Chinua Achebe’s Daughter Maureen Receives Harvard Medical School Award

Maureen Achebe, daughter of celebrated late novelist Chinua Achebe, has been honoured with the Brigham and Women’s Hospital 2024 Faculty Development and Diversity Award.

The announcement was made by her brother, Chidi Achebe, on LinkedIn on July 2, 2024.

Chidi Achebe, who serves as the chairman of the African Integrated Development Enterprise Public Benefit Corporation, shared that Maureen was notified of her award in a letter dated July 2, 2024. He expressed his pride and gratitude in his post, stating, “To God be the glory always! Ekenedili Chukwunna! Very big deal at Harvard! All glory to God!”

The post continued, “Sweetie: Very proud of you. Keep on keeping on!”

Maureen Achebe is an accomplished medical professional with a significant portfolio of roles. She serves as the President of AIDE Healthcare International, Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, Director of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Outpatient Infusion Center, Clinical Director of the Non-Malignant Hematology Clinic, and Director of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Sickle Cell Program. She is also a triple-board certified specialist in Medical Oncology, Hematology, and Internal Medicine.

Her educational background includes a medical degree from the University of Port Harcourt in Nigeria, Haematology and Medical Oncology training at Yale School of Medicine, and a Master’s in Public Health from Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Dr. Achebe is also deeply involved in clinical trials and translational research, having played a key role in the development of two US FDA-approved drugs for sickle cell disease (SCD). She co-chairs the data subcommittee of the American Society of Hematology Consortium on Newborn Screening for Sickle Cell Disease in Africa, which aims to demonstrate the benefits of screening and early intervention for SCD in seven countries across sub-Saharan Africa.

Additionally, she serves as a commissioner on the Lancet Non-Communicable Disease and Injuries Nigeria Poverty Commission, where she advises on policies and interventions to reduce the SCD burden in Nigeria.

Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a premier teaching hospital affiliated with Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, will honour Dr. Maureen Achebe for her outstanding achievements at a ceremony on October 28, 2024.