Leonard E. Egede MD, MS, FACP

Leonard Egede

Leonard E. Egede
MD, MS, FACP

Professor of Medicine, Chair, Department of Medicine, Charles and Mary Bauer Endowed Chair, President & CEO, UBMD Internal Medicine

Department of Medicine

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences


Specialty/Research Focus

Artificial Intelligence; Behavioral Medicine; Biostatistics; Clinical Outcomes; Clinical Research; Community Based Participatory Research; Community Based Research; Community Health Research; Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry; Diabetes; Endocrinology; Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism; Epidemiology; Epidemiology; Geriatric Medicine; Geriatrics / Gerontology; Health Disparities; Health Disparities Research; Health Outcomes Research; Health Services Research; Health Services Research; Implementation Science; Internal Medicine; Metabolic Disorders; Military & Veterans Health/Healthcare; Nutrition; Obesity; Patient Centered Outcomes; Public Health; Public Health and General Preventive Medicine; Racial Disparities Health Research

Contact Information
Buffalo General Medical Center
100 High Street, D2-76
Buffalo, New York 14203
legede@buffalo.edu



Professional Summary:

Overview

I am a general internist and health services researcher, currently serving as Professor of Medicine, Charles and Mary Bauer Endowed Chair, and Chair of the Department of Medicine at the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. I also lead UBMD Internal Medicine as its President and CEO, overseeing strategic direction and clinical excellence across the practice.

Prior to joining UB, I held a transformative leadership role at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), beginning in 2017. As Division Chief of General Internal Medicine, I spearheaded a comprehensive restructuring of a division comprising seven sections, 192 employees, and a budget exceeding $40 million. My initiatives included:

• Reorganizing the hospital medicine section to establish sustainable leadership and improve operational efficiency.
• Redesigning the primary care section with new benchmarks for clinical operations, resulting in measurable gains in productivity.
• Enhancing research capacity by recruiting faculty, expanding protected time, and securing increased funding.
• Building infrastructure to support clinical operations, quality improvement, and research integration.
• Developing a robust mentoring framework for junior and mid-career faculty.

I cultivated a deep understanding of MCW’s matrixed health system, aligning clinical service lines, staffing models, and incentive structures with institutional goals. I led efforts to define margin targets and collaborated with operations partners to create shared visions and quality improvement processes that bridged clinical and research domains. During this time, I also invested in my own leadership development, completing the Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute’s 6-month program, earning certification as an executive coach, and engaging in intensive coaching to refine my leadership style.

Before MCW, I spent 17 years at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), where I directed two major research centers for over a decade and completed the MUSC Leadership Development Program.


Research Contributions

Over the past 25 years, my research has centered on advancing health equity and improving outcomes for vulnerable populations. My work spans:

1. Reducing health disparities and addressing structural racism.
2. Investigating the impact of social determinants and social risk on health.
3. Evaluating telehealth and telemedicine as effective care delivery modalities.
4. Exploring behavioral economics in chronic disease management.
5. Studying non-communicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, Central America, and the Middle East.

I currently serve as Principal Investigator on multiple NIH-funded projects and have authored over 500 peer-reviewed publications. My methodological expertise includes clinical trials, qualitative and mixed methods, structural equation modeling, observational studies, community-based participatory research (CBPR), and implementation science. I’ve served on numerous NIH, CDC, and VA study sections and lead a multidisciplinary team that has secured nine federally funded grants focused on diabetes and health disparities since 2008.


Teaching & Mentorship

Teaching is central to my mission of cultivating the next generation of healthcare leaders. I emphasize learner-centered instruction, adaptive assessment, and real-world application of knowledge. My approach recognizes individual strengths and fosters growth through personalized feedback and skill development.

