Black family health Advisory Board (BAB)

BAB Members

Eva Vivian, PharmD, MS, PhD

Dr. Eva Vivian is currently a Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Illinois College of Pharmacy, Master of Science from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, and Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin School of Human Ecology. She is certified in diabetes care and education and advanced diabetes management. Dr. Vivian’s research interest focus on identifying disparities in the treatment of hypertension, diabetes, and other chronic diseases among ethnic minorities, particularly African American and Latino American patients and developing and implementing strategies to reduce and eliminate them. Recently, her research has sharpened its focus in response to heightened awareness of the great numbers of children and adolescents who are at special risk of diabetes.

Dr. Vivian currently serves on the Editorial Board of Diabetes Care. Dr. Vivian has lectured at medical meetings, conferences, and symposia across the United States. Dr. Vivian has held numerous leadership positions within professional associations. She served on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Diabetes Educators during 2011-2013. She is also a member of the American Diabetes Association, American Pharmacy Association, American Association Colleges Pharmacy and American College of Clinical Pharmacy.

Motolani Ogunsanya, PhD

Dr. Ogunsanya’s research focuses on health economics and outcomes research using mixed methodologies. Her research interests primarily involve understanding health behaviors among underserved, minority groups and the use of patient-reported outcomes to capture disease burden in patients with rare diseases, cancer, and other disease conditions. Additional research interests include examining QoL through theoretical frameworks and large-scale retrospective database analyses.

Adeola Agoke, PhD

Adeola Agoke holds a PhD in African Cultural Studies with a specialization in sociocultural and applied linguistics. Her book manuscript tentatively entitled “Learners Linguistic Creativity: Implications for Language Learning and Pedagogical Practices” draws on ethnographic fieldwork and data analysis, to examine the processes by which language learners engage their multilingual repertoire for interactional practice in- and out-of-classroom settings. Focusing on Yoruba language learners, her research draws theoretical insights from critical applied linguistics and critical discourse analysis to challenge the convention that demarcates language use in formal domains from language use in “the wild,” an older model that constructs language use in specific environments as ethnolinguistic boundedness. She argues that learners’ linguistic creativity constitutes important linguistic resources for developing the standard dialect and effective pedagogical practices within the classroom environment.

With an interest to bring research into African Language Programing, Dr. Agoke currently curates learning resources in African languages to enhance contextualized experience of language learning. Also, as former Fulbright scholar, she is very interested in language internationalization, global citizenship and decolonization of teaching curriculum to enhance multi-representation of voice, bodies, and in fact experiences of African language learners in and outside of classroom settings. Her ongoing research on classroom social dynamics and instructed SLA foregrounds this perspective.

Kazeem Kẹ́hìndé Sanuth, PhD, MA

Kazeem Kẹ́hìndé Sanuth holds a Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) with a combined minor in the pedagogy of Less Commonly Taught Languages from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He also has an M.A. in African Languages and Literature from the same university. His research explores the social, cultural, and linguistic implications of language study abroad in a multilingual West African setting.

Dr. Sanuth has been involved in language education and internationalization as a classroom instructor, a coordinator, and an administrator of language education programs. Before transitioning to NALRC, he served as the International Education Outreach Administrator with the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies (HLS), Indiana University-Bloomington.

Kazeem’s mission is to further raise the profile of the NALRC, to enhance supports for scholarship and practice in the field of African language pedagogy, and to broaden access to the center’s resources.

Abimbola Fapohunda, PhD

My research, teaching and consulting work is focused on health inequities affecting African Americans in the U.S., Africans in the Diaspora, and on the continent. My training and education, community engagement, and work experience influence my teaching and research interests. I have worked on two multidisciplinary collaborative studies that address the historical and contemporary struggles of Black and Brown communities in Pittsburgh (The Black Women, Femmes and Individuals Health Projects and the Pittsburgh Transformations Project: Race, Migration, Education, and Healthcare).

In my international health research work, I collaborated with two organizations: Gift of Living Donation (GOLD), United Kingdom, focusing on living organ donation among Blacks and Lakeshore Cancer Center (LCC), Nigeria, focusing on cancer care. My work with LCC included developing an e-learning training program on cancer awareness, diagnosis, and treatment for Nigerian healthcare practitioners.

