Olufunmilayo I. Olopade

Dr. Olufunmilayo I. Olopade is the Walter L. Palmer Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine & Human Genetics at The University of Chicago, where she also serves as Associate Dean for Global Health and Director of the Center for Clinical Cancer Genetics & Global Health. She is internationally renowned for her expertise in breast cancer research and clinical oncology.

Her research focuses on understanding the genetic basis of breast cancer, particularly in young women of African ancestry in the US and West Africa. Dr. Olopade has made seminal observations on the complex interactions of genes, lifestyle, and environment in breast cancer causation. She has developed novel management strategies based on understanding altered genes in individual patients, with emphasis on comprehensive risk-reducing strategies, prevention in high-risk populations, and earlier detection through advanced imaging technologies.

Dr. Olopade is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Medicine, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and American Philosophical Society. She has received numerous honors including the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship (2005) for translating findings on molecular genetics of breast cancer into innovative clinical practices.

• MacArthur Foundation Genius Award
• William L. McGuire Award and Lecture
• Doris Duke Distinguished Clinical Scientist Award
• ASCO Young Investigator Award
• James S. McDonnell Foundation Scholar Award

As a physician-scientist and mentor, Dr. Olopade works tirelessly to translate scientific discoveries into optimal interventions for women at risk of breast cancer. She has been instrumental in addressing breast cancer disparities in vulnerable populations globally and serves on multiple prestigious boards including the American Board of Internal Medicine, National Cancer Advisory Board, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.