Olanrewaju Falusi, M.D., M.Ed.

  • Associate Professor of Pediatrics
  • Medical Director of Advocacy Education, Child Health Advocacy Institute
  • Associate Program Director, Pediatric Residency Program
    • M.Ed., Education, George Washington University Graduate School of Education and Human Development, Washington, DC, (2019-2021)
    • M.D., University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, (2001-2005)
    • B.S., Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, (1997-2001)
  • Olanrewaju (Lanre) Falusi, M.D., M.Ed., is a primary care pediatrician and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences focused on the intersection of health equity, advocacy, and education. As Medical Director of Advocacy Education in the Child Health Advocacy Institute of Children’s National Hospital, Dr. Falusi develops community-based curricula for trainees and faculty and researches the health outcomes of governmental policies. She is an Associate Program Director in the Children's National Residency Program, directing the LAUnCH Track, which trains pediatric residents to become leaders in advocacy and community healthcare delivery. She has held local and national leadership positions in the American Academy of Pediatrics and has spoken at conferences, in Congress, and in the media on topics including poverty, immigrant health, and antiracism. She is a Macy Faculty Scholar (Cohort 2023-2025).

    Dr. Falusi's research interests are focused on medical education, social determinants of health (including immigrant health), and advocacy. She is the Principal Investigator of a 5-year, nearly $1 million Primary Care Training and Career Development grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration. The funding supported the creation, implementation, and evaluation of the TEACH (Trainee Education in Advocacy and Community Health) curriculum on child poverty for trainees, including pediatric residents, medical students, and nursing students. The TEACH curriculum, along with the other advocacy curricula she directs, was co-created with community organizations to include innovative ways to teach about social determinants of health, such as using interactive modules and simulations. Dr. Falusi's contributions to the field of immigrant health are focused on utilizing research and clinical experience for legislative advocacy and cross-sector education. She has conducted mixed-methods community-based research on the effect of immigration policy on adolescent mental health, providing evidence of increased anxiety and depressive symptoms related to restrictive immigration policies and discrimination.