Kolawole S. Okuyemi, MD, MPH, is Professor and Department Chair of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of Utah (UU) School of Medicine. He holds the George D. Gross, MD, and Esther M. Gross, MD, Presidential Endowed Chair in Family and Preventive Medicine. He is also Executive Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the UU Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah.

Prior to coming to Utah, he was Professor and the inaugural Endowed Chair for Health Equity Research in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Minnesota Medical School Twin Cities. In Minnesota he served as the Director for the Program in Health Disparities Research and Director of Cancer Health Disparities for the Masonic Cancer Center.

He received his medical degree from University of Ilorin, Nigeria, completed a family medicine residency and Master of Public Health at the University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, and a public health research fellowship at the Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr. Okuyemi’s career in the last 20 years focused on research and training programs to improve the health of underserved populations and to eliminate health disparities/inequities using pharmacological and culturally tailored behavioral interventions as well as community-engaged research approaches. He is one of the Principal Investigators for the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) Phase 1 during which time he served as PI/Director of NRMN’s Professional Development Core. He is currently PI of the NRMN U01 grant titled: Enhanced Grant Writing Coaching Intervention for a Diverse Biomedical Workforce. Dr. Okuyemi has a passion for mentoring. He has mentored faculty, trainees, and students, many of whom have established their own independent academic, research, or other health professional careers.

Dr. Okuyemi is a board-certified family medicine physician who specializes in acute and chronic diseases and full spectrum care for patients of all ages. In his leisure time, Dr. Okuyemi enjoys reading, exercise, and spending time with his family.