Ighovwerha Ofotokun, MD, MSc

About

Igho Ofotokun, MD, MSc, FIDSA, is an infectious disease physician who serves as Chair of the Department of Medicine and Physician-in-Chief at University Hospitals. Dr. Ofotokun is board certified in infectious disease by the American Board of Internal Medicine and is a professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Dr. Ofotokun joined University Hospitals from Atlanta, where he served as the Grady Distinguished Professor of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, Professor of Behavioral Social and Health Education Sciences at Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Staff Physician at Grady Health System, Associate Dean for Research Development, Emory School of Medicine, and the Co-Director of the Emory Center for AIDS Research Clinical Core.

As a clinician-scientist, Dr. Ofotokun’s career has focused on addressing the long-term impact of HIV, particularly among vulnerable populations. His research highlights how age-related comorbidities threaten healthy aging in people with HIV. He leads a global collaboration to study their underlying biology and has shown that disruption in organ-immune interactions may drive these conditions.

Drawing on this experience, Dr. Ofotokun led the Atlanta hub of the NIH RECOVER initiative aimed at understanding long COVID. He serves as the national Chair of the RECOVER Coordinating Committee that oversees the governance of the Adult Cohort – one of the largest of such cohorts in the world with 15 hubs and 83 sites across the U.S.

Dr. Ofotokun has authored over 250 scientific publications. His work has earned him numerous awards and recognition. He is a fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), has served on the IDSA Board of Directors, and was honored by the Society with the prestigious John F. Enders named lecture at the 2023 IDWEEK.

Dr. Ofotokun is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, the recipient of the 2024 Maxwell Finland Scientific Achievement Award from the National Foundation of Infectious Diseases and will deliver the American Academy of Microbiology’s 2025 ASM Honorary Diversity Lecture.