Gbenga Ogedegbe, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.

Gbenga Ogedegbe, M.D., M.P.H., M.S., is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the department of medicine. His research interest is focused primarily on minority health with special emphasis on the mechanisms and reduction of health disparities in hypertension-related outcomes. Specifically, he is conducting multi- and interdisciplinary behavioral interventions targeted at improving medication adherence and blood pressure control among hypertensive African American patients, who receive care in community-based primary care settings. This line of research will ultimately lead to the development and implementation of community-based behavioral interventions targeted at cardiovascular risk reduction in minority patients. Dr. Ogedegbe is the principal investigator on two NHLBI-funded R01 behavioral intervention trials. Using a multidisciplinary focus, one of such studies will investigate the effectiveness of interventions targeted at both patients and physicians in improving BP control among 1058 hypertensive African Americans in 30 community-health centers in New York City. Co-investigators in this endeavor include clinical psychologists, clinical hypertension specialists, social epidemiologist, registered dieticians/nutritionist and health educators. Other behavioral intervention studies are focused on blood pressure reduction among minority elders in senior centers and faith-based organizations. To this end, Dr. Ogedegbe has formed community-based partnerships with several organizations including New York City Department of Health’s Office of Minority Health; several Senior Centers and Faith-based Organizations in New York City. His long-term goal is to develop a cadre of effective practice-based behavioral approaches that are easily sustainable and can be translated into practice among low-income minority patients with uncontrolled hypertension.