July 11, 2025

Ramesh Raghupathi, PhD, has been appointed associate dean, health equity research and innovation in the Office of Community Health and Inclusive Excellence (OCHIE) at the College of Medicine.

Under the leadership of Annette Gadegbeku, MD, senior associate dean, OCHIE, Dr. Raghupathi will conduct, promote and supervise research as it relates to health equity across the College’s education, clinical service, research and community engagement missions. He will develop, implement and oversee strategic planning for the Office of Health Equity Research & Innovation, propelling forward the centralization of health equity-related and community-based participatory research.

In this new role, Dr. Raghupathi will provide direction, oversight and mentoring for faculty, professional staff and students in grant-writing, research studies and publications related to health equity. He is charged with identifying and obtaining grant support for programs and activities to improve health outcomes in our neighboring communities and our regional medical campuses.

A tenured professor in the Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, Dr. Raghupathi has been a faculty member since 2003. He has mentored countless students in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Professional Studies and in the community. His research focuses on sex differences in infant and adolescent traumatic brain injuries. His commitment to making science accessible to everyone is evidenced by his impressive catalogue of published articles and interviews. In 2023, he received the Institutional Service Award at the College of Medicine for his commitment to collaborating and leading internal committees, task forces and other institutional activities. He is currently a Drexel Faculty Senator, representing the College’s interests at this important University governing body.

Dr. Raghupathi is currently vice chair, Neuroscience Discipline, for the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students. He serves on the U.S.-Canada Regional Committee of the International Brain Research Organization, the Professional Development Committee for the Society for Neuroscience, and the Program Committee of the National Neurotrauma Society Annual Meeting, and he is secretary of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience. He is local host for the 2025 National Neurotrauma Society Annual Meeting and associate editor of Frontiers in Neuroscience.