Yvonne Commodore‑Mensah appointed first Black woman to hold Adelaide Nutting Endowed Chair at Johns Hopkins Nursing School

Ghanaian‑American nurse scientist Yvonne Commodore‑Mensah has become the first Black woman to hold the Adelaide Nutting Endowed Chair at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Nursing.

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Professor Yvonne Commodore‑Mensah, a Ghanaian‑American nurse scientist, was formally installed as the Adelaide Nutting Endowed Chair at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing.

The appointment marks her as the first Black woman to hold this endowed chair and the only Black woman currently holding an endowed chair at the university, according to the report.

Commodore‑Mensah holds a PhD and a Master of Health Science, is a registered nurse, and is a fellow of professional bodies such as the American Academy of Nursing and the American Heart Association.

Her research concentrates on cardiovascular disease prevention, hypertension management, and health inequalities affecting people of African descent.

In Ghana, she leads the MAMA‑CVD initiative, training nurses and midwives to detect heart complications during and after pregnancy, using AI‑supported portable ultrasound technology.

She also directs the Glocal Cardiovascular Health Equity Lab, serves as Director for Local/Global Reciprocal Innovation at Johns Hopkins’ Center for Health Equity, and co‑directs the Cardiometabolic Health Interest Group.

Beyond academia, Commodore‑Mensah is president and co‑founder of the Ghanaian‑Diaspora Nursing Alliance, which links Ghanaian nurses abroad with local professionals to share knowledge and improve practice.

Her contributions have earned recognition from the American Academy of Nursing, the American Heart Association, the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association, and she was inducted into the Sigma Nursing International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame in 2026.