Ighovwerha Ofotokun MD, MSc
- Department of Medicine
Professor
- (404) 488-5690
- iofotok@emory.edu
-
Emory University School of Medicine
Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
49 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive
Overview
Dr. Ofotokun is the Grady Distinguished Professor of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and Professor of Behavioral Social, and Health Education Sciences at Emory University Rollins School of Public Health. He is a Staff Physician at Grady Memorial Health System, the Associate Dean for Research Development, Emory School of Medicine, the Associate Division Director for Research, Infectious Diseases Division, and the Co-Director of the Emory Center for AIDS Research Clinical Core.
As a clinician-scientist, Dr. Ofotokuns career is devoted to combating the long-term sequelae of HIV, particularly among underrepresented populations. His work has focused on the threat that age-related comorbidities pose to healthy aging in persons with HIV. He leads an innovative global research collaboration to understand the pathobiology of these phenomena and has demonstrated that age-related comorbidities may be driven by disruption in the organ-immune interphase (an amenable target).
Dr. Ofotokun serves as the contact PI of the Atlanta MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study, the Director of Emory Specialized Center of Research Excellence (SCORE) in Sex Differences, the Co-Director of the Georgia CTSA KL2 Program, the administrative PI and Co-Director of Emory Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) and the Co-Director, Emory Stimulating Access to Research in Residency (StARR R38).
Drawing on his HIV experience, Dr. Ofotokun leads the Atlanta hub of the NIH initiative, Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) aimed at understanding the long-term post-acute-sequelae of COVID-19. He serves as the national Chair of the RECOVER Adult Cohort 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 US.
Dr. Ofotokun has contributed substantially to the expanded representation of women and minorities in biomedical research, leveraging his expertise to promote research education and training locally, nationally and across the globe (Nigeria, Ethiopia, Georgia, Vietnam). As an advocate for equitable representation in the biomedical workforce, he has briefed congressional staff, advised NIH leadership, Africa CDC, and African governments on multiple occasions.
Dr. Ofotokun has authored over 250 peer-reviewed original articles, editorial/review articles, books, and chapters. His contributions have been recognized by several awards. He is a fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), 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. He is a member of Emory University select Woodruff Leadership Academy, an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, and the recipient of the 2024 National Foundation of Infectious Diseases Maxwell Finland Scientific Achievement Award.
Academic Appointment
- Associate Dean for Research Development, Emory University School of Medicine
- Grady Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine
- Associate Director of Research, Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine
- Senior Physician, Emory University School of Medicine
- Professor of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine
- Professor of Behavioral Science and Health Education, Rollin School of Public Health, Emory University
Education
Degrees
- MSc from Emory University
- MBBS from University of Benin
- BSc from University of Ibadan
Research
Focus
- My research and clinical activities are focused on womens health in the setting of HIV/AIDS with emphasis antiretroviral clinical pharmacology and long-term (bone) complications of HIV diseases management.
Publications
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Incidence of statin initiation among people with and without HIV in the US: a prospective observational study.
Clin Infect Dis
04/17/2025 Authors: Breger TL; Westreich DJ; Edmonds A; Edwards JK; Cole SR; Ramirez C; Diggs AE; Ofotokun I; Kassaye SG; Brown TT -
Combined Sequential Antiretroviral Therapy-Induced Immune Reconstitution Bone Loss and Estrogen Deficiency Bone Loss Are Cumulative in Mice Models.
J Infect Dis Volume: 231 Page(s): 967 - 980
04/15/2025 Authors: Dabeer S; Tripathi AK; Weiss D; Vikulina T; Ofotokun I; Weitzmann MN -
Efficacy and Durability of Immune Response After Receipt of Hepatitis A Vaccine in People With Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
Open Forum Infect Dis Volume: 12 Page(s): ofaf143
04/01/2025 Authors: Kazzi B; Naji A; Dib SM; Khalil L; Tandon Wimalasana S; Saint-Victor D; Ofotokun I; Rouphael N -
The impact of childhood maltreatment, HIV status, and their interaction on mental health outcomes and markers of systemic inflammation in women.
Biol Sex Differ Volume: 16 Page(s): 21
03/28/2025 Authors: Arnold A; Wang H; Mehta CC; Nesbeth P-DC; Bedi B; Kirkpatrick C; Moran CA; Powers A; Smith AK; Hagen K -
Microbial translocation and gut damage is associated with hepatic fibrosis but not steatosis in women with and without HIV.
03/25/2025 Authors: Duarte MJ; Tien PC; Kardashian A; Ma Y; Hunt P; Kuniholm MH; Floris-Moore M; Fischl MA; French AL; Topper E -
Right censoring and mortality in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study and Women's Interagency HIV Study.
Epidemiology
03/24/2025 Authors: Edwards JK; Breger TL; Cole SR; Zivich PN; Shook-Sa BE; Sadinski LM; Westreich D; Edmonds A; Ramirez C; Ofotokun I -
Case-Control Study of Cervicovaginal /-Human Papillomavirus Infection in Women With Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Its Relation to Incident Cervical Precancer.
J Infect Dis Volume: 231 Page(s): 595 - 599
03/17/2025 Authors: Strickler HD; Usyk M; Eltoum I-E; Bachman N; Hessol NA; Flowers L; Rahangdale L; Atrio JM; Ramirez C; Minkoff H -
Short and Long-term Body Weight Change Following the Switch to or the Addition of Integrase Inhibitors in Persons With HIV Differs by Sex.
Clin Infect Dis Volume: 80 Page(s): 575 - 584
03/17/2025 Authors: Lahiri CD; Mehta CC; Yang Q; Maramba T; Musonge-Effoe J; Yang C-A; Dumond JB; Alcaide ML; Lake JE; Rubin LH -
2024 Update of the RECOVER-Adult Long COVID Research Index.
JAMA Volume: 333 Page(s): 694 - 700
02/25/2025 Authors: Geng LN; Erlandson KM; Hornig M; Letts R; Selvaggi C; Ashktorab H; Atieh O; Bartram L; Brim H; Brosnahan SB -
Perceptions and management of diabetes and obesity among people living with HIV in Cte d'Ivoire: a qualitative study.
BMC Public Health Volume: 25 Page(s): 555
02/11/2025 Authors: Koffi JJ; Plaisy MK; Djaha J; Minga A; N'goran S; Boni SP; Ekouevi DK; Moh R; Jaquet A; Benzekri NA