Oluwadamilola Fayanju, MD, MA, MPHS
Chief, Division of Breast Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Health System
Highlights
- LBBC Medical Advisory Board member since 2023
- Helen O. Dickens Presidential Associate Professor, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
- Chief of the Division of Breast Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Health System (Penn Medicine)
- Surgical Director, Rena Rowan Breast Center, Abramson Cancer Center,
- Director of Health Equity Innovation, Penn Center for Cancer Care Innovation
- Senior Fellow, Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at Penn
Connect with Dr. Fayanju
Dr. Oluwadamilola “Lola” Fayanju, MD, MA, MPHS, FACS, serves as the chief of the division of breast surgery for the University of Pennsylvania Health System (Penn Medicine), where she is also the surgical director of the Rena Rowan Breast Center in the Abramson Cancer Center.
Additionally, Dr. Fayanju holds the position of director of health equity innovation at the Penn Center for Cancer Care Innovation (PC3I) and is a senior fellow in the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (LDI) at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Fayanju, an academic breast surgical oncologist, conducts research in four key areas:
Addressing disparities and promoting equity in breast cancer presentation, guideline-led treatment, outcomes, and clinical trial participation.
Improving predictions and treatments for biologically aggressive types of breast cancer, including inflammatory, lobular, and metaplastic carcinoma.
Optimizing oncologic care through the collection and application of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and data on social determinants of health (SDOH).
Promoting and educating on the importance of race, ethnicity, and gender in research and fostering a diverse healthcare and medical research workforce.
Dr. Fayanju earned her undergraduate degree in history and science, and an MA in comparative literature from Harvard University. She received her MD and a master’s of population health sciences (MPHS) from Washington University in St. Louis, where she also completed her residency in general surgery. Furthermore, she completed fellowship training in breast surgical oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. In 2019, she was recognized by the National Academy of Medicine as an Emerging Leader in Health and Medicine Scholar.
Her research is supported by a diverse array of organizations including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), and she has published in a variety of journals including the Annals of Surgery, Cancer, the Journal of Clinical Oncology, JCO Oncology Practice, JAMA Oncology, JAMA Surgery, and JAMA.
Experience & Accolades
Expertise
- Breast surgical oncology
- Health equity innovation
Education
- Washington University of St. Louis
- Masters of Population Health Sciences
- Doctor of Medicine
- Harvard University
- Masters of Comparative Literature
- Bachelor of History
- Bachelor of Science
Experience
- The University of Pennsylvania (2021-Present)
- Helen O. Dickens Presidential Associate Professor
- Chief, division of breast surgery, Perelman School of Medicine
- Director, health equity innovation, Abramson Cancer Center
- Associate director, Penn Center for Cancer Innovation, Abramson Cancer Center
- Surgical director, Rena Rowan Breast Center, Abramson Cancer Center
- Chief, breast surgery, division of endocrine & oncologic surgery, Perelman School of Medicine
- Duke University School of Medicine (2019-2021)
- Associate Director, disparities and value in healthcare, Duke Forge
- Associate professor, department of population health sciences
- Assistant professor, department of population health sciences
- Associate professor, department of surgery
- Assistant professor, department of surgery
- Duke Cancer Institute (2018-2021)
- Surgical lead, Inflammatory Breast Cancer Clinic
- Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center (2016-2021)
- Director, Breast Clinic
- University of Texas/MD Anderson Cancer Center (2015-2016)
- Fellow, breast surgical oncology
- Clinical specialist in surgical oncology
- Washington University School of Medicine (2010-2013)
- Clinical research fellow, surgical oncology
- Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University School of Medicine (2007-2015)
- Resident in general surgery
Awards & Distinctions
- Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) Investigator, 2023