Mentorship is a cornerstone of my career, particularly for women and individuals traditionally underrepresented in medicine. Since 2011, I’ve held an NIH NIDDK K24 grant that enabled me to mentor over 170 individuals, including:

• 42 junior and mid-career faculty
• 20 fellows
• 12 postdoctoral scholars
• 13 doctoral students
• 45 medical students
• 11 undergraduates
• 24 high school students

I’ve served on 12 PhD committees and 4 Master’s Thesis committees, and currently mentor three NIH K-award recipients and an ADA Junior Faculty Awardee focused on health disparities.


Commitment to Equity & Inclusion

I am deeply committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion across academic medicine. My efforts include:

• Eliminating gender-based pay gaps for faculty with equivalent clinical responsibilities.
• Diversifying leadership by race, ethnicity, and gender.
• Reforming recruitment practices to attract and retain diverse talent.
• Creating evidence-based interview protocols and support systems for equitable hiring.



Vision

My career is driven by a commitment to excellence in healthcare delivery, transformative research, inclusive education, and community engagement. I strive to build systems that empower faculty, trainees, and staff to lead change, improve lives, and shape the future of medicine.

Education and Training:

  • Certificate, Program for Chairs of Clinical Services, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (2025)
  • Certificate, Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute Leadership Intensive, University of California Berkeley Executive Education (2020)
  • Certificate, Certified Executive Coach, University of California Berkeley Executive Education (2020)
  • Certificate, Medical University of South Carolina Trustees Leadership Academy and Capstone Project, Medical University of South Carolina (2012)
  • Fellowship, Health Services Research Fellowship, Medical University of South Carolina (2001)
  • MS, Clinical Research, Medical University of South Carolina (2001)
  • Residency, Internal Medicine, Greater Baltimore Medical Center (1999)
  • Internship, Internal Medicine, Greater Baltimore Medical Center (1997)
  • MD, Medicine, University of Benin (1990)

Employment:

  • Interim Chief, General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY (2025-present)
  • Chair, Department of Medicine, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY (2024-present)
  • Director, Population Health Research, Great Lakes Integrated Network, Inc. (GLIN) (2024-present)
  • Medical Director, Clinical Research, Erie County Medical Center Corporation (ECMC) (2024-present)
  • Medical Director, Clinical Research, Kaleida Health (2024-present)
  • President and CEO, UBMD Internal Medicine of the UBMD Physicians' Group (2024-present)
  • Professor with Tenure, Department of Medicine, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (2024-present)
  • Inaugural Milwaukee Community Chair in Health Equity Research at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (2021–2024)
  • Chief, Medicine, General Internal Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (2017–2024)
  • Director, Center for Advancing Population Science, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (2017–2024)
  • Physician, Froedtert and the Medical College Hospitals, Milwaukee, WI (2017–2024)
  • Professor (Dual Appointment), Institute for Health and Equity, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (2017–2024)
  • Professor with Tenure, Medicine, General Internal Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (2017–2024)
  • Director KL2 Program, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (2018–2023)
  • Director, Master’s in Clinical and Translational Research Program, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (2018–2023)
  • Eminent Scholar, Medicine, General Internal Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (2017–2021)
  • Professor (Dual Appointment), Public Health Services, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (2015–2016)
  • Director, Charleston VA HSR&D Health Equity and Rural Outreach Innovation Center (HEROIC), Ralph H. Johnson VAMC, Charleston, SC (2013–2016)
  • Allen H. Johnson Endowed Chair, Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (2010–2016)
  • Professor with Tenure, Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (2010–2016)
  • Professor, Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (2009–2016)
  • Full Member, College of Graduate Studies, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (2007–2016)
  • Director, Center for Health Disparities Research, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (2005–2016)
  • Section Head for Health Services Research, Medicine, General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (2005–2016)
  • Physician, Ralph H. Johnson VAMC, Charleston, SC (2004–2016)
  • Physician, Medical University Hospital, Medical University of South Carolina (1999–2016)
  • Director, Center for Disease Prevention and Health Interventions for Diverse Populations, Ralph H. Johnson VAMC, Charleston, SC (2008–2013)
  • Associate Professor, Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (2005–2009)
  • Director Charleston VA TREP, Understanding Health Disparities, Ralph H. Johnson VAMC, Charleston, SC (2004–2008)
  • Assistant Professor, Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (1999–2005)
See all (20 more)

