Azeez Butali
Professor of Oral Pathology, Radiology, & Medicine
Primary Office
Current Positions
- Professor of Oral Pathology, Radiology, & Medicine
- Professor of Iowa Institute for Oral Health
Education
- PhD in Genetic Epidemiology, University of Dundee, Scotland, UK
- BDS in Dental Surgery, University of Lagos, Nigeria
- Certificate in Executive Strategy. Said Business School. University of Oxford. Oxford. United Kingdom.
- Certificate in Public Leadership. Harvard Kennedy School of Public Policy. Harvard University. Cambridge, Massachusetts
Licenses & Certifications
- Associate Fellow National Post Graduate Medical Council of Nigeria
- Primary Nigeria Post Graduate Medical Council
- Nigeria Medical and Dental Council
Selected Awards & Honors
- Leadership in Research Award, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
- SCADA Faculty Adviser Award, Densply, Portland, Oregon
- Member, NIDCR National Advisory Council Working Group for Dental , Oral and Craniofacial workforce diversity.
- Mentor, American Association for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research Mentoring and Inclusive Network for a Diverse Workforce of the Future (AADOCR MIND the Future), Washington DC, Maryland
- Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
- Fellow, Academy of Medical Specialties of Nigeria, Lagos, Nigeria
- Harold Amos Scholar, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- Fellow, International College of Dentists
- The University of Iowa 2016 Inventor Award, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
- Best Researcher, University of Lagos
Professional Memberships
- Iowa Dental Association
- American Dental Association
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
- American Association for Dental Oral and Craniofacial Research
- International Association for Dental Research
- American Cleft Palate Association (ACPA)
- American Society for Human Genetics (ASHG)
- Society of Craniofacial Geneticists
- Edinburgh Entrepreneurship Club
- West African Research Association
Selected Publications
- Oladayo AM, Sule V, Oshodi Y, Adekunle AA, Adeyemo WL, Ogunlewe O, Ayelomi O, Babatunde A, Aikomo B, Ajadi A, Dabdoub SM, Pendleton C, Busch T, Alade A, Olujitan M, Aladenika E, Awotoye W, Gowans LJJ, Eshete M, Campbell C, Caplan DJ, Adeagbo O, Mossey PA, Adeyemo AA, Murray JC, Prince AER, Butali A. Assessing the Psychosocial Impacts of Whole-Genome Sequencing Outcomes on Orofacial Cleft Caregivers in Nigeria: A Mixed-Methods Study. Cleft Palate Craniofac J. 2025 Apr 13:10556656251332351. doi: 10.1177/10556656251332351.
- Aborisade A, Oguchi CO, Adeoye JB, Badamasi MM, Ibrahim AN, Adebola R, Butali A. Epidemiological Patterns and Geospatial Mapping of Cleft Lip/Palate in a Comprehensive Cleft Center in Northwestern Nigeria: Estimating Distribution Using Geographical Information Systems. Cleft Palate Craniofac J. 2025 Jan 28:10556656251313954. doi: 10.1177/10556656251313954
- Braimah RO, Bakare AT, Yakubu AI, Taiwo AO, Bala M, Fatusi OA, Butali A, Ile-Ogedengbe BO. Psychiatric morbidities and quality of life among surgically treated noma survivors. Preliminary observations in Nigerian cohorts J Stomatol Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2025 Mar 14:102315. doi: 10.1016/j.jormas.2025.102315.
