Celebrating Anchor University Alumnae: Oluwaferanmi Ogunleye
When Oluwaferanmi Ogunleye walked across the graduation stage at Anchor University Lagos in 2021, few could have predicted how quickly her name would become synonymous with cutting-edge cancer research. Graduating
When Oluwaferanmi Ogunleye walked across the graduation stage at Anchor University Lagos in 2021, few could have predicted how quickly her name would become synonymous with cutting-edge cancer research. Graduating with First Class Honours and ranking as the second-best student in her department, she embodied the university’s vision of “holistic human transformation and development.” Her journey since then has been nothing short of extraordinary.
Anchor University, founded in 2016, has rapidly built a reputation for rigorous academics and international collaborations. For Ogunleye, it was the launchpad. Her undergraduate thesis, examining how a combination of Bisphenol analogues compromise vital organs was an early signal of her scientific curiosity and determination. “Bisphenol-B, Bisphenol-F, and Bisphenol-S mixture induced dose-dependent renal dysfunction and cardiopulmonary damage in female rats,” she wrote, a project that showcased her ability to design and execute complex toxicological research.
After completing her mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps as a graduate assistant at Caleb University, she set her sights abroad. Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina welcomed her in Fall 2023 for her PhD in Chemistry Programmer, where she quickly distinguished herself.
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By 2025, she had completed her MSc in Chemistry and was deep into her Ph.D. research in single-cell cancer systems biology. She was awarded the 2025 Mandel Fellowship in recognition of her individual contribution to innovative research at Clemson.
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Her ground-breaking work on DNA-based fluorescence barcodes tools that allow scientists to track individual cells with unprecedented precision has already been published in high-impact journals, presented at global conferences.
In July 2025, Oluwaferanmi’s dissertation project titled: “Highly-Multiplexed Fluorescence with DNA-Nanoruler Spectral Barcodes” was awarded the National Science Foundation (NSF) grant in the Division of Biological Infrastructure (DBI). This $926,816 grant was allocated for 3 years to enable a 5-to-10-fold increase in fluorescence multiplexing.
In a season of funding uncertainty, Oluwaferanmi’s project has been reviewed by the NSF and proven to pass the intellectual merit and broader impact criteria. Specifically, its impact in understanding tissue biology by in-depth profiling immune cells, studying the microbial community, and creating a comprehensive map of every cell in the body.
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This innovative research is not only confined to academia. It aligns directly with the United States mission to control cancer, offering new ways to understand tumour heterogeneity and improve personalized medicine. The significance of her work has attracted philanthropic interest, industry partnerships, and national recognition.
Clemson University Trustee Cheri Phyfer and donors from the Prayers from Maria Foundation visited her lab to learn about her research’s potential impact on cancer diagnostics.
Yet, for Ogunleye, the story always circles back to Anchor University. The institution’s emphasis on international collaboration such as partnerships with Anderson University South Carolina, a neighbouring faith-based University, to Clemson, in the U.S. and the India Centre for Space Physics helped shape her worldview. It instilled in her the belief that Nigerian-trained scientists can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with global peers.
Today, as she continues her doctoral work at Clemson, Ogunleye represents the promise of Anchor University alumni: globally competitive, deeply committed to solving humanity’s greatest challenges, and proudly rooted in Nigerian excellence. Her trajectory from Lagos to South Carolina is more than personal success, it is a testament to the transformative power of education and the growing influence of Anchor University on the world stage.
She keeps reaching for the stars, in tandem with the motto of her Alma mater: “Character, Competence and Courage.”
Besides, her academic feat within this short period is a profound statement thus corroborating the vice chancellor, Prof. Samuel Oye Bandele’ s assertion that the university as a faith-based institution is nurturing God-fearing future leaders that will impact their world positively both in Nigeria and abroad.
