25 July 2025

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Dr. Modupe Coker Named Fellow of Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine

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 Dr. Modupe Coker, Associate Professor in the Department of Basic and Translational Sciences at Penn Dental Medicine, has been selected as a 2025-2026 fellow of the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine® (ELAM) program. This is the 31st class of ELAM fellows, which number over 1,600 and serve in leadership positions at 300 academic health centers around the world. The 2025-2026 cohort includes 100 fellows from across the country.

Hosted by Drexel University College of Medicine, ELAM is the only longitudinal program in North America dedicated to preparing women for senior leadership roles in schools of medicine, dentistry, public health and pharmacy. This competitive program is dedicated to developing the professional and personal skills required to lead and manage in today’s complex health care environment, with special attention to the unique challenges facing women in leadership positions.

Dr. Coker serves as Assistant Dean of Clinical and Translational Research and Director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Research (CCTR) at Penn Dental Medicine. A key leader in shaping the school’s clinical research landscape, she drives forward innovative initiatives that strengthen institutional capacity and foster a culture of collaboration and excellence. In her role as Director of CCTR, Dr. Coker leads strategic efforts to expand interdisciplinary research, streamline clinical research operations, and build infrastructure that supports long-term growth. Her work is particularly focused on advancing research data management systems that promote integrity, accessibility, and efficiency across the research lifecycle. In both of her roles, she provides comprehensive oversight of clinical research activities and works closely with investigators across a broad range of studies to ensure their success.

“I am deeply honored to be selected as an ELAM fellow and grateful for the opportunity to grow alongside such an accomplished cohort of women leaders from schools of medicine, public health, dentistry, and pharmacy nationwide” said Dr. Coker. “I am thankful to Dean Wolff and Dr. Ricciardi (my departmental chair) for their mentorship, nomination, and continued support of women in academic leadership. I look forward to applying the skills and insights gained through ELAM to help strengthen our research enterprise and mentor the next generation of clinician-scientists. Amid evolving challenges in academic health, this is truly a critical time to “lock arms” and collaborate with visionary leaders committed to sustaining and strengthening our research and education missions – and I am humbled and excited for all of it!”

The leadership program includes a series of virtual modules during the summer, a curricular cycle from the Fall Session to the Spring Session, and culminates with the Leaders Forum in the spring of 2026, where the fellows present their Institutional Action Projects.

The other current Penn Dental Medicine faculty members who have previously completed the ELAM program include Drs. Anh Le,  Chair and Norman Vine Endowed Professor of Oral Rehabilitation, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/Pharmacology, and Esra Sahingur, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Student Research, and Associate Professor, Department of Periodontics.

Source: https://www.dental.upenn.edu/