Folakemi Odedina, Ph.D., a professor of pharmacotherapy and translational research in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy and a professor of radiation oncology in the UF College of Medicine, has been elected to serve a three-year term on the Minorities in Cancer Research Council of the American Association for Cancer Research, or AACR. Odedina was selected based on her many contributions to cancer research and dedication to programs and activities that support minority investigators.
“This is a great opportunity to contribute to productivity of minorities in cancer research,” Odedina said. “I am truly honored.”
Odedina’s research program focuses on the predictors of health disparities and cost-effective, community-based behavioral interventions to improve the health of Black men. She has directed more than 30 research projects, including genetic-environmental determinants of prostate cancer disparity studies. For more than two decades, she has led efforts to train underrepresented minorities and introduce them to exciting careers in science.
The Minorities in Cancer Research Council aims to prevent and cure cancer while meeting the professional needs and advancing the careers of minority scientists. Its activities include developing programs that address the needs of minority scientists in cancer research, while increasing the participation, visibility and recognition of minority scientists. The council also addresses the disparities in cancer incidence and mortality faced by minorities and the medically underserved.