Meet Dr Maureen Okam-Achebe

Dr. Maureen Okam-Achebe is the daughter of renowned novelist, Late Chinua Achebe.

Okam-Achebe earned her first Medical degree from the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria; a hematology and medical oncology training at Yale School of Medicine; and a masters in public health at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The doctor is also an associate professor, Harvard Medical School; director, Brigham and Women’s Hospital Outpatient Infusion Center; clinical director, Non-Malignant Hematology Clinic; director, Brigham and Women’s Hospital sickle cell program; and instructor in medicine, Harvard Medical School.

The medical expert co-chairs the data subcommittee of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) consortium on newborn screening for sickle cell disease (SCD) in Africa.

The sub-committee seeks to demonstrate the benefits of screening and early intervention for SCD underway in seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Okam-Achebe also serves as a commissioner on the Lancet Non-Communicable Disease and Injuries (NCDI) Nigeria Poverty Commission as the sickle cell disease expert and guides the identification and prioritisation of policies, interventions, and integrated delivery platforms to effectively address and reduce SCD burden in the country.

The expert is actively involved in clinical trials and translational research at BWH and was an investigator in the development of two of the most recently used US FDA-approved drugs for SCD.

Recently, she received the Brigham and Women’s Hospital 2024 faculty development and diversity award.

According to the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Okam-Achebe will be honoured for her accomplishments on October 28.