DR. ROBERT KOFFIE is a minimally invasive and complex spine fellow at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. He completed his neurosurgery residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Prior to residency, he received his MD at Harvard Medical School, graduating magna cum laude through the Harvard-MIT health Sciences and Technology (HST) Program. Dr. Koffie also completed a PhD in biophysics from Harvard University, where his thesis research focused on applying nanotechnology and cutting-edge molecular imaging methods to deciphering how synapses dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. His research has resulted in several highly cited publications and book chapters in neurosurgery. Interested in improving healthcare systems through innovation and effective leadership, he also obtained an MBA at the Harvard Business School during his neurosurgery residency. Dr. Koffie completed his undergraduate work at Indiana University in three years, graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with BS degrees in physics and biochemistry. At Indiana University, he held many scholarships as well as the Goldwater and McNair scholarships.
Dr. Koffie was born in Ghana and came to the US in 2002. He is a naturalized citizen. While still in Ghana, he volunteered with Doctors Without Borders, helping to care for villagers with infectious diseases in Ghana and Togo. He helped found the Indiana University (IU) Organization of Black Chemists, served as the community service chair of the Black Student Union, coordinated events for the Indiana University Science Olympiad, represented student government on the Indiana University Family Student Council, interned in the Emergency Department of the Bloomington Hospital, and volunteered with Red Cross blood drives.
Dr. Koffie has served on the MD Admissions Committee at Harvard Medical School and HST where he helped identify and select the next generation of outstanding physician-scientists. He is an elected member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons' Young Neurosurgeons Committee and an active member of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. He has also served as a panelist for the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships selection committee.
Dr. Koffie looks forward to a career as a transformational leader in healthcare, harnessing his talents as a neurosurgeon, biomedical researcher, and businessman.