10 Oct ITHS Faculty Leader Elected to National Academy of Medicine
Congratulations to ITHS Faculty Co-Director of Integrating Special Populations, Tumaini Rucker Coker, MD, MBA, for being elected to the National Academy of Medicine.
Dr. Coker is one of three professors at the University of Washington elected to the National Academy of Medicine in recognition of excellence in the fields of health and medicine, along with a commitment to volunteer service. Election to the Academy is considered one of the most prestigious honors in health and medicine.
Dr. Coker heads the General Pediatrics department at Seattle Children’s Hospital and is co-director of the UW Child Health Equity Research Fellowship. Her research focuses on eliminating health and health care disparities for Black and Latinx children, as well as families in low-income communities. The Academy cited her leadership in advancing child health equity and work that has “transformed our understanding of how to deliver child preventive health care during the critical early childhood period to achieve equitable health outcomes and reduce disparities.”
She is the founder and former director of the Health Equity Research Program at Seattle Children’s Center for Diversity and Health Equity.
ITHS Executive Director, Tong Sun had this to say:
We are extremely proud of Dr. Coker and feel she exemplifies the spirit of innovation and excellence that defines our institution’s mission.
Dr. Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, a professor of epidemiology and of pediatrics, and Hongkui Zeng, an affiliate professor of biochemistry, are the other two notable UW faculty members among the 100 new members announced Oct. 9. Seven UW faculty members have been elected to the Academy in the past four years. (UW News)