- Joan F. Giambalvo Fund for the Advancement of Women, American Medical Association Foundation, 2023
- AAS Representative to 2023 Royal Australasia College of Surgeons Developing Careers in Academic Surgery Conference and Annual Meeting, 2023
- Carole P. & F. Otto Haas Junior Faculty in Clinical Oncology Award, University of Pennsylvania, 2022
- Helen O. Dickens Presidential Professorship (inaugural), University of Pennsylvania, 2021
- Rhoads Orator, Philadelphia Academy of Surgery, 2021
- International Visiting Professorship Award, Association for Academic Surgery (AAS) West African College of Surgeons, 2020
- Certificate of Recognition, Veteran Affairs (VA) ICARE (Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence), 2019
- Duke Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) KL2 Career Development Scholar (stopped in 2019 with receipt of K08), 2017-2020
- Poster Grand Rounds Selection, Society of Surgical Oncology, 2016
- Merit Award, Conquer Cancer Foundation of the American Society of Clinical Oncology Quality Care Symposium, 2016
- 2nd prize, Resident/Fellow Competition, CoC Abstract Contest, Missouri Chapter, American College of Surgeons, 2013
- Merit Award, Conquer Cancer Foundation of American Society of Clinical Oncology Breast Cancer Symposium, 2012
- 1st prize, Resident/Fellow Competition, Commission on Cancer (CoC Abstract Contest), Missouri Chapter of the American College of Surgeons, 2012
- Finalist, Resident and Associate Society of the American College of Surgeons Essay Contest, 2012
- Resident Teaching Award, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine (received 2011-12 and 2012-13)
- Academic Women's Network Student Leadership Award, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, 2007
- Dr. Harvey Butcher Prize in Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, 2007
- Doctor Helen E. Nash Academic Achievement Award, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, 2006
- The Frank O. Richards Medical Student Scholarship Prize, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, 2004
- Antoinette Frances Dames Award in Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, 2004
- Distinguished Minority Scholarship Prize, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, 2004
- John V. Kelleher Prize, Harvard University, 2001
- Elizabeth Cary Agassiz Certificate of Merit, 1998-2001
Professional Memberships & Board Positions
- Society of University Surgeons (2022-Present)
- American Association for Cancer Research (2021-Present)
- Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (2021-Present)
- Society of Asian Academic Surgeons (2021-Present)
- Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium (2018-Present)
- Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology (2017-Present)
- American Society of Clinical Oncology (2016-Present)
- Association of Women Surgeons (2016-Present)
- Society of Black Academic Surgeons (2016-Present)
- Surgical Outcomes Club (2016-Present)
- Society of Surgical Oncology (2014-Present)
- American Society of Breast Surgeons (2012-Present)
- Association for Academic Surgery (2011-Present)
- American College of Surgeons (2007-Present)
- Member, Diversity & Inclusion in Metastatic Breast Cancer Clinical Trials Steering Committee, Health
- Policy Partnership, London (2022-2023)
- National Academy of Medicine (2019-2022)
Publications
- Iwai Y, Yu AYL, Thomas SM, et. al. Survey Study of Clerkship Curriculum on Learner's Choice to Pursue Surgery: Positive Impact of Extracurricular Opportunities. J Surg Educ., 2023
- Symecko H, Schnoll R, Beidas RS, et al. Protocol to evaluate sequential electronic health record-based strategies to increase genetic testing for breast and ovarian cancer risk across diverse patient populations in gynecology practices. Implement Sci., 2023
- McCarthy AM, Fernandez Perez C, Beidas RS, et. al. Protocol for a pragmatic stepped wedge cluster randomized clinical trial testing behavioral economic implementation strategies to increase supplemental breast MRI screening among patients with extremely dense breasts. Implement Sci., 2023
- Gearhart-Serna LM, Mills BA, Hsu H, et. al. Cumulative environmental quality is associated with breast cancer incidence differentially by summary stage and urbanicity. Sci Rep., 2023
- Shah SA, Zhang Y, Correa AM, et. al. Rates of price disclosure associated with the surgical treatment of early-stage breast cancer one year after implementation of federal regulations. Breast Cancer Res Treat., 2023
