After earning her veterinary degree from Nigeria's University of Ibadan, Olulanu Aina moved to California in 1994 to work at the Army Veterinary Treatment Facility in Camp Pendleton. She went on to earn her master's and doctoral degrees in comparative pathology at UC Davis. Today the naturalized United States citizen is an assistant professor of hematology and oncology. Aina works as a research biologist in the laboratory of Kit Lam, professor and chief of hematology and oncology, helping to develop early diagnostic tests for cancer.

Aina's unique training and outstanding work recently earned her two years of salary and benefits support through a National Institutes of Health "Research Supplement to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research" award.

"This grant is a wonderful opportunity," said Aina, whose career goal is to combine her veterinary and comparative pathology training to answer important cancer-related questions for the benefit of human and animal medicine.