Kelechi Ibe-Lamberts, PhD

Kelechi Ibe-Lamberts, is a clinical associate professor of community health sciences at the UIC School of Public Health. He teaches and researches health behaviors, health disparities and health outcomes among culturally diverse populations. His research work specifically involves matters related to refugee/immigrant health and the development of transnational ties among Black immigrants. He identifies as a 1.5 generation Transnational Nigerian American. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, he immigrated to the United States at the age of 8, where he grew up in Chicago, Illinois. He received his undergraduate and doctorate degrees in community health from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He continued his postdoctoral training at the University of Florida until 2018. Additionally, he serves as the Chair for the APHA Caucus on Refugee and Immigrant Health and also hosts a podcast titled “My Black is Transnational”. A husband and father of three, he is also a very passionate Chicago sports fan.

Karosibina Abraham, MBA, CPIM

Karosibina Abraham is a Sales and Operations Planning Manager at Fiskars Group in Middleton, WI. He is an experienced and dedicated community leader, serving as treasurer for the African Christian Fellowship – Greater Madison Chapter.

Victor Ujor, PhD

Dr. Victor Ujor is an assistant professor in the Department of Food Science at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Prior to joining UW–Madison in 2021, Dr. Ujor was an assistant professor of bioenergy and Water Treatment Management at the Agricultural Technical Institute at The Ohio State University. He received his Ph.D. in applied microbiology and biotechnology from the University of Westminster. As a graduate student, Dr. Ujor used omics tools to study the molecular mechanisms that drive strong biochemical responses during antagonistic interactions between fungal species. In his postdoctoral work, Dr. Ujor’s worked on increasing the production of biofuels and bio-derived chemicals using metabolic engineering and bioprocess design.

Dr. Ujor’s research explores metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, and bioprocess design for enhancing the production of biofuels and bio-derived chemicals, bio-based waste-to-energy technologies, and recovery of water from liquid waste streams.

Christabelle Braaksma, DDS

Christabelle Braaksma, received her DDS from the University of Illinois College of Dentistry. She is currently a dentist with Access Community Health Centers.

Eze Elechi, PharmD

Dr. Eze Elechi is a pharmacist at Saint Mary’s Hospital, Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota where he works primarily in two different areas: Central pharmacy department and cardiovascular surgery department. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin Parkside and his Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Minnesota Duluth campus. He went on to complete a postgraduate general (PGY1) residency at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota

After residency, Dr. Elechi moved back to Wisconsin where he was a pioneer in developing a successful de-central pharmacy practice at Aurora Medical Center Kenosha, a 70 bed hospital in southeast Wisconsin. In 2016, Dr. Elechi moved to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. His interest in pain management has led him to participate in piloting opioid tapering programs that sought to educate patients on how to effectively taper off narcotic medications after orthopedic surgeries in a timely manner in an effort to counter the opioid epidemic in the nation. He precepts fourth year pharmacy students and leads topic discussions quarterly for the students. Dr. Elechi’s other interest include drug design, a focus of his undergraduate degree and future research emphasis.

Olabisi Falana, PharmD

Dr. Olabisi Falana is the Director of Graduate Pharmacy Education and Clinical Manager of Pharmacy Education at the University of Chicago Medicine (UCMC). She received her Pharm.D. from University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy in 2011. After graduating from pharmacy school, she completed a PGY-1 pharmacy residency at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL, and then completed he PGY-2 critical care pharmacy residency at Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy in Downers Grove, IL.

At UCMC, Dr. Falana is responsible for thirteen pharmacy residency programs at UCMC, including managing 25 pharmacy residents and over 200 students from four colleges of pharmacy in the Chicagoland area. She also holds appointments at several colleges of pharmacy in Chicago. Her clinical practice area is in critical care, where she collaborates with physicians, nurses, other interdisciplinary team members, and a variety of learners from health professions schools. In addition to being an ICU pharmacy specialist, some of her other responsibilities include providing student and resident orientations, training new pharmacists and pharmacy residents on targeted critical care topics during the onboarding process, serving as a liaison between UCMC and pharmacy schools, and providing direct precepting and mentorship to pharmacy learners. With a broad background in critical care, her research has primarily focused in the Neurocritical Care and Neurology field.

Olayinka Olagbegi-Adegbite, PhD

Olayinka Olagbegi-Adegbite is the Assistant Director of African Studies Program from UW-Madison’s School of Education, where she recently completed her PhD. in Educational Policy Studies, with a concentration on Comparative and International Education, and a minor in Curriculum and Instruction. She has held administrative, teaching, and project assistant positions with various units across campus and has a track record of successfully working with first-generation, underrepresented students of color from low-income backgrounds through pre-college programming, like PEOPLE. Olayinka has experience living and researching in Nigeria. Her dissertation engages the comparative case study approach to examine the implications of language policies on teachers’ pedagogical practices in K-3 education settings within densely multilingual communities. As an educator, Olayinka is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion as they relate to language and educational opportunities for the underserved.

