Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has appointed Nigerian-American Dr Joseph Ladapo as the state’s surgeon-general and secretary of the Department of Health.
In a statement posted on the Florida Department of Health website, Mr DeSantis stated that he was pleased to announce Ladapo for the position.
“I am pleased to announce that Ladapo will lead the Florida Department of Health as our state’s next surgeon-general
“Ladapo comes to us by way of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, with a superb background,” he said.
According to him, Ladapo has had both a remarkable academic and medical career with strong emphasis in health policy research.
Lieutenant-Governor Jeanette Nuñez described Ladapo as “an excellent choice to serve as our next surgeon-general.”
“Ladapo has impeccable credentials and a strong vision to effectively serve the people of Florida at the helm of our public health agency.
“Through his service to our state, we will continue Florida’s work to advance our public health goals,” Nuñez said.
Ladapo said he was honored by the appointment. “We must make health policy decisions rooted in data and not in fear,” he said.
Ladapo was recently granted professorship at the University of Florida (UF) College of Medicine.
Prior to joining UF, he served as an associate professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), caring for hospitalised patients.
He is a graduate of Wake Forest University, who also holds an MD from Harvard Medical School and a PhD in health policy from Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
