January 23, 2019

Elopre named director of Diversity and Inclusion for Graduate Medical Education

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RS15736 Latesha Elopre 2 scrLatesha Elopre, M.D., MSPH, has been named director of Diversity and Inclusion for Graduate Medical Education in the School of Medicine. Elopre is an assistant professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases.

As director, Elopre’s responsibilities will include providing strategic leadership for diversity and inclusion in Graduate Medical Education, co-chairing the DCGME Subcommittee for Diversity and Inclusion, serving as liaison for the GME to the UAB SOM Office for Diversity and Inclusion, and serving as faculty liaison to and adviser for the Underrepresented in Medicine House Staff Council.

“I am absolutely elated to have received the position of director of Diversity and Inclusion for Graduate Medical Education,” said Elopre. "I was honored to work closely with my previous co-chair for the DCGME Subcommittee for Diversity and Inclusion, Dr. Marquita Hicks, to prepare a strategic plan to increase diversity within GME’s main-match programs. In my new role, I will lead the implementation of this initiative, and I look forward to working closely with the Office for Diversity and Inclusion as well as the School of Medicine.”

Elopre completed her medical degree at University of Florida’s College of Medicine. She then underwent internal medicine residency and infectious diseases fellowship training at UAB. During that time, she also received her MSPH in applied epidemiology. Under the mentorship of Michael Mugavero, M.D., her research interests have focused on social determinants of health for STDs, including HIV. Elopre also recently received the Dean’s Excellence Award in Diversity Advancement.

“Dr. Latesha Elopre is the ideal candidate to serve as UAB’s first director of Diversity and Inclusion for Graduate Medical Education,” said Craig Hoesley, M.D., senior associate dean for Medical Education. “She led a data-driven assessment of diversity recruitment within our residency programs in 2018 and has brought forth many innovative ideas to expand our outreach and attract medical students from UAB and across the country to perform their post-graduate clinical training in our health system. I believe her enthusiasm and engagement for developing recruitment strategies to attract the best and brightest physicians will allow our already excellent training programs to achieve new heights.”

Elopre’s role became effective Oct. 1, 2018.