Some professionals build careers, and then there are those who build movements. Dr. Lola Adeyemi belongs firmly in the second category.
A Nigerian-American physician, entrepreneur, researcher, and policy voice, she has spent the better part of two decades working at the sharp end of some of the world’s most persistent health challenges and refusing to accept that things cannot change.
Lola Adeyemi Biography Summary
- Name: Dr. Lola Dosunmu Adeyemi (Dr. Lolade Adeyemi)
- Date of birth: 10 June 1977
- Nationality: Nigerian-American
- Occupation: Physician-Scientist · Healthcare Executive · Research and Innovation Adviser · Entrepreneur · Public Health LeaderPhysician · Entrepreneur · Public Health Specialist · Author · Coach
- Education: MD (Olabisi Onabanjo) | MPH (Johns Hopkins) | MLA (Harvard) | EMBA (Kellogg/Northwestern)
- Known for: Research and Innovation Leadership in Nigeria; Clinical Trial Ecosystem Strengthening; Magna Carta Health; Mentoring Her; Forbes Next1000 Honoree; Lancet and WHO Contributions.Magna Carta Health · Mentoring Her · Forbes Next1000 · The Lancet · WHO Co-author
- Website: www.drloladeadeyemi.com
Lola Adeyemi Biography
Born on 10 June 1977, Dr. Adeyemi grew up watching her parents give generously to those around them, in both Nigeria and the United States. That early exposure to service planted a seed that would eventually grow into a career spanning clinical medicine, public health policy, healthcare technology, cancer research, and women’s empowerment.
Education
Dr. Adeyemi’s academic journey is remarkable by any standard. She earned her medical degree from Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ogun State, Nigeria, the starting point of a lifelong pursuit of knowledge that would take her across continents. At Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, she trained in population, family, and reproductive health, learning to see medicine not just as something that happens in a clinic, but as something shaped by the world outside it.
At Harvard University, she went further still, studying sustainability and environmental management and deepening her understanding of how the environment we live in determines the health outcomes we experience.
In 2025, she added the Best &Brightest Executive MBA distinction from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management to her already impressive credentials, not as a box to tick, but as a reflection of her commitment to growing as a leader, strategist, and institution builder.
Career
Dr. Adeyemi currently serves as Special Adviser on Research and Innovation to the Honourable Minister of State for Health of Nigeria, placing her at the centre of national healthcare policy at a critical moment for the country.
Her work has influenced policies, programs, and research systems serving more than 230 million Nigerians while helping strengthen the country’s capacity to conduct ethical, high-quality research and clinical trials.
Her efforts have focused on improving research governance, ethics oversight, digital transformation, and creating a more enabling environment for high-quality clinical trials across the country.
Throughout her career, Dr. Adeyemi has held senior leadership roles in global oncology research, contributing to the development and oversight of clinical trials that have helped advance cancer treatment and improve patient outcomes worldwide.
She has been a consistent and vocal advocate for strengthening primary health care as the foundation of a functional health system, and for urgently expanding cancer screening and diagnostics across Nigeria, arguing, simply, that prevention is always cheaper than the burden of treating disease that could have been caught earlier.
A consistent theme throughout her work has been the pursuit of health equity, ensuring that geography, gender, income, or circumstance do not determine access to quality healthcare, research participation, or health innovation.
Her entrepreneurial work is equally compelling. She co-founded Magna Carta Health, a preventative healthcare company now serving over 15around 15,000 patients every year in Nigeria, built largely from scratch, with grit and purpose.
She developed Clinicgoto, a platform that connects patients with healthcare providers nearest to them at the moment they need care most. And she launched Mentoring Her, a machine-learning-powered networking platform purpose-built to connect female mentors with mentees and meaningfully expand women’s career potential across Africa and the diaspora.
Beyond her own ventures, she is an ICF-certified entrepreneurship coach, a member of the Johns Hopkins University Alumni Council, and has served as Chair of the Georgia Institute of Technology President’s Advisory Board.
Her contributions to the WHO Global Action Plan for Clinical Trial Ecosystem Strengthening and her publication in The Lancet further cement her standing as a serious global health voice, not just a practitioner but a thinker and a builder.
Leadership and Public Service
Dr. Lola Adeyemi has dedicated a significant portion of her career to strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare, research, and innovation ecosystem through public service and strategic leadership.
As Special Adviser on Research and Innovation to the Honourable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, she provides technical guidance on national research priorities, innovation policy, health systems strengthening, and strategic partnerships.
Her work supports efforts to build a more robust and sustainable research environment capable of addressing Nigeria’s most pressing health challenges.
In addition to her ministerial advisory role, Dr. Adeyemi serves as Scientific Adviser to the National Health Research Ethics Committee (NHREC) and the Nigerian Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT).