Hannah Amaza, MA

Photo of Hanna Amaza Hannah Amaza is the Engagement Core Project Manager in the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI).

Victoria Obatusin, PhD

Dr. Victoria Obatusin was born in Nigeria. As a young child, she was privy to living in different African countries before emigrating to the United Kingdom where she completed her elementary, secondary, and college education. After her law degree in the UK, she emigrated to the United States as an adult, where she completed her Masters in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a recent recipient of a doctorate degree in the the same course and university, where her dissertation centered on the impact of social media use on African international students in America. Dr. Obatusin also has a vast experience in healthcare which includes working was a caregiver, staff coordinator, quality assurance manager, and client service manager. Collectively with her academic and work experience, Dr. Obatusin continues to seek opportunities to contribute to the African community as well as educating people on Africa and home care-related topics. Being a member of the Black family health Advisory Board (BAB) is a special opportunity for Dr. Obatusin to collaborate with like minded individuals.

Dr. Obatusin is married with a beautiful baby girl. When Dr. Obatusin is not working, participating on a board, or parenting, she can be found enjoying a Korean drama or Nigerian movie, eating international delicacies or simply relaxing at home!

Victoria Obatusin received her PhD in Educational Leadership and Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2023. Her research focuses on African international students, their social and emotional well-being, and the impact of social media.

Claudette Adegboro, MD

Claudette Adegboro is an Assistant Professor at UW Health and a board certified Pediatrician and Neonatologist. She completed her MD at the Ross University School of Medicine and completed residencies at both Mount Sinai Children’s Hospital in Chicago and UW Health.

Brittny Major-Elechi, MS

Brittny is originally from Nassau Bahamas and moved to Rochester Minnesota in 2013. She worked at Mayo Clinic for 7 years as a biostatistician and assistant supervisor before resigning in January 2020 to focus on establishing the Daniel Company and the Daniel Christian Academy. Brittny’s God-given mission in life is to raise up young people that will be committed to Jesus Christ and impact different arenas for His glory. She believes that the one of the most powerful ways to do this is through education. Brittny has a Bachelor’s of Science degree (Mathematics, Physics), Masters of Science in Public Health (Epidemiology and Biostatistics) and is a PhD student (all but dissertation, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology).

Debra Browne

Debra Browne is a dedicated community servant and the Blackhawk African American Ministry & Gospel Fusion Venue Coordinator.

Pastor Emma Wawa

Born and raised in the Ivory Coast—Côte d’Ivoire—Emma Wawa and her late husband Victorien immigrated separately to the United States, married, and began their life together in New York City. As they started their family in the mid-90s, they made the decision to move to Madison, understanding it would be a better place to raise their children.

Dr. Emmanuel Sampene

I am a Professor of Biostatistics in the Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics at UW-Madison. I direct the Biostatistics Shared Resource, a collaborative research consulting group for the Department of Medicine, where I oversee master level statisticians on data management and analysis, and interpret the results of statistical modeling. Also, I am the Co-Chair of the Data Safety Monitoring Committee of the UW-Madison Carbone Cancer Center. My primary statistical methodology focuses on the development and implementation of novel clinical trial designs. I have co-led and collaborated on numerous quantitative studies covering a broad range of health services research topics, including several randomized trials testing efficacy or effectiveness of health system interventions.

Dr. Rachel Ajayi

Racheal Ajayi coordinates household hazardous waste at the Missouri Department of Natural Resource. In her role, she provides technical guidance and programmatic elements associated with household hazardous waste, electronic waste and product stewardship endeavors. Prior to joining the Department, she has worked in both private industry as an environmental consultant and in local government as a spatial analyst. She developed key frameworks and strategies to drive sustainability initiatives in both private and government sectors and worked on world-class novel projects such as 2010 FIFA world cup, Green Procurement policy in the Western Cape and the Durban declaration on electronic waste.

She is on the board of the Product Stewardship Institute and on the training committee of the North American Hazardous Materials Management Association. Racheal holds an M.Phil. In Environmental Management from the University of Cape Town and a Ph.D. in environmental management focusing on circular economy, zero waste and food waste from Griffith University in Australia. She presents at both local and international conferences such as International Impact Assessment Association, Waste Expo etc. She is a reviewer for top impact journals such as Stoten. Her interests include nature, reading, networking, music and volunteering at charitable organizations.

Deacon Omobolanle Olubi

Dr. Osas Olurotimi

Osaretin Olurotimi is an Assistant Research Professor of Development and Environment at the University of Arizona. She holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Applied Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research interests are in topics in Development economics that intersect with the Economics of Education and Health and Environmental Economics. Broadly, her research quantifies the effect of shocks, stresses, public policy, and programs on welfare, human capital development, and firms in developing countries, especially those in Africa.

