Kafayat Kareem is a third year medical student at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. She is a first-generation American and enjoys spending time with family back home in Atlanta, Georgia as well as in Nigeria.

She received her bachelor’s degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology in biochemistry and her master’s degree from Johns Hopkins in biotechnology with a concentration in molecular targets and drug discovery. Prior to attending medical school, she conducted research in both an artificial organs lab and a cardiovascular medicine lab investigating the biocompatibility of prosthetic heart devices and using induced pluripotent stem cells to study in-vitro models of cardiac tissue at the University of Maryland School of medicine.

Kafayat is the current Academic Vice President of the Meharry Dermatology Interest Group and also holds membership and leadership roles in various organizations and professional societies in Nashville and on the national level. As an aspiring Mohs Surgeon, she serves as a founding member and former vice president of the Meharry chapter of the Association of Women Surgeons.

Her current dermatologic interests are in the fields of dermatopathology, oncodermatology, pigmented lesions, wound healing, and autoimmune skin conditions. She is passionate about global health, service to the underserved and continues to leverage experience in molecular biology and laboratory techniques to contribute to innovative medical solutions and collaborative healthcare environments.