Folashade Otegbeye, MBChB, MPH
Folashade Otegbeye is a physician, researcher, professor, and facility director. Across all these roles, she is focused on treatments for a variety of cancers and diseases of the blood and bone marrow, including leukemias. Dr. Otegbeye specializes in medical oncology, cellular immunotherapy, and blood stem cell transplantation. Born and raised in Nigeria, Dr. Otegbeye moved to the United States to pursue graduate studies. She joined the faculty at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in October 2021.
At Fred Hutch, Dr. Otegbeye conducts research as an Associate Professor in the Clinical Research Division and acts as Facility Director for the Therapeutics Products Service. She also treats patients as a physician at Fred Hutch and works as an Associate Professor at the Division of Medical Oncology at the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine.
"During my medical training and practice in Nigeria, I was frustrated by a lack of access to care. Though there were therapies in wealthier countries for cancers like Burkitt lymphoma, in Nigeria our physicians...were unable to treat it. [This] led me into my career in oncology, followed by specialization in transplant medicine."
— Dr. Folashade Otegbeye
Dr. Otegbeye's Story
Growing up in the city of Zaria in northern Nigeria, Dr. Otegbeye had an interest in science from an early age. Her father was a plant geneticist with a specialty in tree breeding who worked in the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria. Dr. Otegbeye explained that due to her father's career, she and her siblings have always been connected to biology, agriculture, and plants. She recalled in an interview for a Fred Hutch Spotlight article, "When we were kids, we all had to have our own private plots of land, just to grow things" (Russell, 2021). With her father's guidance, Dr. Otegbeye grew corn, rice, soybeans, and tomatoes in her childhood garden. In addition to feeling connected to plants, as a child Dr. Otegbeye loved to write. However, as she considered her post-high school plans, she was encouraged to explore medicine or engineering. She chose a career in medicine, starting with attending medical school at Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife.
Dr. Otegbeye's educational pathway included experiences in Nigeria and the eastern United States before moving to Seattle for her current positions with Fred Hutch, SCCA, and UW. Her pathway includes the following milestones:
- Medical Degree: Obtained Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degree from Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, located in Osun State, Nigeria. This degree is equivalent to a Medical Degree (MD).
- Worked as a Medical Officer for the Nigerian Institute of Oil Palm Research Health Services Unit.
- Master's Degree: Obtained Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from Harvard School of Public Health, Massachusetts. This included completing a research practicum with the Division of Public Health Practice focused on cancer survivorship strategies for Boston-area community health centers.
- Residency: Completed a three-year internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Bridgeport Hospital Yale New Haven Health, Connecticut.
- Fellowship: Completed a three-year fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at Case Western Reserve, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Ohio.
- Worked as Assistant Professor and Medical Director for the Cellular Therapy Laboratory at Case Western Reserve, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center in Ohio before moving to Seattle in October 2021 as a stem cell transplant physician and clinical researcher.
Poems and Nature
In her free time, Dr. Otegbeye continues to explore her love for creative writing by writing poems and short stories. With a childhood rooted in connecting with plants, she also enjoys the lush, green forests of the Pacific Northwest and can be found exploring hiking trails in the nearby Cascade Mountains.
A Day in the Life
In the lab, she studies the immunology of therapies for a variety of cancers, with a focus on stem cell transplant and immune cell therapy. However, while many cancer researchers focus on the power of T-cells in the immune system to attack cancerous cells, Dr. Otegbeye's research focuses elsewhere.
Natural Killer cells to the rescue! Dr. Otegbeye's research focuses on how Natural Killer (NK) cells can be modified to help them better detect and destroy cancer tumors. NK cells are a special type of white blood cell that is part of the body's innate immune response. They find and destroy cancerous and virally infected cells, while also secreting chemical messages that help activate other immune cells, like T-cells and B-cells, that make up the body's longer-lasting, adaptive immune response.
As Facility Director of the Therapeutic Products Service at Fred Hutch, Dr. Otegbeye is responsible for ensuring that researchers across Fred Hutch have access to the biologic and cellular therapeutic products that they need for running their clinical trials. This Service helps researchers move from "concept to product delivery." It includes a Cell Processing Facility and a Biologics Production Facility. A Quality Team ensures that all products produced by the two facilities are of the highest quality and safe to use with patients. Everything is tightly controlled, follows current Good Manufacturing Practices, and is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (US FDA).
Video: Fred Hutch's Cell Processing Facility
Watch a Virtual Tour of Fred Hutch's Cell Processing Facility which provides cell lines for use in clinical trials. You will see the gowning and de-gowning areas, manufacturing suites, processing equipment, and quality control procedures. (Video by Robert Hood/Fred Hutch News Service).
You can also watch a virtual tour of the Biologics Production Facility, which produces biologic drugs for use in clinical trials.
Advice for Students
Her advice for high school and undergraduate students interested in oncology and transplant medicine? Reach out and talk to people who work at different jobs within the fields that you are considering. Dr. Otegbeye noted that these professionals may be people like "doctors, nurses, public health experts, or laboratory researchers." She noted, "you gain perspective (and get more contacts) from everyone in the field regardless of their actual job description."
"What I like best about my work: helping patients and their families/caregivers navigate the very difficult journey in their fight against blood cancers ."
— Dr. Otegbeye
U.S. Wage Information
According to the 2023 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics:
- The median wage for physicians in the U.S. is $239,200
- The median wage for medical scientists in the U.S. is $100,890
Additional Resources
Credit: Thank you Dr. Otegbeye for participating in this project. Information used to compile this profile sourced from Fred Hutch Faculty Spotlight (Sabin Russell, November 2021), Fred Hutch Faculty Directory, and SCCA Provider Directory. Career profile written by Dr. Kristen Clapper Bergsman.