Dr. Oluwanifesimi Olu-Lawal, MD is an early-career physician with a growing body of clinical and research experience in psychiatry and neuropsychiatry. She holds an MD from Windsor University School of Medicine and has trained across multiple clinical sites in Chicago, with a focus on adult inpatient and outpatient psychiatry.

Her clinical and research interests include mood disorders, psychotic disorders, sleep disturbances, cognitive health, and the psychiatric manifestations of neurological diseases. She has presented original research on the relationship between sleep dysfunction and suicidal ideation in Parkinson’s disease and has contributed to studies on physical activity and nutrition among medical students, as well as molecular research into androgen receptor pathways in triple-negative breast cancer.

Dr. Olu-Lawal currently serves as a research assistant at the University of Illinois Chicago’s Department of Psychiatry, where she supports neuropsychology initiatives and patient-centered research. She is actively involved in advocacy and outreach, including mental health education initiatives within underserved communities, and has held a communications internship with the Black Psychiatrists of America.

In addition to her research and clinical activities, Dr. Olu-Lawal is dedicated to mentorship, health equity, and community-based approaches to reducing mental health stigma. Her long-term goal is to become a compassionate, research-informed psychiatrist with a strong foundation in both academic medicine and public health advocacy.

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