Governor Ron DeSantis has appointed Nigeria-born Dr Joseph A. Ladapo as Florida Surgeon General and Secretary of the Florida Department of Health.
DeSantis hailed Ladapo’s “superb background” and remarkable academic and medical career with a strong emphasis in health policy research.
Lieutenant Governor, Jeanette Nuñez described Ladapo as an excellent choice for the position.
Nuñez said the doctor has impeccable credentials and “a strong vision to effectively serve the people of Florida at the helm of our public health agency”.
In his remarks, Ladapo stressed that health policy decisions must be rooted in data and not in fear.
Noting that it is a privilege to serve the people, he commended DeSantis for his determination to ensure that Floridians get opportunities to maintain their health and wellness.
The new Surgeon General was born in Nigeria and immigrated to the United States along with his family at age 5. His father is a microbiologist.
Ladapo was recently granted a professorship at the University of Florida (UF) College of Medicine. He served as an associate professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
The graduate of Wake Forest University also holds an MD from Harvard Medical School and a PhD in Health Policy from Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
Ladapo is a physician and health policy researcher whose primary research interests include clinical trial interventions and reducing the population burden of cardiovascular disease.
The Nigerian-American won the Daniel Ford Award for health services and outcomes research. He and his wife have three children.
