Carolyn Ekpruke

Dr. Carolyn Damilola Ekpruke is a Human Physiologist and Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of Biology in the Department of Biology, Environmental Science, and Sustainable Development at Taylor University. Originally from Nigeria, she earned her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Human Physiology before completing postdoctoral training at the Indiana University School of Public Health, where she conducted NIH-funded research on the biological mechanisms underlying allergic airway inflammation and asthma. 

Her research focuses on understanding how sex differences, sex hormones, sex chromosomes, iron metabolism, mitochondrial function, estrogen receptor signaling, and the gut–lung microbiome contribute to respiratory disease susceptibility and progression. Her long-term goal is to develop innovative therapeutic approaches that improve outcomes for individuals with asthma and other inflammatory lung diseases. 

Dr. Ekpruke has authored more than 25 peer-reviewed publications and scholarly articles in leading journals, including Physiological Reviews, American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Physiological Genomics, and Frontiers in Allergy. Her research has been recognized with several national awards, including the American Physiological Society (Physiological Genomics section) Excellence in Research Award and the APS (Respiration section) Usha Award. 

She serves on the American Physiological Society International Committee, completed the prestigious American Journal of Physiology Editorial Fellowship Program, and reviews manuscripts for the American Journal of Physiology journals, Frontiers in Public Health, and Scientific Reports. As an MSDT-One Health scholar, she is interested in advancing interdisciplinary research that integrates environmental, microbial, physiological, and immunological determinants of health.