- Impact of dental school critical thinking demonstrations carryover to practice: Survey of 5-year graduates.Johnsen DC, Marchini L, Syrbu J, Howe BJ, Hartshorn JE, Desai J, Butali A, Shi W.J Dent Educ. 2025 Jan;89(1):107-115. doi: 10.1002/jdd.13695. Epub 2024 Aug 23.PMID: 39177158
- Genome scan reveals several loci associated with torus palatinus.Lee MK, El Sergani AM, Herrick N, Green RM, Padilla C, Buxó CJ, Long RE, Valencia-Ramirez C, Muñeton CPR, Moreno Uribe LM, Adeyemo WL, Butali A, Marazita ML, Shaffer JR, Weinberg SM.Orthod Craniofac Res. 2025 Feb;28(1):159-165. doi: 10.1111/ocr.12857. Epub 2024 Sep 18.PMID: 39291419
- Robinson K, Parrish R, Adeyemo WL, Beaty TH, Butali A, Buxó CJ, Gowans LJJ, Hecht JT, Moreno Uribe L, Murray JC, Shaw GM, Weinberg SM, Brand H, Marazita ML, Cutler DJ, Epstein MP, Yang J, Leslie EJ. Genome-wide study of gene-by-sex interactions identifies risks for cleft palate. Hum Genet. 2024 Nov;143(11):1341-1352. doi: 10.1007/s00439-024-02704-y. Epub 2024 Oct 3. PMID: 39361040
- Olujitan M, Ayanbadejo PO, Umeizudike K, Oyapero A, Okunseri C, Butali A. Periodontal diseases in Africa. Periodontol 2000. PMID: 39494604
- Alade A, Peter T, Busch T, Awotoye W, Anand D, Abimbola O, Aladenika E, Olujitan M, Rysavy O, Nguyen PF, Naicker T, Mossey PA, Gowans LJJ, Eshete MA, Adeyemo WL, Zeng E, Van Otterloo E, O'Rorke M, Adeyemo A, Murray JC, Lachke SA, Romitti PA, Butali A.Shared genetic risk between major orofacial cleft phenotypes in an African population. Genet Epidemiol. 2024 Sep;48(6):258-269. doi: 10.1002/gepi.22564. Epub 2024 Apr 18.PMID: 38634654
- Alade A, Mossey P, Awotoye W, Busch T, Oladayo AM, Aladenika E, Olujitan M, Wentworth E, Anand D, Naicker T, Gowans LJJ, Eshete MA, Adeyemo WL, Zeng E, Van Otterloo E, O'Rorke M, Adeyemo A, Murray JC, Cotney J, Lachke SA, Romitti P, Butali A.Rare variants analyses suggest novel cleft genes in the African population. Sci Rep. 2024 Jun 20;14(1):14279. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-65151-9.PMID: 38902479
- Johnsen DC, Marchini L, Syrbu J, Howe BJ, Hartshorn JE, Desai J, Butali A, Shi W. Impact of dental school critical thinking demonstrations carryover to practice: Survey of 5-year graduates. J Dent Educ. 2024 Aug 23. doi: 10.1002/jdd.13695. Online ahead of print.PMID: 39177158
Selected Grants & Contracts
- Genetics and Genomics of African Facial Variation; NIH; Butali, Azeez (Principal Investigator)
- Genetic Architecture of Nonsyndromic Clefts in Africa; NIH; Butali, Azeez (Principal Investigator)
- Non-Syndromic Hearing Loss - A Collaborative Study; NIH; Butali, Azeez (Co-Investigator)
- Genetic and Environmental Risks for Oral Clefts in Puerto Rican Hispanics; NIH; Butali, Azeez (Clinical Investigator)
- Orofacial Clefts, Whole Genome Sequencing and Incidental Findings: Ethical considerations.; NIH; Butali, Azeez (Principal Investigator)
- Establishing a Dental and Craniofacial Biorepository in Iowa'; Carver Trust; Butali, Azeez (Principal Investigator)
- Extending the Phenotype of Nonsyndromic Orofacial Clefts, competing continuation.; NIH; Butali, Azeez (Clinical Investigator)
- Genome-Wide Studies for Non-syndromic cleft lip and Palate in sub-Saharan African Populations; Harold Amos Foundation; Butali, Azeez (Principal Investigator)
- Whole Genome Sequencing of African and Asian Orofacial Clefts Case-Parent Triads; NIH; Butali, Azeez (Principal Investigator)
- Genetic Studies of Nonsyndromic Clefts in Populations of African Descent; NIH; Butali, Azeez (Principal Investigator)