Moroaoluwa Favour Temitope

What education have you taken?

I am in my third year of university with a Biomedical Sciences major, Chemistry and Mathematics minor.

What accomplishments are you proud of?

I am proud of this impactful award of course, and I am also a 2024 CIHR award and 2025 CIHR award recipient. I have been inducted into the President’s Honour Society.

Give a brief bio about yourself/ your background/ your history.

My name is Moroaoluwa Favour Temitope. I am a 19-year-old, Nigerian woman. I grew up in the church and that has really helped in developing my faith and drive to be great (Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me). My two amazing parents, Gladys and Temitope Abubakar, have been the most capable people to nurture, discipline and raise the enigma that is me. I bet you’re now wondering about the different last names, so I will tell you a bit about that. My father was born and brought up a Muslim, but then he encountered Christ in his youth and his conversion was a big controversy because his father was of a respectable status at the mosque. He was basically disowned by his community and upon conversion and would have to fend for himself. He and my gorgeous mom, who is honestly the kindest person in the universe had myself and my two other siblings and decided they didn’t want us inheriting a name that was predominantly used/associated with my father’s history and the Muslim community, so they gave us my dad’s first name as our last name. Now my father owns a church and has for the last three years, and I have been an avid member of the choir for the last eight years since we moved to Brandon. I joined the BCCMRL lab in my second year and met the amazing Dr. Majumder, who is an amazing woman and mentor that more than deserves an award of similar importance to this one.

How did you become interested in your field of study?

As cliché as it sounds, I developed this dream watching the Gifted Hands movie about Ben Carson. I remember, as an eight-year-old crouching in front of the TV in our house and being completely fascinated about the whole story. And I have been fixed in the biomedical field ever since.

What is your philosophy in life?

You only live once, make it count.

Where do you see yourself in the future?

I see myself as a hired medical practitioner performing surgeries.

In one sentence, how will you #AccelerateAction?

I will raise awareness about how full gender parity won’t be reached until 2158 (five generations) at the current rate as well as uplifting the women close to me.