In this role, Dr Ofili directs major NIH research awards, supporting discovery science and training across the translational research spectrum from bench to bedside and community, including the Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute and the RCMI Translational Research Network. She is Founder of AccuHealth Technologies, “Empowering Person-Centered Health and Wellness”.
In her role as Multi-PI of the Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute (ACTSI), a citywide collaborative CTSA at Emory University, Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) and Georgia Institute of Technology, along with partnering health systems and statewide research organizations, Dr. Ofili leads innovative collaborations to advance health equity. Since 2007, ACTSI has engaged over 673 investigators and 134 postdoctoral and pre-doctoral trainees in discovery science, training and community engagement.
Dr. Ofili is the principal investigator of the NIH funded national collaborative for translational research, the RCMI Translational Research Network (RTRN). RTRN includes 18 historically Black, Hispanic, and Minority Serving Institutions across the continental United States, Hawaii and Puerto Rico, competitively funded by NIH to lead research innovations that impact health disparities. The RCMI institutions are playing a major role in diversifying the biomedical research workforce: the program currently includes 8 medical schools, 6 pharmacy schools and 1 Veterinary school. Between 2000 and 2015, RCMI institutions have graduated over 3600 PhDs, over 9400 MDs, over 6200 Pharm-Ds, over 2100 Dentists and over 1500 Veterinarians. During the same period, the institutions received $805 million award and leveraged those funds to receive additional $3.7 billion in NIH awards, including 1674 prestigious RO1 awards and 14,672 publications.
Dr. Ofili is leading a new and exciting collaboration in Data Science (Big Data) with Harvard Medical School with funding from the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).
The i2b2 technology harnesses data from clinical encounters in the electronic medical records to support real world data and practice driven research. The effort is underway at academic health centers around the country. MSM along with Grady health system and the RCMI network have partnered to engage underserved communities.
Dr. Ofili also serves as multi PI of the collaborative National Research Mentoring Network, which is diversifying the nation’s biomedical research workforce, through innovations in culturally aware mentor training, a coaching model for professional development, and institutional capacity building, designed to increase access of RCMIs and similar small institutions to mentoring resources.
Dr. Ofili is a recipient of over 50 scientific, service and health policy awards, and was inducted into the National Academy of Medicine in October 2016; this is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service. Dr Ofili is also an elected member of the Association of University Cardiologists, and serves on the boards of the National Space Biomedical Research Institute; Georgia BIO, Georgia’s Life Sciences Partner, and Alliant Health Solutions, a Quality Improvement Organization. She Chairs the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) of NASA’s Translational Research Institute (TRI) at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, charged with researching and developing innovative approaches to reduce risks to humans on long-duration exploration missions, including NASA’s Journey to Mars.
Dr. Ofili has published over 150 scientific papers and book chapters, and secured over $160 million in research and infrastructure awards as principal or collaborating investigator. She graduated with distinction from Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria, completed internal medicine residency at Oral Roberts University, Tulsa Oklahoma, and cardiology fellowship at Washington University in St Louis.