Igho Ofotokun, MD, MSc, FIDSA, Joins University Hospitals as Chair of the Department of Medicine and Physician-in-Chief

CLEVELAND - Igho Ofotokun, MD, MSc, FIDSA, will join University Hospitals as Chair of the Department of Medicine and Physician-in-Chief. Dr. Ofotokun will begin his role on Oct. 1, 2025. He will be nominated to serve as the STERIS Chair of Excellence in Medicine at UH.

Dr. Ofotokun will also be nominated for appointment by Case Western Reserve University President Eric W. Kaler as chair of the School of Medicine's Department of Medicine at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. Stan Gerson, MD, dean of the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and senior vice president of medical affairs, said he supports and looks forward to Dr. Ofotokun completing his application and review.

Dr. Ofotokun will be responsible for the planning, growth and operational management of the Department of Medicine, including the implementation of effective resident, medical student, fellow, and other student teaching programs and the development and maintenance of the research program.

He comes to Cleveland from Atlanta, where he currently serves 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.

“Dr. Ofotokun is a highly accomplished and internationally renowned clinician, mentor and clinical and translational researcher,” said Daniel Simon, MD, President, Academic & External Affairs and Chief Scientific Officer, Ernie and Pattie Novak Distinguished Chair in Healthcare Leadership. “He is poised to lead the Department of Medicine to new heights and honor the legacy of illustrious infectious disease-focused chair predecessors, including Robert Salata, Charles C.J. Carpenter, and Adel Mahmoud.”

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 persons 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 his HIV experience, Dr. Ofotokun led the Atlanta hub of the NIH RECOVER initiative aimed at understanding long Covid. He also 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.

“We look forward to welcoming Dr. Ofotokun to our UH team,” said Nicole Maronian, President, UHMG, the Richard W. and Patricia R. Pogue Leadership Chair in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. “As a clinician-scientist with global ties, we know he’ll be a great addition to help lead our team of physicians and help enhance our research efforts across the world.”

Dr. Ofotokun has authored over 250 scientific publications. His work has earned him numerous awards and recognitions. 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’s2025 ASM Honorary Diversity Lecture.