Kafui Dzirasa, M.D Ph.D.

Duke University


Kafui Dzirasa, M.D,Ph.D.

Kafui Dzirasa completed a PhD in Neurobiology at Duke University. His research interests focus using neural technology to understand how changes in the brain produce neurological and mental illness. In 2009, Kafui obtained an MD from the Duke University School of Medicine, and he completed his medical residency in psychiatry in 2016.

Kafui has served on the Board of Directors of the Student National Medical Association: a national organization dedicated to the eradication of health care disparities. Through his service, Kafui has participated in numerous programs geared towards exposing youth to science and technology and providing health education for underserved communities

Kafui has also served as an Associate Scientific Advisor for the journal Science Translational Medicine, a member of the Congressional-mandated Next Generation Research Initiative, and as a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for TEDMED. He currently serves on the Advisory committee for the NIH Director for the BRAIN Initiative.

Kafui Dzirasa, MD PhD is the K. Ranga Rama Krishnan Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University. His laboratory works to discover the neural mechanisms underlying mental illness. He was awarded the International Mental Health Research Organization Rising Star Award, and his laboratory was featured on CBS 60 Minutes in 2011. He was awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2016.