Taofeek K. Owonikoko, MD, PhD, Executive Director of the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCCC), has been named one of the 25 Black Marylanders to Watch for 2025 by The Baltimore Sun.
The award recognizes extraordinary leaders working to positively impact the lives, health, education, and experiences of all Maryland residents. In celebration of Black History Month, Dr. Owonikoko joins 24 other notables who were chosen by The Sun’s editors and reporters in recognition of their important contributions and the progress being made in their fields.
“I am deeply honored by this recognition and to be a part of this select and highly dedicated group of professionals serving Maryland,” said Dr. Owonikoko, who is also the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Distinguished Professor of Oncology, Associate Vice President of Cancer Programs, and Senior Associate Dean of Cancer Programs at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. “I am inspired every day by the commitment of my UMGCCC colleagues to pursue innovative solutions to improve lives here in Maryland and across the globe.”
Dr. Owonikoko joined UMGCCC in January 2024 and has already made an impact on the community. In April, UMGCCC secured an $8 million public-private partnership with AstraZeneca to provide greater access to lung cancer screening throughout Maryland.
A thoracic oncologist who specializes in treating patients with lung cancer, Dr. Owonikoko is also a distinguished translational physician-scientist with research interests in preclinical experimental therapeutics, biomarker discovery, and translation of promising laboratory findings into clinical trials.
Dr. Owonikoko was spotlighted in The Sun’s online and print publications.