a cultural journey.\u201d Those shared moments make Atlanta feel special to him by providing him with balance to his demanding research schedule.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPostdoctoral fellow Adetola Adewole is advancing drug discovery by exploring the therapeutic potential of rare marine organisms. His research at Georgia Tech focuses on developing non-opioid alternatives for pain management while mentoring future scientists and bridging innovation with real-world applications.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Adewole\u2019s research at Georgia Tech explores drug leads from underexplored marine organisms to address urgent global health challenges, including chronic pain. "}],"uid":"36363","created_gmt":"2025-09-30 14:03:08","changed_gmt":"2025-09-30 14:04:28","author":"Brittani Hill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-09-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-09-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678212":{"id":"678212","type":"image","title":"Postdoc Spotlight: Adetola Adewole ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Postdoc Adetola Adewole\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1759240780","gmt_created":"2025-09-30 13:59:40","changed":"1759240975","gmt_changed":"2025-09-30 14:02:55","alt":"Georgia Tech Postdoc Adetola Adewole ","file":{"fid":"262207","name":"Adetola-Adewole-Postdoc-Spotlight-October.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/30\/Adetola-Adewole-Postdoc-Spotlight-October.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/30\/Adetola-Adewole-Postdoc-Spotlight-October.png","mime":"image\/png","size":2817426,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/09\/30\/Adetola-Adewole-Postdoc-Spotlight-October.png?itok=7yx0T0Tw"}}},"media_ids":["678212"],"groups":[{"id":"249231","name":"Postdoctoral Services"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"74421","name":"Office of Postdoctoral Services"},{"id":"190936","name":"Graduate and Postdoctoral Education"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrittani Hill | Marketing and Communications Manager\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOffice of Graduate and Postdoctoral Education\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brittani.hill@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}