Biography

ROBERT KOFFIE is a Neurosurgery Resident at Massachusetts General Hospital. He received his MD and PhD from Harvard University. He recently completed his Ph.D. in biophysics at Harvard, where his thesis focused on applying nanotechnology and cutting edge molecular imaging methods to deciphering how synapses dysfunction in neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer's disease. Robert was born in Ghana and came to the US in 2002. He is a naturalized citizen. Robert completed his undergraduate work at Indiana University in three years, graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with BS degrees in physics and biochemistry. At Indiana University, he held the Herman B. Wells Scholarship. In addition, he was a recipient of Goldwater and McNair scholarships. Passionate about physics, biochemistry and mathematics, Robert worked in many laboratories at Indiana University. The results of one study will be submitted to the Journal of the American Chemical Society for publication, with Robert as the first author. While still in Ghana, Robert volunteered with Doctors Without Borders, helping to care for villagers with infectious diseases in Ghana and Togo. Robert helped found the Indiana University (IU) Organization of Black Chemists, served as the community service chair of the Black Student Union, coordinated events for the Indiana University Science Olympiad, represented student government on the Indiana University Family Student Council, interned in the Emergency Department of the Bloomington Hospital, and volunteered with Red Cross blood drives. Robert's work towards his Ph.D. has resulted in several highly cited papers in Journals such as Brain, Nature Protocols, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and the Journal of Neurosurgery. He has also written book chapters on the pathophysiology of neurological diseases and neurosurgical treatment of vascular malformations. Robert continues to serve on the MD Admission Committee at Harvard Medical School and HST where he helps identify and select the next generation of outstanding physician-scientists. He intends to complete a residency in neurological surgery at the Massachusetts General Hospital following his MD. Robert looks forward to a career as an academic neurosurgeon with leadership roles in developing useful technologies for advancing neurosurgical care domestically and in developing countries around the world.