Ochsner Health is the leading nonprofit healthcare provider in the Gulf South. Ochsner inspires healthier lives and stronger communities through our mission to serve, heal, lead, educate and innovate.
Ochsner announces Dr. Nneka Ifejika as Ferber Endowed Chair
NEW ORLEANS, La. -- Ochsner Health is proud to announce that Dr. Nneka Ifejika, chief scientific officer for Ochsner Health, has been named the Ferber Endowed Chair, a prestigious, three-year role. Dr. Ifejika was selected for her leadership in clinical innovation, research and physician education.
"Dr. Nneka Ifejika’s appointment as the Ferber Endowed Chair represents a significant milestone for Ochsner Health and our commitment to advancing groundbreaking research and excellence in patient care,” said Leonardo Seoane, MD, FACP, executive vice president and chief academic officer for Ochsner Health. “Her leadership and expertise will drive innovations that improve outcomes for the patients and communities we serve.”
The endowment will support Dr. Ifejika’s research and work advancing novel approaches in stroke recovery, as well as her mentorship of faculty and residents. She will help advance research at Ochsner Medical Center – New Orleans by focusing on recruitment and career development of physicians committed to funded research. The endowment is funded by a generous gift from a trust.
Dr. Ifejika provides oversight to 625 clinical studies in 30 medical specialties, the Ochsner Biorepository, Center for Outcomes Research and the BioDesign Lab. She provides research education and onboarding for medical students, residents, fellows and faculty at Ochsner and mentors emerging clinicians and scientists through the Stroke Outcomes & Continuum of Care Research (SOCCR) Lab. She is known for her innovative work in early stroke recovery and care transitions.
Her research and clinical leadership have earned her multiple national honors, including two United States Congressional Commendations in 2016 and 2018. She has also won the American Heart Association’s Paul Dudley White International Scholar Award - United States for the highest ranked research abstract submitted to the International Stroke Conference in 2023 and 2024 and participated in visiting professorships at Stanford University and Northwestern University.
Ochsner Health is committed to pursuing endowments, grants and partnerships to advance medical knowledge and improve patient care. Other prestigious research grants and endowments held by Ochsner faculty include:
The Endowed John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute Professorship in Cardiovascular Innovation, which funds innovation in clinical care, research, and physician training.
The Edward D. Frohlich, MD Endowed Memorial Lecture and Professorship that supports research, education and patient care within the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute.
The Brooks Emory, MD Endowed Professorship in Pulmonary and Critical Care supports the training of physicians in Critical Care, Pulmonary, and Lung Transplant Pulmonology.
Dr. Ifejika joined Ochsner in 2024. Her appointment as Ferber Endowed Chair runs through December 31, 2027.
About Ochsner Health
Ochsner Health is the leading nonprofit healthcare provider in the Gulf South, delivering expert care at its 46 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers. For 14 consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report has recognized Ochsner as the No. 1 hospital in Louisiana. Additionally, Ochsner Children’s has been recognized as the No. 1 hospital for kids in Louisiana for four consecutive years. Ochsner inspires healthier lives and stronger communities through a combination of standard-setting expertise, quality and connection not found anywhere else in the region. In 2024, Ochsner Health cared for more than 1.6 million people from every state in the nation and 63 countries. Ochsner’s workforce includes more than 40,000 dedicated team members and over 4,900 employed and affiliated physicians. To learn more about how Ochsner empowers people to get well and stay well, visit https://www.ochsner.org/.