Through these appointments, she has contributed to advancing ethical standards, strengthening research governance, promoting regulatory excellence, and supporting the development of a more efficient and transparent clinical research ecosystem.
She has also played an active role in the modernization of Nigeria’s research infrastructure, supporting initiatives aimed at digitizing ethics review processes, harmonizing research oversight frameworks, and improving the country’s readiness to participate in high-quality international clinical trials.
Her contributions have helped position Nigeria as an increasingly important destination for scientific research and innovation in Africa.
Dr. Adeyemi is a founding member of Nigeria’s National Clinical Trials Consortium and has contributed to national and international efforts to strengthen clinical trial ecosystems and research capacity across low- and middle-income countries.
Her work has emphasized collaboration between government agencies, academic institutions, industry partners, and global health organizations to accelerate scientific discovery while ensuring ethical and equitable participation in research.
As Deputy Secretary of Nigeria’s National Task Force on Cervical Cancer Elimination, she has supported national strategies aimed at reducing the burden of cervical cancer through prevention, screening, early detection, and access to treatment.
She has also contributed to broader efforts to improve cancer care and expand access to diagnostics and innovative therapies across the country.
Beyond health, Dr. Adeyemi serves as Special Adviser on Research and Innovation to the Honourable Minister of Education, where she supports initiatives focused on strengthening research capacity, promoting innovation, and enhancing collaboration between academia, government, and industry.
Her public service is guided by a commitment to evidence-based decision-making, ethical leadership, and the belief that strong institutions and locally driven innovation are essential to improving health outcomes and advancing national development.
Books
- The Business of Medicine: A Nigerian Tale (forthcoming)
- Modern Women in STEM (collaborative memoir, contributor)
- Mentorship Guide
Selected Journal Publications
- Moorthy V, Devereaux PJ, et al. (incl. Adeyemi OD). Tracking the maturity of the enabling environment for clinical trials. The Lancet. 2025;406(10499):113-116.
- Ajayi KV, Page R, Montour T, et al. (incl. Adeyemi L). Black mothers’ experiences in the NICU in the United States. Ethnicity &Health. 2024;29(1):77-99.
- Hamilton EP, Dosunmu O, Shastry M, et al. A phase 2 study of HER3-DXd in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2023.
- Lopez Hernandez A, Weinberg JL, Adeyemi L, et al. Connectedness Is Critical: A Social Network Analysis to Support Emerging Women Leaders in Global Health. Annals of Global Health. 2022.
- Oke D, Ogah O, et al. (incl. Adeyemi O). Patterns of blood pressure and hypertension among young adults in Ibadan, Nigeria. BMC Cardiovascular Disorders. 2026.
- World Health Organization. Global Action Plan for Clinical Trial Ecosystem Strengthening. Geneva: WHO; 2025. (Co-author)
Legacy and Vision
Dr. Adeyemi’s vision is to build stronger systems that enable scientific discovery, improve access to healthcare, and create opportunities for future generations of African researchers, innovators, and leaders.
Through policy, entrepreneurship, mentorship, and research, she continues to advocate for a future in which Africa is not merely a participant in global health innovation but a leader in shaping it.
Awards and Recognition
- 2025 Best &Brightest Executive MBA — Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management
- 2021 Forbes Next1000 Honoree
- 2020 Global Achievement Award — Johns Hopkins University
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Dr. Lola Adeyemi?
Dr. Lola Adeyemi is a Nigerian-American physician, entrepreneur, and public health advocate known for co-founding Magna Carta Health and Mentoring Her, her advisory role in Nigeria’s health sector, and her research published in The Lancet and other leading journals.
How old is Dr. Lola Adeyemi?
Dr. Lola Adeyemi was born on 10 June 1977. She is 48 years old.
Where is Dr. Lola Adeyemi from?
She is Nigerian-American, with roots in Nigeria and based in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Where did Dr. Lola Adeyemi study?
She studied medicine at Olabisi Onabanjo University, public health at Johns Hopkins University, sustainability at Harvard University, and holds an Executive MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
What is Dr. Lola Adeyemi known for?
She is known for her role in transforming research ethics and the research ecosystem in Nigeria, for founding Magna Carta Health and Mentoring Her, her Forbes Next1000 recognition, her co-authorship in The Lancet and the WHO Global Action Plan, and her advocacy for health equity and women’s leadership in Nigeria and globally.
Dr. Adeyemi is widely recognized for bridging the worlds of clinical medicine, public policy, entrepreneurship, and scientific research.
Her work has influenced healthcare delivery, clinical trial capacity building, digital health innovation, women’s leadership development, and national research policy, making her one of the emerging voices shaping the future of healthcare and research in Africa.
Is Dr. Lola Adeyemi married?
Yes. Dr. Lola Adeyemi is married and is a mother.