可乐Okuyemi医学博士，公共卫生硕士, 领导股权, 多样性, 和 Inclusion

亨茨曼癌症研究所 (HCI) 在 犹他大学 (U of U) has appointed 可乐Okuyemi医学博士，公共卫生硕士, as executive director of equity, 多样性, 和包容. 在这个角色中, Okuyemi will oversee efforts across HCI’s research, 临床护理, 社区参与, 和 education programs to actively counter racism 和 promote a culture of belonging, a key strategic priority for the cancer center.

Okuyemi has had a distinguished career as a National Institutes of Health-funded researcher advancing work to eliminate health disparities 和 improve health in refugee 和 underserved populations. Okuyemi joined the 犹他大学 in 2017 as professor 和 chair of family 和 preventive medicine. Okuyemi has served as HCI senior director of 多样性 和包容 和 HCI 研究 Executive Committee member since 2017, roles in which he has overseen 公平的 access to 临床 research as part of the leadership of HCI’s NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center.

This new role exp和s his oversight to include equity, 多样性, 和包容 across the full spectrum of the HCI mission, spanning bench to bedside research, 临床护理, 人口健康科学, 以及学生培训项目. Okuyemi recently co-chaired HCI’s Commission on Equity, 多样性, 和 Inclusion. The commission was established in 2020 to advise HCI leadership on priority recommendations to enhance a more just, 公平的, 和 inclusive environment at HCI. The commission explored areas including 临床 policies, 培训, 招聘和保留实践, 安全, 和文化.

“We are extremely fortunate to have Dr. Okuyemi take on this exp和ed portfolio at HCI, where he will continue to be a leader in our quest to achieve transformational change toward a diverse, 公平的, 和 inclusive HCI community 和 society,” 玛丽·贝克尔博士， 人机交互的首席执行官. “股权的价值, 多样性, 和包容 are integral to our pledge to put the patient 和 community first as we strive to reduce the cancer burden in our state 和 region 和 deliver a cancer-free frontier.”

Okuyemi is a national leader in 培训 和 mentorship. He currently co-leads a National Cancer Institute 培训 grant dedicated to enhancing pathways for underrepresented junior high, 高中, 和 undergraduate students to pursue careers in biomedical research. The program also supports scientific 培训 for junior high teachers. In his prior role as director of cancer health disparities 在 University of Minnesota, Okuyemi was one of five principal investigators awarded a National Institutes of Health grant to establish the National 研究 Mentoring Network, a nationwide consortium of biomedical professionals 和 institutions whose goal is to provide 学员 across the biomedical, 行为, 临床, 和 social sciences with evidence-based mentorship 和 professional development programming.

“I am delighted to see HCI taking this critical step as we recognize that issues of systemic racism, 和 all forms of discrimination against employees, 学员, or patients must not be tolerated. I feel honored to have been asked to serve in this role 和 look forward to working with everyone in the HCI community as we strive towards an 公平的 和 just society,Okuyemi说.

Okuyemi earned his medical degree from the University of Ilorin in Nigeria. He completed his family medicine residency 和 master of 公共 health degree 在 University of Kansas Medical Center 和 his 公共 health research fellowship 在 Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. Okuyemi begins his service as HCI executive director of equity, 多样性, 和包容 effective immediately. He will report to the 人机交互的首席执行官 in this role. Dr. Okuyemi will also retain his role as senior director 和 member of HCI’s research leadership.