Ighovwerha Ofotokun, MD, MSc
- Chair, Department of Medicine, UH Cleveland Medical Center
- Professor, CWRU School of Medicine
- Specialty: Infectious Disease
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Location:UH Cleveland Medical Center Mather
11100 Euclid Ave
Cleveland, OH 44106
- Call: 216-844-1709
Biography: Ighovwerha Ofotokun, MD, MSc
Expertise
Certifications & Memberships
- Infectious Disease - American Board of Internal Medicine
Education
Professional Education | Clinical and Translational Science
Clinical and Translational Science - Emory University School Of Medicine (2003 - 2005)
Fellowship | Infectious Diseases
Infectious Diseases - University Of Michigan Medical Center/University Of Michigan Health System (1999 - 2001)
Residency | Internal Medicine
Internal Medicine - University Of Michigan Medical Center/University Of Michigan Health System (1995 - 1998)
Medical Education
University Of Benin (1990)
About
Igho Ofotokun, MD, MSc, FIDSA, is an infectious disease physician who serves as Chair of the Department of Medicine and Physician-in-Chief at University Hospitals. Dr. Ofotokun is board certified in infectious disease by the American Board of Internal Medicine and is a professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
Dr. Ofotokun joined University Hospitals from Atlanta, where he served 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.
As a clinician-scientist, 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 people 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 this experience, Dr. Ofotokun led the Atlanta hub of the NIH RECOVER initiative aimed at understanding long COVID. He 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.
Dr. Ofotokun has authored over 250 scientific publications. His work has earned him numerous awards and recognition. 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’s 2025 ASM Honorary Diversity Lecture.
Industry Relationships
University Hospitals is committed to transparency in our interactions with industry partners, such as pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical device companies. At UH, we disclose practitioner and their family members’ ownership and intellectual property rights that are or in the process of being commercialized. In addition, we disclose payments to employed practitioners of $5,000 or more from companies with which the practitioners interact as part of their professional activities. These practitioner-industry relationships assist in developing new drugs, devices and therapies and in providing medical education aimed at improving quality of care and enhancing clinical outcomes. At the same time, UH understands that these relationships may create a conflict of interest. In providing this information, UH desires to assist patients in talking with their practitioners about industry relationships and how those relationships may impact their medical care.
UH practitioners seek advance approval for certain new industry relationships. In addition, practitioners report their industry relationships and activities, as well as those of their immediate family members, to the UH Office of Outside Interests annually. We review these reports and implement management plans, as appropriate, to address conflicts of interest that may arise in connection with medical research, clinical care and purchasing decisions.
View UH’s policy (PDF) on practitioner-industry relationships.
As of December 31, 2016, Ighovwerha Ofotokun did not disclose any Outside Relationships with Industry.