Before enrolling in her Ph.D. program, Osaretin earned her Master of Public Administration in Development Practice from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. Professionally, she has served in roles that sought to advance the national development of her home country, Nigeria. In her last role before beginning her doctoral studies, she served as the program manager at the Education Partnership (TEP) Nigeria. At TEP, she led the planning and implementation of consulting projects to provide design, monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) and scaling-up support for multi-sectoral partnership programs. Also, she managed the implementation of a national survey of about 50,000 children in 20,000 households in 6 Nigerian states. This survey provided vital data to guide the country’s education officials in responding to the needs of the children. In addition to program management, she successfully led the delivery and expansion of capacity-building services for third-party organizations.

Overall, her research and professional goals are to inform policy, programs, and praxis to improve the lives of poor and vulnerable people.

Dr. Maryann Egbujor

Maryann is a PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident at the Tomah VA Medical Center, where she provides comprehensive care to veterans in various clinical settings. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2023. Maryann has a keen interest in ambulatory care pharmacy practice, especially in the primary care setting. She enjoys collaborating with other health care professionals to optimize medication therapy and improve patient outcomes. She is also passionate about research and has co-authored publications in peer-reviewed journals, focusing on improving diabetes medication adherence among African Americans. Maryann is thrilled to join the CRoME BAB, where she will contribute to the development and implementation of medication safety and family health research projects for Black families in the US. She hopes to apply her clinical and research skills to address the health disparities and social determinants of health that affect this population. She also looks forward to learning from the CRoME team and expanding her knowledge and network in this field.

Sandrine Lengue, MBA

Sandrine Lengue is currently a Research administrator in the School of Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Dr. Dan Okoli

A deeply collaborative and widely experienced leader, Dr. Okoli has served as vice president for capital planning and development at Northern Arizona University since 2017, championing sustainability efforts and building relationships with faculty to create experiential education opportunities for students in campus development projects.

Prior to NAU, Dr. Okoli held planning and development leadership roles at the University of Wisconsin Pace University and The Ohio State University. He has taught mathematics, physics, architecture, computer-aided drafting and design, and African American studies at the undergraduate level.

He holds a Ph.D. from Colorado State University, an M.B.A. from the University of Arizona, a master’s in architecture and an M.A. in humanities from The Ohio State University, and a B.S. in structural engineering and architecture from the University of Aston.

As UC Merced’s chief operating officer, he will oversee physical operations, planning and development; design and construction management; environmental health and safety; facilities management, including central plant operations, custodial services, grounds maintenance, physical plant operations, and mail services; fire and building safety; physical and environmental planning and space planning; police and emergency management; and sustainability.

Mr. David Ogunnoiki

David holds a bachelor and master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering both from the University of Toledo. David worked for 9 years as a product design engineer and he is an inventor on US Patent No. US 10,465,591 B2 and US 2018/0258828A1. David is currently the founder of Kadop Holding Inc. A holding company with franchisee ownership in Subway, Edible Arrangement and Always Best Care Madison. Our mission at Kadop Holding is to do our best to improve the quality of life for the clients that we serve via our non-medical in home care brand, provide quality food and fruit/chocolate gourmet prodcuts via our Subway and Edible Arrangement brand for the client that we serve. David is actively involved in the daily operation of all the brands within the Kadop Holding portfolio as he drives the strategic vision of the companies. David hopes that by joining the Black family health Advisory Board (BAB), he can provide his unique insight that will further the mission of BAB.

Dr. Iliya Amaza

Dr. Iliya Amaza is a faculty member of the Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine within the Department of Medicine. He is the medical director of the Pulmonary Diagnostic Laboratory at UW Health, and of the ICU medical teaching service at UnityPoint Health–Meriter Hospital. As a medical educator, Dr. Amaza works with medical students, residents, and fellows at University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics and UnityPoint Health–Meriter Hospital. Dr. Amaza is an inaugural inductee of the Gamma Xi chapter (UW–Madison) of the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health.

Dr. Adefunke DadeMatthews

Dr. Adefunke DadeMatthews received her medical degree from the Lagos State University College of Medicine, Lagos Nigeria. She went on to complete a postgraduate residency training in Psychiatry at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital Aro, Abeokuta Nigeria. Dr. DadeMatthews also holds a PhD in Kinesiology from Auburn University.

Her research interests primarily involve strategies to understand and improve mental and physical health outcomes among children and adolescents, especially underserved and minority groups and the dynamics of how this information can improve health policies. Additional research interests include examining factors related to sickle cell disease and interventions that can improve clinical outcomes.