Microbiologist

Richard Adeyemi
Dr. Richard Adeyemi. Photo by Robert Hood / Fred Hutch News Service

Richard Adeyemi, DVM, PhD

Dr. Richard O. Adeyemi is a microbiologist who came to a career in cancer research by way of veterinary school. Dr. Adeyemi is an Assistant Professor in the Basic Sciences Division at Fred Hutch Cancer Center. Basic sciences researchers pursue scientific questions that help us better understand the fundamentals of biology – and human disease. Dr. Adeyemi is also affiliated with the Molecular & Cellular Biology Program, a graduate education program at the University of Washington. PhD students in this program experience a series of research rotations within different laboratories at the UW and Fred Hutch. Part of Dr. Adeyemi’s position is training and mentoring graduate students and post-doctoral researchers.

Fred Hutch Faculty Profile
Adeyemi Lab

“The best part of my job is making discoveries, getting to learn about something that almost nobody else knows about in that moment.”

— Dr. Adeyemi

Map depiction of Nigeria
Location of Nigeria. Graphic courtesy of Ukabia

Dr. Adeyemi's Story

Growing up in the busy city of Lagos in Southern Nigeria, Dr. Adeyemi’s childhood dreams were varied. Lagos is the largest city in Nigeria, and with a population of 15.3 million, it is also the second most populous city in Africa. Lagos is known for its bustling port, financial district, oil refinery, multiple software companies, and entertainment and media industries. As a child, Dr. Adeyemi wanted to become many things when he grew up, including an architect and a doctor. His role models included his parents: his mother worked as a biology teacher and his father worked as a businessman.

After high school, Dr. Adeyemi attended veterinary school in Nigeria at the University of Ibadan, where he received in-depth training on animal sciences and medicine. In Nigeria, veterinary school is a six-year program entered directly after high school. It was during his time in veterinary school that Dr. Adeyemi realized a deep love for research. This led him to move to the U.S. to pursue a PhD in microbiology from the University of Missouri.

Educational Pathway

Milestones along Dr. Adeyemi’s educational pathway include:

  • Veterinary School: Achieved a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
  • Doctorate: Earned a PhD in Microbiology from the University of Missouri, working with Dr. David Pintel.
  • Post-doctoral Training: Completed a post-doctoral research fellowship in Genetics at Harvard Medical School, working with Dr. Stephen J. Elledge.
Dr. Adeyemi posing outside the Arthur Ashe Stadium for a tennis match
Photo courtesy of Dr. Adeyemi

Outside of Work

In his free time, Dr. Adeyemi enjoys listening to and trying to make music. He also hikes and plays tennis. In the photo to the right, Dr. Adeyemi is at a tennis match at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York featuring Serbian player Novak Djokovic versus Russian player Daniil Medvedev.

Dr. Adeyemi at work in his lab
Dr. Adeyemi at work in his lab at Fred Hutch Cancer Center. Photo courtesy of Dr. Adeyemi

A Day in the Life

Dr. Adeyemi came to Fred Hutch in October 2021 and is currently launching his research lab. His focus is on studying how cells maintain the integrity of their DNA. This is important because improperly maintained DNA can lead to mutations that cause cancer. In particular, he studies “how cells protect their genetic information by coordinating and deploying their DNA repair machinery, both during normal replication and in response to events that could damage DNA, including viral infection and chemotherapy”. 

By studying the molecular mechanisms that underlie these processes, the Adeyemi Lab’s findings could be useful for discovering new therapies for cancer, infections, aging, and genetic diseases. Currently, Dr. Adeyemi and his lab members are trying to figure out the mechanism by which certain genes can make cancer cells sensitive or resistant to chemotherapy treatment.

The life of a new faculty member is busy. Dr. Adeyemi first had to build out his new lab at Fred Hutch - this involves acquiring lab equipment, securing funding, recruiting research technicians and postdocs, and accepting graduate students onto his research team. He also directs the research agenda of the entire lab.

In a given week, he is busy running experiments, answering questions from his lab members on their own experiments, attending seminars to further his own learning, and trying to squeeze in time for writing articles about the lab’s findings and new grants to secure new funding. One of the biggest challenges about his work comes from the experiments he runs. He pointed out that “there is usually a lot of trouble-shooting to figure out why experiments aren’t working.”

Advice for Students

His advice for high school students? Dr. Adeyemi noted that “science and making discoveries is fun, but it also requires effort.” He encouraged students to “take every opportunity to gain experience through internships or other opportunities and [to] work hard to pursue your goals.”

Check out the Becoming the Next Cancer Researcher or Clinician section for tips on finding research experiences and internships.

“I’ve had great mentors along the way [and] I really admired their scientific curiosity and drive.”

— Dr. Adeyemi

U.S. Wage Information

According to the 2023 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics:

  • The median wage for microbiologists in the U.S. is $85,470
  • The median wage for medical scientists in the U.S. is $100,890

Additional Resources

Basic Sciences Division at Fred Hutch

Learn more about Fred Hutch's Basic Sciences Division, where scientists conduct cutting-edge research that explores the fundamental biology underlying health and disease. 

Molecular & Cellular Biology Graduate Program

The Molecular & Cellular Biology Graduate Program, jointly offered by the University of Washington and Fred Hutch, provides broad and flexible training in the life sciences, opens opportunities at the forefront of technology development, and encourages team building, mentorship, and leadership. 

Credit: Thank you to Dr. Adeyemi for participating in this project. Profile written by Dr. Kristen Clapper Bergsman.