Our CEO Tolu Olaniyan, is a registered Learning Disability Nurse currently practising in the UK, with a special interest in epilepsy. She has an undergraduate degree in LD Nursing from the University of Southampton and a Master’s degree in Epilepsy from King’s College London. Born in Nigeria and later migrated to the UK with her family, Tolu has the unique advantage of an international understanding of the complexities surrounding epilepsy in Low and Middle-Income Countries. Tolu is passionate and driven about using her expertise to support the development of epilepsy services across the world through participating in epilepsy research and providing evidence-based, multi-disciplinary training to healthcare practitioners working with people living with epilepsy, autism and learning disabilities.
As well as delivering international training sessions in Kenya, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, Tolu is involved in several international projects including serving as Chair of Medical Assistance Sierra Leone and Strategic Advisor to organisations including Global Organisation of Health Education (GOHE) and Neuronostics. She is currently involved in research across several countries including Nigeria, Uganda, Sierra Leone and Gambia.
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Tolu has contributed to the development of evidence-based epilepsy pathways in a number of NHS Trusts and worked with Hertfordshire University to co-develop a postgraduate epilepsy course which ran successfully in 2016. As an Associate Lecturer at the Open University, Tolu mentors and supports student nurses and nursing associate students on their journey to becoming registered practitioners.
Tolu is a member of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), UK Chapter and the Wessex Epilepsy Nurses Forum (WENF). She is also a Florence Nightingale Foundation Scholar (2020).
Tolu is available to speak at conferences, workshops and seminars
Epilepsy specialist nurse and Pretola CEO Tolu Olaniyan believes that knowledge is power. According to Tolu, “People with epilepsy in LMICs deserve to have access to the same level of care as their peers in other parts of the world.
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- Row Foundation
Tolu's work was featured in NBWN Black History Month's Spotlight.
