Olatokunbo Osibogun

Born in New York to Nigerian parents, Olatokunbo “Ola” Osibogun and her family returned to Nigeria when she was young. Her father, a physician, epidemiologist and professor of public health, and her mother, an administrator and director in higher education, instilled in their children the importance of education and hard work.

Ola received her medical degree from Igbinedion University Okada in Nigeria, followed by a Master of Public Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Ola then decided to follow in her father’s footsteps by earning a Ph.D. in public health with a concentration in epidemiology. 

Ola sees epidemiology as her chance to work on prevention, instead of treating patients when it is, often times, too late. She also sees prevention research as an opportunity to have a voice in legislation that can help avoid the next great public health threat.

At FIU, Ola worked in Dr. Wasim Maziak’s Tobacco Research Laboratory while also conducting cardiovascular research with Dr. Erin Michos at the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease. Ola published her research on factors related to young people, ages 12 to 34, who consume multiple tobacco products, in the high-impact Drug and Alcohol Dependence Journal.

Ola credits her family, supporting her from Nigeria, for her determination to never give up. Ola’s driving force is her 4-year-old son, whom she hopes to inspire in the same way that her parents inspired her.

After graduation, Ola will be a postdoctoral fellow at Stempel College, working with Dr. Maziak.

By Jessica S. Drouet
Senior Account Manager,
Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work