Folakemi Odedina, Ph.D.

Folakemi Odedina, Ph.D.
Professor, Pharmacotherapy & Translational Research; Director, UF Health Cancer Center Cancer Health Disparities; University of Florida College of Pharmacy Orlando, FL

Dr. Odedina is Professor in the Colleges of Pharmacy and Medicine at the University of Florida. She is also the PI and Program Director for the NCI-funded (P20 award) Florida Minority Cancer Research & Training (MiCaRT) Center as well as the PI and Founder of the NCI-EGRP supported Prostate Cancer Transatlantic Consortium (CaPTC). She leads the Research Core of the Florida Health Equity Research Institute, a Florida Board of Governors-approved institute. Dr. Odedina’s research program, primarily funded by NIH and Department of Defense, focuses on the predictors of health disparities and cost-effective, community-based behavioral interventions to improve the health of minority populations, especially Black men. She has directed over 30 research projects, including genetic-environmental determinants of prostate cancer disparity studies. Her NCI EGRP-supported consortium, CaPTC, facilitates and supports recruitment and retention of minorities in biomedical research and biobanking for Black men’s research globally. Her contribution to Health Equity in Florida dates back to 1997 and has resulted in multiple accomplishments and recognitions.

As far back as 2009, her leadership in health disparities was recognized by the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacy and the Association of Black Health-System Pharmacists with the Inaugural (1st) Leadership Award for Health Disparities. Due to her extensive experiences in prostate cancer disparity research, she was selected by the US Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs to give the inaugural Dr. Barbara Terry-Koroma Health Disparity Legacy Lecture in 2013. Her efforts in training underrepresented minorities for over two decades was recognized through the INSIGHT Into Diversity 2016 Inspiring Women in STEM Award. Her most recent awards include the Living Legend Award for innovations with health/economic impact from the Africa Clinical Trial Summit in 2017 and the 2017 Williams Award for Innovation in Cancer care in Africa from the African Organization for Research & Training in Cancer (AORTIC). Her outstanding contributions have also been recognized at University of Florida with her selection as UF Term Professor twice (2015-2017; 2018-2020). Dr. Odedina is personally and professionally committed to eliminating cancer disparities, especially in ethnically diverse Black populations.