Bruce Ovbiagele is a Nigerian-American vascular neurologist, biomedical researcher, health systems executive, academic leader, organization founder, and scientific journal editor. He is a Professor of Neurology and Associate Dean at the University of California, San Francisco, Chief of Staff at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the American Heart Association, and Founding President of the Society for Equity Neuroscience. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the World Stroke Organization and the Northern California Institute of Research and Education.
Early Life and Education
Ovbiagele was born in Lagos, Nigeria. He attended: - Corona School, Ikoyi - Igbobi College - Federal Government College, Ijanikin - King's College, Lagos
He earned degrees and certificates from: - University of Lagos – M.B.B.S. (Medicine) - University of California, Los Angeles – M.S. in Clinical Research - University of California, San Diego – M.A.S. in Healthcare Leadership - University of Massachusetts Amherst – M.B.A. - Washington University in St. Louis – Master of Legal Studies - Harvard Kennedy School – Executive Certificate in Public Leadership - Yale School of Management – Global Executive Certificate in Leadership
Residency and fellowship: - General Neurology Residency – UC Irvine - Vascular Neurology Fellowship – UCLA
Academic Career
Ovbiagele served as: - Professor and Chair of Neurology at MUSC (2012–2018) - Associate Dean at UCSF School of Medicine (from 2018) - Adjunct Professor at Favaloro University, KNUST, and University of Ibadan
He has been a Board Member of the American Academy of Neurology and held the Pihl Professorship in Neuroscience. In 2021, he was the C. Miller Fisher Visiting Professor at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Research Work
His research focuses on improving global stroke outcomes using: - Epidemiological surveillance - Pharmaceutical clinical trials - Genomics - Implementation science
Key roles: - Led NIH-funded programs on stroke disparities - Directed the Stroke PROTECT program, basis for Get with the Guidelines – Stroke - Led national projections for future U.S. stroke care costs
Publications: - 650+ peer-reviewed articles - 30+ as sole author, 300+ as lead/senior author - h-index over 100 - Edited 6 textbooks
Capacity-Building Work
Ovbiagele emphasizes mentoring underrepresented researchers. He founded or led: - TRANSCENDS - TALENTS - ENLIGHTEN - Editors-in-Training - HEADS-UP Symposium - African Stroke Organization Conference (ASOC) - World Federation of Neurology Open Access Journal
Education Work
Initiatives: - Chaired International Stroke Conference (2016–2018) - Created Game of Strokes, Crossfire Debates, Outstanding Stroke Research Mentor Award
Developed educational courses for AAN: - Health Equity for Neurologists - Stroke Update - Secondary Stroke Prevention - Therapy Program: Stroke
Spokesperson roles: - American Heart Association "Power-to-End-Stroke" - National Stroke Association "Steps Against Recurrent Stroke"
He has delivered 250+ academic lectures and 30+ outreach presentations globally.
Honors
Ovbiagele is a member or fellow of: - National Academy of Medicine - Association of American Physicians - American Clinical and Climatological Association - World Association of Medical Editors - Aspen Global Leadership Network - International Science Council - The World Academy of Sciences - World Stroke Organization - American Association for the Advancement of Science - American College of Physicians - Royal College of Physicians - Royal Society for Public Health - European Stroke Organization - African Academy of Sciences - African Scientific Institute - Nigerian Academy of Science - Academy of Medicine Specialties of Nigeria - American Academy of Neurology - American Neurological Association - American Heart Association - American Association for Physician Leadership - AAMC - Liberty Fellowship
He has served on: - NIH NINDS Advisory Council - NIH Council of Councils - FDA Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee
Honorary member of: - Stroke Society of Australasia - Korean Stroke Society
Awards
- 2008 – AAN Michael Pessin Stroke Leadership Prize
- 2021 – ASA William Feinberg Award
- 2021 – AHA Ron Haddock International Impact Award
- 2021 – AHA Stroke Council Award
- 2022 – ABF Mridha Humanitarian Award
- 2022 – AAN Robert Wartenberg Award
- 2022 – ANA Audrey Penn Award
- 2022 – NMA Meritorious Achievement Award
- 2022 – AHA Distinguished Scientist Award
- 2023 – AAN Health Equity Research Award
- 2023 – WSO Award for Services to Stroke
- 2024 – ACP W. Lester Henry Award
- 2024 – ABF Scientific Breakthrough Award
Recognitions
- AHA Service Award – Power to End Stroke Campaign (2006)
- AHA Service Award – LAUSD Hypertension Study (2008)
- Roxana Todd Hodges Stroke Visiting Professorship – USC (2011)
- AAN Visiting Professorship – Morehouse School of Medicine (2011)
- 100 Nigerians Leading Transformational Change (2022)
- Annual Neurology DEI Visiting Professorship – University of Maryland
- Exemplars 100: Most Outstanding Nigerians in the Diaspora (2023)
- Kaplan Stroke Visiting Professorship – NYU (2023)
- Dean’s Distinguished Visiting Professorship – University of Colorado (2023)
- Annual Stroke Visiting Professorship – Duke University (2024)
- NSF PAESMEM Finalist (2024)
- Congressional Record Mention – Health Equity Research (2024)
Articles
- Publications in PubMed Central(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/?term=Bruce+Ovbiagele)
Books
- Stroke Management and Recovery (2013) – Future Medicine
- Best Practices in Neurological Care (2014) – Future Medicine
- Ischemic Stroke Therapeutics: A Comprehensive Guide, 1st Ed. (2016) – Springer
- Intracerebral Hemorrhage Therapeutics (2018) – Springer
- Ischemic Stroke Therapeutics, 2nd Ed. (2024) – Springer
- Achieving Equity in Neurological Practice (2024) – Springer
Personal Life
Ovbiagele is the son of:
- Bruce Ovbiagele Sr., media broadcaster
- Helen Ovbiagele, novelist and journalist
References
External Links
- Bruce Ovbiagele publications indexed by Google Scholar(https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Bruce+Ovbiagele)