Ezekiel Damilola Okeleye

Biography

Background

Ezekiel came from a strong aquaculture background and earned his bachelor's degree in aquaculture and fisheries management from the prestigious University of Ibadan, Nigeria. With over five years of experience, he excelled as a farm manager and technical executive, improving his skills in sales, communication, and extension services. Motivated by the daring desire to improve his expertise, Ezekiel pursued a master's program in health management in aquaculture as an Erasmus student. This he did at Ghent University, Belgium, and Wageningen University and Research, Netherlands. Ezekiel's academic journey involved mostly laboratory work with a specific focus on fish immunology and nutrition. During his internship period, he was part of the CIRAD 3 Rs Project at Can Tho University, Vietnam where he worked on the effect of high temperature on nutrient requirement and performance of striped catfish. For his dissertation master's dissertation, he worked on the impact of dietary beta-glucan on first-feeding Nile tilapia gut microbiome and health providing valuable insights unto immunonutrition in fish.

Currently, Ezekiel is engaged in his PhD at the Global Academic Agriculture and Food System GAAFS, University of Edinburgh, collaborating with Hendrix Genetic. His research focuses on developing a computational simulation breeding program in aquaculture using AlphaSimR.  Known for his versatility and enthusiasm, Ezekiel embodies a "ready-to-learn" spirit, valuing consistency. Ezekiel's career journey shows commitment to innovation and sustainability in the ever-evolving landscape of aquaculture. 

Current research interests

My research focuses on enhancing aquaculture performance sustainably by leveraging computational tools in breeding programs. I aim to use advanced data analysis and technology to optimize breeding processes, improving productivity in the aquaculture sector.

Past research interests

During my undergraduate studies, my dissertation centered around exploring alternative sources of fish meal, with the aim of identifying cost-effective solutions that could also deliver better growth performance. Through my research, I discovered that certain mixes of animal by-products showed promising results, offering a superior proximate composition at a lower cost compared to the widely used 72% Danish fish meal. However, this work also sparked new research questions about the digestibility of these novel alternatives, their attractability to fish, the sustainability of raw material sourcing, and the potential long-term effects on the fish's health and growth. In addition to this, I had the opportunity to contribute to a sustainability-focused nutritional project on Pangasius fish (striped catfish) in Vietnam. This project investigated how elevated water temperatures affected the nutrient requirements and growth performance of the species. This experience further reinforced my understanding of the complex relationship between environmental factors and fish nutrition. Most recently, my research at Wageningen University and Research (WUR) in the Netherlands delved deeper into the nutritional and immunological aspects of aquaculture. My project examined the effects of beta-glucan supplementation on the gut microbiome and health of Nile tilapia larvae during their first feeding stages. This study focused on how specific feed components could modulate immune responses and shape the microbial communities in the fish’s gut, offering insights into how early dietary interventions might improve health outcomes and disease resilience in fish populations. Together, these experiences have shaped my passion for leveraging nutrition as a tool to enhance both the immune system and sustainability of aquaculture species, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the industry.
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