Professor Charles Rotimi, a genetic epidemiologist, is the Chief of the Metabolic, Cardiovascular and Inflammatory Disease Genomics Branch and the Director of the Center for Research on Genomics and Global Health at the US National Institutes of Health. Rotimi has directed innovative research to understanding the genomic, social and cultural determinants of metabolic diseases in African ancestry populations. He is a leader in exploring the implications of the increased genetic diversity in African ancestry populations for disease gene mapping. Rotimi is especially proud of his efforts at globalizing genomics. His engagement of African communities for the HapMap and 1000 Genomes projects has had a transformative impact. Rotimi was the founding president of the now thriving African Society of Human Genetics, and spearheaded formation of the H3Africa Initiative with over 170 million US dollars funding from NIH and Wellcome Trust. Rotimi was recognized as an “African Innovator” by Quart Africa and elected to the USA National Academy of Medicine and African Academy of Sciences. He is an internationally recognized scholar with research accomplishments profiled in New-England-Journal of Medicine, Science, Nature, Lancet, Newsweek, NY Times and BBC.