Bio
Dr. Obasanjo earned her PhD in Epidemiology from Cornell University and a Masters from University of California, Davis. She obtained a Doctor of Veterinary degree from University of Ibadan before coming to the US for graduate school. She worked in Clinical Research as a Project Manager in the US in the 1990’s and then moved back to Nigeria where she was Commissioner for Health in Ogun State from 2003 to 2007, then a Senator from 2007 to 2011. Her research focus includes the impact of women’s leadership on health outcomes for countries, the effect of Community Health Workers (CHW) on health outcomes in low-income communities, and health policy in African countries. She currently has a research project in Eastern Cape Province of South Africa examining ways to improve community health in rural areas and she recently completed work on a grant examining CHW impact in Richmond, Virginia. She has given lectures across the globe and has over twenty-five scientific publications. She has also written for international foreign policy journals. Before joining UMB, Dr. Obasanjo was a tenured Associate Professor at William and Mary University in Virginia.