Buki Fabusiwa, a second-year Ph.D. in Health Sciences student at Northern Illinois University, has been selected as a national awardee of the AIM-AHEAD All of Us Training Program. The highly competitive initiative is supported by the AIM-AHEAD Coordinating Center and is designed to expand national capacity in data science and precision health research through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) All of Us Research Program. 
Through the award, Fabusiwa will receive advanced training and access to the All of Us Researcher Workbench, enabling her to engage with one of the largest and most diverse biomedical datasets in the United States. Her selection reflects academic excellence and NIU’s growing strength in doctoral mentorship and precision health research.
“Being selected for the AIM-AHEAD Training Program is an honor,” said Fabusiwa, who holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Midwestern University – Chicago College of Pharmacy. “The program aligns deeply with my commitment to harnessing data, AI/ML and real-world evidence to improve outcomes for diverse patient populations.”
That commitment is closely connected to her doctoral research at NIU, where she focuses on equity-driven approaches to complex health challenges. The AIM-AHEAD experience provides an opportunity to deepen that work and expand its reach within oncology and health disparities research.
“I hope to extend the AIM-AHEAD experience into my Ph.D. research, which focuses on equity-driven causal inference in oncology,” she said. “This opportunity strengthens my ability to generate meaningful, evidence-based insights that can drive value and impact across health care systems and biopharma.”
As part of her doctoral training, Fabusiwa has been encouraged and mentored by School of Nursing Professor Anitha Saravanan, in responsible data access, cohort development, analytic planning and the application of large-scale data to health equity-focused research questions. The recognition highlights both her scholarly focus and the university’s continued investment in developing leaders in data science and workforce development.
NIU’s Health Sciences Ph.D. program provided the flexibility and rigor Fabusiwa sought as a working professional returning to graduate study.
“That flexibility was important to me,” said Fabusiwa, who also earned her bachelor’s degree from NIU decades ago. “It was a pleasant surprise to discover that my alma mater, right in my own backyard, offered exactly the type of program I had been seeking.”
Fabusiwa’s achievement underscores NIU’s expanding role in precision health research and national training initiatives.
“Buki’s work highlights her talent and perseverance to strive for excellence in scholarship,” Saravanan said. “We are incredibly proud of her.”
Learn more about how earning a Ph.D. in Health Sciences can support your professional and research goals.
