Black History Month: Morehouse School of Medicine Edition

February 3, 2025

In honor of Black History Month, we would like to highlight individuals from Morehouse School of Medicine who have significantly contributed to health equity, science, and innovation, both in the past and present.

1. Dominic H. Mack M.D., M.B.A., is a Professor of Family Medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine and serves as Director of the National Center for Primary Care. He leads NCPC’s promotion of health equity and population health through the development of strategies to further research, innovations and trainings that advance primary care systems. Dr. Mack earned his medical degree from Meharry Medical College and has since served in various local, state, and national leadership roles within non-profit and for-profit organizations, including service in the U.S. Federally Qualified Health Center system.

2. Valerie Montgomery RiceM.D., is an obstetrician and gynecologist who has served as the President and CEO of Morehouse School of Medicine since 2014. She is the first African American woman to lead an independent medical school in the United States. Dr. Montgomery Rice earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology and her medical degree from Harvard Medical School. She completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Emory University and a fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Hutzel Women’s Hospital.

3. Louis Sullivan, M.D., is an author, physician, and educator. He was the only black student in his class at Boston University School of Medicine. In 1975, he became the founding dean of Morehouse School of Medicine. Sullivan served as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where
he directed the creation of the Office of Minority Programs in the National Institutes of Health’s Office of the Director. He is the author of The Morehouse Mystique: Becoming a Doctor at the Nation’s Newest African American Medical School and of Breaking Ground: My Life in Medicine.

4. Tabia Akintobi, Ph.D., M.P.H., is Professor and Chair of Community Health at Morehouse School of Medicine and the Principal Investigator of the Prevention Research Center. She earned her doctorate in Philosophy in Public Health and Social and Behavioral Sciences. She is a globally sought, health equity champion and social behavioral scientist, leading, or collaborating in the implementation of research and evaluations that address health disparities. She has led many federally funded initiatives at MSM, including the Georgia Community Engaged Alliance Against COVID-19 Disparities and the National COVID-19 Resiliency Network.

5. David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., was the first African American Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He is the Founding Director and Senior Advisor for the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine. A physician-scientist and public health administrator with a medical degree from Case Western Reserve, Dr. Satcher is a Four-Star Admiral in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. He was the 16th Surgeon General of the United States and former Assistant Secretary for Health in the Department of Health and Human Services. He is the second person in history to hold both posts at once.

6. Folashade OmoleM.D., FAAFP, is a Professor and Sarah & William Hambrecht Endowed Chair of Family Medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine. She is also the Medical Director of MSM Health Equity for All Lives, a student-run clinic. She earned a medical degree at Obafemi Awolowo University. She leads other community initiatives at Morehouse School of Medicine, including community health fairs and community engagement days to screen for chronic diseases and provide education.

7. Rick Kittles, Ph.D., became one of the earliest geneticists to trace African ancestry using DNA. Dr. Kittles earned a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from George Washington University. In 1998, Kittles became a faculty member at Howard University, where he helped establish the National Human Genome Center. Kittles is known for his work on prostate cancer and has published on genetic variation and prostate cancer genetics of African Americans. He has served as the Senior Vice President for Research at Morehouse School of Medicine since 2022.

8. Donald R. Hopkins, M.D., M.P.H., is a Bahamian American physician, a MacArthur Fellow, and Vice President of Health Programs at The Carter Center. He earned his medical degree from the University of Chicago as well as honorary doctorates from Morehouse College and Morehouse School of Medicine. He is the author of the Pulitzer-nominated Princes and Peasants: Smallpox in History and celebrated for his leadership in eradicating Guinea worm disease.

Resources:

https://www.msm.edu/Community/blackhistory/index.php

https://www.atlantahistorycenter.com/blog/african-american-innovators-from-georgia

https://edurank.org/uni/morehouse-college/alumni

https://www.cartercenter.org/about/experts/donald_hopkins.html

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