I am Olukayode Jegede (or Kayode). I am an assistant professor of cooperative extension for agricultural toxicology. I have joint appointments with the Department of Molecular Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Department of Environmental Toxicology at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, UC Davis.
I completed my undergraduate and master’s degrees in zoology with a special focus on soil arthropods at the Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria and earned my doctorate in toxicology from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. My research focused on soil ecotoxicology by investigating the toxicity of metals from metal contaminated soils to soil ecosystems. I also worked in the Netherlands as a researcher soil ecotoxicologist at Wageningen University and Research and contributed to large EU-funded projects including the European Food Safety Authority’s environmental risk assessment initiatives.
Here in California, my task is to assess the effects of contaminants related to agricultural activities on soil, animals, plants and humans. I enjoy working on solving toxicology issues in California, such as helping ranchers identify and avoid poisonous plants for cattle, working with growers to assess pesticide exposure and its health effects in the environment, ensuring safety of urban farms from toxicants and conducting outreach to educate the public on how to protect themselves from environmental toxins like pesticides, plastics, industrial chemicals and pharmaceutical residues. I am a member of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry and a member of the Society of Toxicologists.