Awards and Honors:

  • Inducted into the Association of American Physicians (AAP) (2024)
  • National Institutes of Health Office of Disease Prevention 29th Robert S. Gordon Jr. Lecture Award in Epidemiology (2024)
  • Awardee of the MCW President’s Inclusive Excellence Special Award (2022)
  • Awardee of the MCW Department of Medicine G. Richard Olds Award for Mentorship in Medicine (2021)
  • National Institute of Health Certificate of Appreciation as Member and Chair of Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health Study Section, United States Department of Health and Human Services (2014)
  • Faculty Scholars Certificate for Service as National Advisory Committee Member, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2013)
  • MUSC College of Medicine Student Teacher of the Month (February 2013) (2013)
  • Community Service Award, Healthy Lifestyle Network, Inc (2008)
  • Marquis Who's Who in Science and Engineering - 7th Edition, 2002-2003 (2003)
  • Marquis Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare - 4th Edition, 2002-2003 (2003)
  • American Diabetes Association Young Investigator award (2003)
  • Outstanding Resident Award (1998-1999), Internal Medicine Residency Program, Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Baltimore, MD (1999)
  • First prize, Greater Baltimore Medical Center Resident Research Competition (1998)

Grants and Sponsored Research:

  • September 2024–March 2029
    Cardiovascular Risk Reduction for Adults with Food Insecurity Using Structured Incentives (CVD-FIT)
    NIH/NIHMHD
    Role: Co-Investigator
  • July 2025–July 2028
    A novel continuous glucose monitoring enhanced DPP intervention to prevent type 2 diabetes in adults with prediabetes
    American Diabetes Association
    Role: Co-Investigator
  • December 2022–November 2027
    Peer mentoring and basic needs navigation to improve diabetes outcomes in Black men recently released from incarceration
    NIH/NIDDK
    Role: Other
  • May 2023–December 2026
    Structural Racism and Disparities in Social Risk, Human Capital, Health Care Resources, and Health Outcomes: A Multi-level Analysis of Pathways and Policy Levers for Change
    NIH/NIMHD
    Role: Principal Investigator
  • January 2022–November 2026
    Conditional Cash Transfer Intervention to Improve Health Outcomes among Inner-City African Americans with T2DM
    NIH/NIDDK
    Role: Other
  • June 2022–March 2026
    Mixed-Methods Study of Multidimensional Adversity in Inner-City African American Adults with Chronic Kidney Disease and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
    NIH/NIMHD
    Role: Other
  • July 2023–January 2026
    Impact of Structural Racism on Hospital/Clinic Closures, Community Assets, and Health Outcomes in Urban Communities
    NIH/NIMHD
    Role: Principal Investigator
  • May 2019–December 2025
    Lowering the Impact of Food Insecurity in African American adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (LIFT-DM)
    NIH/NIMHD
    Role: Principal Investigator
  • November 2022–November 2025
    Combined diabetes education/skills training and social needs resolution intervention for older African Americans with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes (DM Social Needs)
    American Diabetes Association
    Role: Other
  • September 2021–July 2025
    Basic Needs Navigation Intervention to Address Multidimensional Adversity in African Americans with Diabetic Kidney Disease
    NIH/NIDDK
    Role: Co-Investigator
  • August 2023–April 2025
    The Role of Structural Racism on Disparities in Clinical Outcomes for Diabetes: A Mixed Methods Study
    NIH/NIDDK
    Role: Co-Investigator
  • August 2023–April 2025
    Joint Patient and Caregiver Intervention for Older African Americans with Poorly Controlled Type 2 Diabetes (Joint Home-DM-BAT)
    NIH/NIDDK
    Role: Co-Investigator
  • August 2020–April 2025
    Building Infrastructure to Address Social, Cultural and Biological Determinants of Diabetes in Lebanon
    NIH/Fogarty
    Role: Principal Investigator
  • April 2019–March 2025
    Financial Incentives and Technology Enhanced Nurse Education and Skills Support Intervention for Adults with T2DM (FINANCE-DM)
    NIH/NIDDK
    Role: Principal Investigator
  • April 2019–January 2025
    Home-based Diabetes-Modified Behavioral Activation Treatment for Low Income Seniors with T2DM
    NIH/NIDDK
    Role: Principal Investigator
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Journal Articles:

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Books and Book Chapters:

  • Egede LE, editor. (2025) Structural Inequalities and Health Outcomes for Chronic Disease. Academic Press.
  • Egede LE, Walker RJ. (2025) Chapter 1 - Overview of the textbook. In: Structural Inequalities and Health Outcomes for Chronic Disease. Academic Press, 3-7.
  • Mosley-Johnson E, Walker RJ, Egede LE. (2025) Chapter 2 - Structural inequalities: Definitions and historical context. In: Structural Inequalities and Health Outcomes for Chronic Disease. Academic Press, 9-31.
  • Campbell JA, Egede LE. (2025) Chapter 3 - Conceptual models and frameworks for addressing structural inequalities in chronic disease outcomes. In: Structural Inequalities and Health Outcomes for Chronic Disease. Academic Press, 33-61.
  • Walker RJ, Ekwunife OI, Chen E-l, Jacobs DM, Egede LE. (2025) Chapter 5 - Structural inequalities and chronic disease health outcomes: Type 2 diabetes. In: Structural Inequalities and Health Outcomes for Chronic Disease. Academic Press, 103-128.
  • Ozieh MN, Odunaiya AA, Batool A, Young B, Campbell JA, Yacoub R, et al. (2025) Chapter 6 - Structural inequalities and chronic disease health outcomes: Chronic kidney disease. In: Structural Inequalities and Health Outcomes for Chronic Disease. Academic Press, 129-172.
  • Linde S, Walker RJ, Campbell JA, Egede LE. (2025) Chapter 26 - Structural inequalities and chronic disease health outcomes: Impact of AI on health equity. In: Structural Inequalities and Health Outcomes for Chronic Disease. Academic Press, 587-616.
  • Egede LE, Walker RJ. (2025) Chapter 27 - Summary and potential solutions. In: Structural Inequalities and Health Outcomes for Chronic Disease. Academic Press, 617-618.

Presentations:

  • "Fatalism and Self-Efficacy: The Role of Psychosocial Factors, Religion, and Spirituality on Population Health" Transforming Chaplaincy Webinar (2025)
  • "Diabetes Conditional Cash Transfer Intervention to Improve Glycemic Control" Endocrinology Society Annual Meeting, ENDO 2025 (2025)
  • "Efficacy of Home-based Diabetes-modified Behavioral Activation Treatment for Low-Income Seniors with Type 2 Diabetes" Endocrinology Society Annual Meeting, ENDO 2025 (2025)
  • "Lowering Food Insecurity and Improving Diabetes with Financial Incentives" Endocrinology Society Annual Meeting, ENDO 2025 (2025)
  • "Uncovering Temporal Patterns in CGM Data for Personalized Diabetes Care" Endocrinology Society Annual Meeting, ENDO 2025 (2025)
  • "Diabetes Conditional Cash Transfer (DM-CCT) Intervention to Improve Glycemic Control – A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial" American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions 2025 (2025)
  • "Examining the Association between Prediabetes and Mortality – The Role of Patient Profiles in Risk Prediction" American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions 2025 (2025)
  • "Financial Incentives and Nurse Coaching to Enhance Diabetes Outcomes – A Randomized Controlled Trial" American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions 2025 (2025)
  • "Lowering Food Insecurity and Improving Diabetes with Financial Incentives – A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study" American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions 2025 (2025)
  • "My Academic Success Story: From Cultivation to Nurturing Fireside Chat" Faculty Accomplished Community that Cultivates Equity and Success in Science (ACCESS) Program Workshop, University of Kentucky (2025)
  • "Understanding Health Disparities and Social Determinants of Health: A New Era for Health Care Professionals" New York Chapter of American College Physicians (NYACP), Buffalo District Meeting (2025)
  • "Relationship between Financial Debt and Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality" International Diabetes Federation World Congress (2025)
  • "Self-Efficacy and Fatalism as a Pathway Between Delay Discounting, Delay Aversion, and Glycemic Control" International Diabetes Federation World Congress (2025)
  • "Speaker on Health Equity" Evergreen Health Board Retreat (2025)
  • "Structural Barriers to Accessing Cardiovascular Care" Heart Institute of the Caribbean, Masters of Medicine Conference 2025 (2025)
  • "Structural Inequalities and Health Outcomes for Cardiovascular Disease in Women" Heart Institute of the Caribbean, Masters of Medicine Conference 2025 (2025)
  • "Langone Institute for Excellence in Health Equity (IEHE: Pathways, Mechanisms, and Potential Interventions" New York University (NYU) Langone Institute for Excellence in Health Equity (IEHE) (2024)
  • ", Direct and Indirect Relationships between Historic Redlining and Prevalence of Diabetes" American Heart Association, Annual Scientific Sessions 2024 (2024)
  • "Direct and Indirect Relationships between Redlining and Prevalence of Obesity via Food Access" Obesity Week, The Obesity Society Annual Meeting (2024)
  • "Pathway between race, historic and contemporary measures of structural racism, and life expectancy in the US" American Heart Association, Annual Scientific Sessions 2024 (2024)
  • "Pathways Between Race, Structural Racism, and Obesity Across Census Tracts in the United States" Obesity Week, The Obesity Society Annual Meeting (2024)
  • "Pathways Between Structural Racism and Obesity via Social Risk Factors in the United States Adults" Obesity Week, The Obesity Society Annual Meeting (2024)
  • "Developing and Testing Downstream and Upstream Interventions to Improve Outcomes for Type 2 Diabetes: An Odyssey" Weill Cornell Medicine, Primary Care Seminar, Hunter College, (Virtual) (2024)
  • "Examining the Association between Quality of Life and Functional Status in African American Adults with CKD in Southeast Wisconsin: A Cross-Sectional Study" American Society of Nephrology, Annual Kidney Week 2024 (2024)
  • "Understanding Health Disparities and Social Determinants of Health: A New Era for Health Care Professionals" Beth Israel Deaconess Anesthesia Grand Rounds (2024)
  • "Development and Validation of a Social Risk Screening Tool for Adults with Type 2 Diabetes" The American Diabetes Association 84th Annual Scientific Meeting (2024)
  • "Differential Risk of Dementia in Older Adults with Diabetes by Race/Ethnicity, Gender, and Age – Health and Retirement Study 1992-2020" The American Diabetes Association 84rd Annual Scientific Meeting (2024)
  • "Direct and Indirect Effects of Redlining on Diabetes Prevalence via Food Access" The American Diabetes Association 84th Annual Scientific Meeting (2024)
  • "Longitudinal Effect of Diabetes Fatalism on Clinical Outcomes and QOL in AA with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus" The American Diabetes Association 84th Annual Scientific Meeting (2024)
  • "Pathway between Race, Historic and Contemporary Measures of Structural Racism, and Prevalence of Diabetes in the U.S." The American Diabetes Association 84th Annual Scientific Meeting (2024)
  • "Self-Efficacy and Fatalism as a Pathway between Delay Discounting, Delay Aversion, and Glycemic Control" The American Diabetes Association 84th Annual Scientific Meeting (2024)
  • "Trends and Independent Correlates of Cardioprotective Antihyperglycemic Agent Use in U.S. Adults with Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Syndrome" The American Diabetes Association 84th Annual Scientific Meeting (2024)
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Contact Information

Buffalo General Medical Center
100 High Street, D2-76
Buffalo, New York 14203
legede@buffalo.edu