Professor of Neurology, Columbia University
Dr Olajide Williams is a tenured Professor of Neurology at Columbia University and Chief of Staff of the Department of Neurology at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. He is a world-renowned leader in stroke disparities and behavior change research in communities of color, and a principal investigator of multiple NIH investigator-initiated awards. Dr Williams has served on several national panels on health disparities, and he is a member of the 2021-2026 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Strategic Planning Committee. An influential clinician-educator, Dr. Williams is a member of the Columbia University’s Virginia Apgar Academy of Medical Educators and Academy of Community and Public Service. He is currently co-Chair of Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s Anti-Racism Task Force, Special Advisor to the Executive Vice President and Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine for Community Affairs, and co-director of the Columbia University Community Wellness Center. Dr Williams is a member of the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons neuroscience course teaching faculty. He sits on the editorial board of Stroke - the pre-eminent journal in the field of stroke – and has published numerous scholarly peer-reviewed articles, including serving as an editor of the “Handbook of Neurological Therapeutics” and as the author of the book "Stroke Diaries".
Dr Williams is the founder and board chair of Hip Hop Public Health, an internationally recognized organization that uses the power of music to create and implement multimedia health promotion programs and resources to improve health literacy and inspire behavior change among young people of color and their families. He is a board member of the Partnership for a Healthier America whose honorary chair is former First Lady Michelle Obama, and has received many prestigious international, national, and regional awards. These include the European Stroke Research Foundation Investigator of the Year award, two-time Columbia University Outstanding Teacher of the Year award for the Major Clinical Year, American Heart Association’s Trailblazer award, and a National Humanism in Medicine award from the Association of American Medical Colleges. Dr. Williams has been named on Fast Company Magazine’s 100 Most Creative People list, Root 100’s most influential Blacks in America list, and consecutive New York Magazine's Best Doctors list.