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Olayinka Aremu
Olayinka Aremu grew up on the coastal stretch of Ondo State in Western Nigeria. One of thirteen children in a family of scholars and entrepreneurs, she was raised in a household that valued education, resilience, and purpose. Her academic journey began at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, where she earned a Bachelor of Nursing Science degree in 2012, followed by qualifications in Midwifery and Public Health Nursing. She completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Education in 2015 and an MSc in Community Health Nursing in 2017, achieving distinction in both. Her MSc thesis explored reproductive health service utilisation among out-of-school adolescents in Ile-Ife.
During her postgraduate studies, Olayinka worked as a Nurse Tutor at Seventh Day Adventist School of Nursing and as a lecturer at Osun State University. Her passion for global exposure and advanced practice led her to relocate to Ireland. Initially based in Bray, she began working in a nursing home where she developed a deep interest in elder care, influenced by the contrasts between elder care in Nigeria and Ireland. She then moved to acute care, holding positions at the Mater Hospital Dublin and later as CNM2 Patient Flow Outreach Manager at the Connolly Hospital Dublin.
She is now an Assistant Professor in General Nursing at the UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems, appointed in January 2024. Olayinka is concurrently completing a PhD with Dublin City University, focusing on co-designing a care transition tool to enhance nurse-to-nurse discharge communication for older adults transitioning from acute hospitals to community care.
See below.
Current Research Challenges
Olayinka works on the DDS-MAP project (Dynamic Digital Skills for Medical and Allied Professions in Health Services), an EU-funded initiative led by Professor Fiona Timmins at UCD. As a trainer and facilitator, she helps develop digital micro-credentials for healthcare professionals, advancing digital literacy and system resilience by collaborating with stakeholders to co-develop and deliver relevant course content, pilot digital learning modules, and evaluate their impact on learners’ digital literacy, clinical confidence, and system-wide digital resilience.
She leads multiple research initiatives, including an Integrated Support Platform for African Nurses and Midwives in Ireland, and a national Anti-Racism Training Program proposal for Irish nursing education - submitted for funding to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. Olayinka also co-authors research on Internationally Educated Nurses’ (IENs) experiences and professional progression in Ireland.
In 2024, she launched a Leadership and Mentorship Programme for Black Nurses and Midwives in Ireland to fill gaps in mentorship and career growth while also generating research evidence on the experiences, identity, and career journeys of ethnically minoritised nurses and midwives. A certified coach, trainer, and public speaker, Olayinka leads the NCO Mentorship Academy and has mentored over 1,000 nurses and midwives.
Olayinka has a growing body of peer-reviewed publications and is recognised for her impactful work in care transitions, health equity, and older person care. She founded and hosts the AgeWell Podcast for the UCD Ageing Network. She launched the podcast as part of the wider vision of the UCD Ageing Network - an initiative that brings together researchers, educators, professionals, and community voices who are passionate about creating a world that is not only age-friendly but also age-attuned. She served as Publicity Lead for The Audacity Conference 2025 of the Black Irish Sisters Network. Her advocacy focuses on care transitions, discharge planning, digital health, migrant health, and equity in healthcare access.
The Researcher
Olayinka serves on several University College Dublin (UCD) committees, including the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and Athena Swan Committees. She is an active member of ALIGN (Ageing, Long-Term Conditions, and Integrated Care Network), the UCD Ageing Network, and the Africa Engagement Working Group, contributing to UCD’s Africa Engagement Strategy.
She is the founder of Agewell CareLink, a web-based integrated care hub supporting older adults through better discharge planning and care transitions. She also co-authors a study on integrated care digital hubs in Africa, including a dedicated WebApp.
Beyond academia, Olayinka is President of the Association of Nigerian Nurses in Ireland and Executive Director of African Nurses and Midwives in Ireland. She hosted Ireland’s first African Health Summit and is organising its second edition in 2025. She is Publicity Director for The Audacity Conference 2025 and frequently features on podcasts, including the UCD Ageing Network Podcast.
Recognitions and Awards:
- HRB Conference Sponsorship Award – African Health Summit Ireland 2025
- Evidence Synthesis Ireland Fellowship
- Nurse of the Year (2023) – Association of Nigerian Nurses in Ireland
- Digital Health Innovation Award – MCA 2024
- Afro Community and Women Leadership Award – AdCentre 2024
- Sheroes Global Award for Healthcare and Wellness – 2024
- Black Excellence Award – UCD Institute of Black Studies
She has presented at the International Congress of Nurses (ICN Congress 2025 ) and regularly speaks at various conferences, including UCD EDI and the Irish Street Medicine Symposium
Olayinka balances her professional commitments with raising two young children. She enjoys travel, dancing, music, church, and serves as a Sunday school teacher and youth coordinator.
Future Research Aspirations
Olayinka is passionate about community engagement and promoting inclusivity within healthcare systems. Her main priority currently is to conclude her PhD, but she is also laying the groundwork for a follow-up study focused on the aspirations and care transition experiences of older patients and their caregivers. She is especially interested in avoiding failed discharges and supporting smoother reintegration of older adults into the community.
A significant emerging area of interest is the integration of older migrants into healthcare planning and delivery in Ireland. Her research will explore how culturally inclusive programmes can ensure equitable access and uptake of care by migrant communities, addressing the social determinants of health from a systems perspective.
Olayinka believes that research into ageing care in the community should prioritise culturally inclusive approaches that embrace individuals from all backgrounds. Integrated care must go beyond multidisciplinary collaboration to include the voices of older adults - especially those from diverse communities. Inclusion at both design and delivery levels is essential to create effective systems that reflect the lived realities of everyone.
Olayinka is also advancing work in inclusive and tech-enabled integrated care across Africa and globally through the launch of Agewell Care Link, a digital tool that supports improved discharge planning and continuity of care for older persons. With pilots starting in Nigeria and expanding across Africa, the long-term vision is global application of Agewell’s model of care.
Further future research interests focus on advancing health equity for African diaspora communities through policy, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the development of an African Health Strategy for Ireland. She is also interested in inclusive and accelerated nursing education, global mentorship models, ageing and care transitions with a focus on older migrants, and the development of entrepreneurial pathways for healthcare professionals across Europe and Africa.
Related Links
(opens in a new window)UCD Profile