Ugonna Ogbenta
Genentech/Roche Medical Affairs/Howard University
A Nigerian American who grew up in Bridgeport, CT, Ugonna Ogbenta earned a B.S. in Public Health and Health Promotion from Western Connecticut State University. She was drawn to pharmacy after spending four months during college at a community health clinic in Cape Town, South Africa. There, she educated patients about epidemics, designed disease prevention programs and helped implement patient safety programs.
The experience convinced her she wanted to have a global impact and put her on a path to her fellowship at the worldwide biotechnology giant Genentech/Roche. She will help lead community engagement initiatives aimed at including patients’ perspectives in the company’s plans. She will lead a DE&I initiative and develop a digital platform to collaborate with patients.
“I will be able to hone in on the digital patient engagement – creating medical content and engaging patients through online platforms. That’s exciting!” she said.
TCOP prepared her well. She took on leadership roles and completed rotations – such as at Pfizer and the Food and Drug Administration – that provided pharmacy practice and research experience including at hospitals and clinics. She completed the school’s selective “Managed Care” track, where she developed knowledge in health insurance, managed care and business.
“I always wanted to have a global impact when it comes to making medications more accessible to other countries. For me, it’s the global aspect. I love that I will be able to contribute to that long-term goal,” she said.
