Olusola Ajilore, MD, PhD
Professor of Psychiatry, Co-Director, Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP)
Associate Head for Faculty Development University of Illinois Center for Depression and Resilience (UI CDR)
Director, Mood and Anxiety Disorders
Program Director, Clinical Research Core/Center for Clinical and Translational Science
Director, Adult Neuroscience Residency Research Track
BIRCWH Mentor; Department of Psychiatry
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About
Ajilore is the Center for Depression and Resilience Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois-Chicago. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with a degree in biology. Dr. Ajilore did his MD/PhD degree at Stanford University where he studied the negative effects of stress hormones on the brain. His lab currently uses computational neuroimaging techniques and digital biomarkers to better track and treat neuropsychiatric disorders. Dr. Ajilore also serves as the Associate Head for Faculty Development, the director the Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program and as a member of the National Advisory Mental Health Council for NIMH.
Dr. Ajilore's research goal is to understand the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder in the context of medical co-morbidities and late life using novel magnetic resonance imaging techniques. His group focuses on using structural and functional brain connectivity to study the brain as a network. Using these modalities, they have developed innovative ways of discovering brain alterations associated with major depression that may lead to patient-specific targets for intervention and treatment.
Throughout Dr. Ajilore’s career, he has trained undergraduate students through UIC’s Urban Health Program and Honors College as well as graduate students in UIC’s MSTP. Additionally, he has served on numerous dissertation committees and mentored research track residents developing careers in academic psychiatry. As a product of a Medical Scientist Training Program, he understands the unique challenges of pursuing a dual degree. As an underrepresented minority in medicine, he also understands the importance of promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in the training of emerging physician-scientists.