Dr. Tomi Akinyemiju is a cancer epidemiologist with a research program focused on identifying the impact of social (such as access to healthcare) and biological factors (such as metabolic dysregulation) on cancer-related risk, tumor aggressiveness and survival. Her work has been continuously funded by NIH, and published in over 160 peer-reviewed publications.

She is currently the PI of three ongoing studies on cancer disparities: 1) a case-control study of over 1200 breast cancer cases and controls characterizing the role of metabolic dysregulation and DNA methylation among Nigerian women, with the goal of understanding why women of West African descent have the highest global triple negative breast cancer rates; 2) a prospective cohort study of 1,600 Black, Hispanic and White ovarian cancer patients in the US characterizing multiple healthcare access domains and how they individually and synergistically influence receipt of guideline-adherent primary treatment, supportive care and survival; and 3) a prospective cohort study evaluating the mechanisms through which systemic racism (structural, cultural and interpersonal racism) impacts US breast cancer disparities.

In addition to her research portfolio, Dr. Akinyemiju currently serves as the Vice-Chair for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at the Department of Population Health Sciences, where she develops and implements DEI strategies within the department’s core missions (research, teaching and service). She also serves as the Associate Director of Community Outreach and Engagement at the Duke Cancer Institute, leading strategic programs to address the burden of cancer in the DCI catchment area and beyond.