FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

National Minority Quality Forum Announces 2026
“40 Under 40 Leaders in Minority Health” Award Recipients

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 10, 2026) —Today, National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) announced its 40 Under 40 Leaders in Minority Health for 2025 that will receive recognition and awards at the NMQF Leadership Summit on Health Disparities and Health Braintrust on April 27-28th in Washington, D.C.

Last month, NMQF announced the Summit’s 2026 theme: “ACCESS: Advancing Community-Centered Care through Environment Sensitive Standards” grounded in NMQF’s Physical Laws Framework (PLF), which recognizes that health outcomes are shaped by the biological and environmental conditions in which people live. By convening policymakers, health system leaders, researchers, and community partners, the Summit will examine how PLF-informed care models, data-driven policy, and community-rooted strategies can strengthen access to care and improve health outcomes in underserved communities.

Since 2016, NMQF has annually selected 40 health leaders from minoritized populations under the age of 40 who have been leading the charge to better patient outcomes and build sustainable healthy communities. These leaders are clinicians, patient advocates, researchers, and policy influencers. These 40 leaders have persevered in strengthening their communities and reducing health disparities amid ongoing challenges within the healthcare system.

“At a time when health disparities continue to challenge our system, supporting emerging leaders is essential to advancing a more equitable future,” said Dr. Gary Puckrein, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Minority Quality Forum. “The leaders we recognize today are not only driving innovation in health care—they are helping redefine what equitable, community-centered care should look like for underserved populations across the country.”

“This next generation of leaders are solving the problems of our healthcare systems today and building healthier communities for tomorrow,” said Rep. Robin Kelly, Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust. “Our most vulnerable communities depend on our healthcare infrastructure, and I’m confident that these leaders will elevate the standard of care for every patient.”

The 40 Under 40 Winners will receive their awards during the 2026 NMQF Summit on Health Disparities and Health Braintrust April 27 – 28, 2026. For information and registration, please visit https://nmqf.org/annual-summits/2026-annual-leadership-summit/.

40 Under 40 Leaders in Minority Health for 2026

Chidimma J. Acholonu MD, MPH

Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellow 

Children’s National Hospital in Washington D.C.

Samantha Alonis, MS

Associate Director, Office of Prevention and Health Promotion

Illinois Department of Human Services – Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery

Khin-Kyemon Aung, MD, MBA

Vice President and Medical Director of Health Care Services & Population Health

SCAN Health Plan

Annie M. Bailey, MD, MPH, Dip. ABLM, Dip. ABOM, FAAFP

Family, Lifestyle & Obesity Medicine Physician 

MedStar Health | Chief Wellness Curator, Evergreen Lanes

Leandra A. Barnes, MD, FAAD

Instructor of Dermatology

Stanford University School of Medicine

Jermaine Blakley

Doctor of Medicine Candidate

Howard University College of Medicine

Jared E. Boyce, ScM

MD/PhD Student

University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Dominique Carter, PhD

Principal

Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC

Joniqua N. Ceasar, MD

Post-doctoral Research Fellow

University of Pennsylvania

Kevin Chen, MD, MHS

Director, Ambulatory Care Innovation Lab

NYC Health + Hospitals

Marius I. Chukwurah, MD, FACC

Sports Cardiologist & Clinical Lipidologist

MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute

Mattina Davenport, PhD

Assistant Professor

Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University School of Medicine

Nwando Egbuche Ofokansi, MA

Project Officer

The Health Equity Zones Initiative

Victor Ekuta, MD

Neurology Resident Physician

Morehouse School of Medicine 

Mateo Espinosa Tokuhama, MPH

Assistant Director/Research Coordinator

NYC Health and Hospitals Elmhurst

Jessica Faiz, MD, MSHPM

Assistant Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine

University of California, Los Angeles

Gabriel Felix, MD

Psychiatrist

Cambridge Health Alliance

Anjali Ferguson, Ph.D.

President and CEO

Parenting Culture

Michael H. Forde, DrPH, MSPH

Director of Health Equity

Aetna Better Health of Maryland

Michael O. Fraser, JD, MPH

Senior Legislative Counsel

U.S. House of Representatives

Sundeep Grandhe, MD, PhD(c), CPE, DipABLM, HEC-C, HMDC, FACHE, FAAHPM

Chief Executive Officer

Central Valley Hospice Palliative Medicine 

Alani Gregory, MD, FACP

Head of Health Equity & Belonging

Amazon One Medical

Maritza T. Harper, MD, MS

Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Ahmad M. Hider, MD, MPhil

General Surgery Resident

University of Colorado

Eboni Jean-Charles, MBA, MS

Director of Programs and Community Engagement

Amplify Community Resources 

Stacia Johnston, MS

Director, Community Health

American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Kyran Jones, PharmD, RPh, BCMAS

Therapeutic Area Lead, Health Equity & Clinical Innovation

Biogen

Josephina Lin, MS

Research, Communications, and Health Equity Associate

Harvard Medical School 

Michael Liu, MD, MPhil

Resident Physician/Research Fellow

Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Smith Center for Outcomes Research

Jelece Morris, MS, MBA

Director of Strategy

DaVita

Samyukta Mullangi, MD, MBA

VP, Clinical Strategy

OpenEvidence and Medical Oncologist at Tennessee Oncology

Tiffany Nguyen, PharmD

Director of Medications for Addiction Treatment (MAT) Services

AltaMed Health Services Corporation

Kelechi Ngwangwa MD, FAAP

Associate Medical Director Of Pediatrics

NYU Langone Health

Obiageli (Oby) Nwabuzor, DrPH, MBA

Director, Social Drivers of Health Strategy; Founder

Advocate Health; Envision Growth

Brooklyn Olumba, PharmD, BCPS

Memorial Hermann Health System

Advocacy

Jessica Pius-Nwagwu MSN,BSN,RN

Director, Primary Care and Quality

American Diabetes Association

Kristyn J. Smith, DO, FAAEM

Assistant Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine

Perelman School of Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Monet Stanford, PharmD

Senior Vice President, Healthcare, 

Washington Analysis

Dimitri Tito, DO

Physician

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Shebra Ward, MBA, MHA

Public Health Manager

City of Flint

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Media Contact:
Adjoa Kyerematen
Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications
National Minority Quality Forum
akyerematen@nmqf.org | (202) 220-8505

About NMQF:
Founded in 1998, the National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) is a United States-based health care research, education, and advocacy organization whose mission is to reduce patient risk and advance health equity by ensuring optimal care for all. NMQF utilizes data and research to support and mobilize healthcare organizations, leaders, policymakers, and patients in advocating for biologically-aligned care that reduces hospitalizations, disabilities, and deaths while promoting high-quality, long lives, particularly for the most vulnerable. For more information, visit www.nmqf.org.