Olihe Okoro, PhD, MPH, MPharm

Bio

Olihe Okoro is a social and behavioral scientist, and community-engaged researcher. She has years of experience working collaboratively with Black/African American communities and patient populations to investigate root causes of health disparities and implement community-based health interventions.  Olihe is committed to integrating structural and cultural competencies into pharmacy education and practice. She is also passionate about providing relevant mentoring and instrumental support for students of color who aspire to healthcare and allied professions. Through these efforts, Olihe’s work continues to contribute to enhancing health and healthcare for underserved populations, towards the goal of achieving health equity for all.

Professional Associations

Association of American Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP); American Public Health Association (APHA); Minnesota Public Health Association (MPHA)

Research Interests

• Health Disparities
• Social and Behavioral issues in Healthcare Services and Medication Utilization
• Linkage to care and Medication adherence in vulnerable populations living with HIV/AIDS
• Structural and Cultural Competencies in Pharmacy Education and Healthcare Delivery

Okoro, O. N., Whitson S. O., Nambangi M. N., Ballay-Swaray V. K., Rotich V. C., Boumi A. E., Gobina E. N. (2023). Developing a Culturally Responsive Sexual and Reproductive Health Curriculum for HIV Prevention among African Immigrant Women, Medical Research Archives. [online] 11 (3). DOI: https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v11i3.3646

Cernasev, A. A., Larson, W., Peden-McAlpine, C., Ranelli, P., Okoro, O., & Schommer, J. (2023). African-born persons living with HIV in Minnesota at the intersection of culture and US healthcare system. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 19(7), 17.

Okoro, O., Vosen, E. C., Allen, K., Kennedy, J., Roberts, R., & Aremu, T. (2022). COVID-19 impact on mental health, healthcare access and social wellbeing–a black community needs assessment. International journal for equity in health, 21(1), 1-11.

Okoro, O. N., Hillman, L. A., & Cernasev, A. (2022). Intersectional invisibility experiences of low-income African-American women in healthcare encounters. Ethnicity & Health, 27(6), 1290-1309.

Okoro, O., Kennedy, J., Simmons, G., Vosen, E. C., Allen, K., Singer, D., & Roberts, R. (2021). Exploring the scope and dimensions of vaccine hesitancy and resistance to enhance COVID-19 vaccination in Black communities. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 1-14.

Okoro, O. N., & Whitson, S. O. (2017). HIV risk and barriers to care for African-born immigrant women: a sociocultural outlook. International Journal of Women's Health, 421-429.

See Google Scholar for comprehensive list of publications.