Rate My Professor Benson Akingbemi

Benson T. Akingbemi is a Professor in the Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology at the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine. He joined the institution in August 2004 as Assistant Professor of Anatomy, progressed to Associate Professor in 2009, and attained full professorship in 2014. Since 2014, he has served as Course Coordinator for Small Animal Anatomy (VMED 9111). Prior to his appointment at Auburn, Dr. Akingbemi conducted postdoctoral training in environmental and molecular toxicology from 1997 to 2004 in Matthew Hardy’s Laboratory at the Center for Biomedical Research of the Population Council, Rockefeller University, New York, supported by a National Institutes of Health Research Fellowship. His academic background includes a DVM in 1980, MS in 1988, and PhD in 1997, all earned from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria.

Dr. Akingbemi's research specializations encompass urogenital anomalies, endocrine and reproductive physiology, and environmental toxins. His work investigates male reproductive biology and toxicology, focusing on the role of steroid hormone receptors—such as estrogen and androgen receptors—in mediating the effects of environmental toxicants on Leydig cell differentiated function and male reproduction. He examines the physiological role of estrogen in male reproduction and the impact of endocrine-disrupting chemicals that mimic or antagonize steroid hormones. His laboratory, the Laboratory of Reproductive Biology & Toxicology, has received funding from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Institutes of Health. Career highlights include the 2018 Auburn University Alumni Professorship, recognizing contributions to instruction, research, and outreach. He holds memberships on the NIH Special Emphasis Panel for Infectious Diseases and Reproductive Health (2022), the Endocrine Society Annual Meeting Steering Committee (2022-2025), the FASEB Science Policy Committee (2021-2024), and the FASEB Shared Research Resources Subcommittee (2018-2020). Dr. Akingbemi has served on review panels for the National Science Foundation and multiple NIH study sections and was appointed to the Endocrine Society Research Advisory Core Committee (2017-2020). His research has been recognized by Faculty of 1000 in 2010, 2012, and 2014.