Oluwole Jegede, MD, MPH, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry, is a 2026 recipient of a Yale Physician Scientist Development Award in collaboration with the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation Scholars Program.
Over the award’s 24-month term, Jegede will seek to develop his career as a clinical/translational scientist and will receive a salary to support protected time to conduct research, prepare data for publication, apply for grants, and begin to establish an independent research program.
Jegede will also be required to attend and submit abstracts to one or two regional/national Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) meetings annually and to attend local YCCI educational events, including but not limited to Yale-Rockefeller Day, Robert S. Sherwin All Scholar Day, and the Janeway Society Annual Retreat.
Jegede’s mentors will be Drs. Ismene Petrakis, Chyrell Bellamy, Brian Kiluk, Sara Becker (Northwestern University), and Carla Rash (University of Connecticut).
Jegede’s research seeks to develop a stakeholder-centered, culturally adapted contingency management (CM) intervention for adults with stimulant use disorder (cocaine and methamphetamine). Grounded in community engagement and culturally responsive intervention design, the study will use insights from patients, families, community members, and clinicians to adapt CM while preserving its core evidence-based elements. The long-term goal is to improve treatment engagement, reduce disparities, and advance equity in addiction care for African American/Black adults and other historically underserved communities.