An internationally renowned clinician-scientist, Ofotokun, who hails from Oghara in Ethiope West LGA in Delta State has long studied the threat that age-related comorbidities pose to healthy aging in people living with HIV, including the pathogenesis of HIV-induced end-organ damage.
Findings from his research have led to the revision of HIV standard-of-care treatment guidelines in the US and, internationally, to World Health Organization policy changes that now prioritize antiretroviral regimens that are less risky for women.
He has also expanded the visibility and representation of women and minorities in biomedical research and leveraged his expertise and influence to promote research education and training in the US and several other countries including Nigeria, Ethiopia, Georgia, and Vietnam.
“He is an outstanding academic leader and researcher, a truly exceptional mentor, a respected clinician, and a valuable addition to an increasingly diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce in infectious diseases,” said Kathryn M. Edwards, MD, of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, in nominating Ofotokun.