معرفی
Safiyyah M. Okoye, PhD, MSN, RN, serves as Assistant Professor in Drexel University's College of Nursing and Health Professions with a joint appointment in the Department of Health Management and Policy at the Dornsife School of Public Health. Her work focuses on advancing health equity for socially disadvantaged older adults through interdisciplinary research at the intersection of gerontology, public health, and nursing.
Dr. Okoye's educational background includes:
- PhD in Nursing, Johns Hopkins University (2019), as Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Future of Nursing Scholar
- MSN in Family Health Nurse Practitioner, University of Pennsylvania (2012)
- BSN in Nursing, University of Pennsylvania (2011)
- BA in History, Barnard College, Columbia University (2005)
Her research examines socioeconomic and built environmental determinants of health outcomes in aging populations, with particular emphasis on housing conditions, sleep health, and functional disability. Key projects investigate how structural factors like housing disrepair and neighborhood environments contribute to health disparities, aiming to develop multi-level interventions from individual to policy spheres.
Recent publications (2022-2024) demonstrate consistent focus on aging, health equity, and social determinants, utilizing large population datasets to analyze fall injuries, structural racism in spatial contexts, place-based long-term care, and dementia-related care experiences. These works bridge clinical practice with epidemiological methods to address systemic barriers in geriatric care.
Dr. Okoye's scientific recognition includes:
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Future of Nursing Scholar
- Two NIH-funded postdoctoral fellowships in aging research
- NIH/NIA K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award
- NIH/NINR Extramural Loan Repayment Program award
As Principal Investigator on the NIH/NIA K01 grant "Addressing Housing Disrepair to Improve Equity in Functional Disability and Caregiver Burden" (2024-2028), she leads innovative research examining housing interventions. She also contributes as Co-Investigator to the NIH/NINR ComPASS Coordinating Center grant, developing community-centered structural interventions for health equity through her Drexel FIRST program appointment.
