Dr. Inih J. Essien is a seasoned eye care professional who has practiced in three different continents and a researcher at Group Health Inc, working within the Institute GHI. With a strong foundation in public health, project management and clinical research, he leads and supports federally funded multi-site public health research initiatives focused on infectious diseases, health equity, and community engagement. He is known for his collaborative and systems-oriented approach, often working with multidisciplinary teams to ensure research excellence, operational efficiency and community engagement, bridging clinical practice and public health. His research portfolio includes vaccine effectiveness studies, health disparities, and patient-centered care. He is currently the co-chair of the HealthPartners Community Advisory Council for Research and Evaluation, fostering inclusive research practices and community-informed science.

Conducting Institute Research since: 2021

Education and training: 
Dr. Essien holds a Doctor of Optometry from the University of Benin, a Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Vision from the University of Johannesburg, and a Master of Public Health from Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

Affiliations/other offices held: 
Co-Chair, HCSRN Awards Subcommittee
Member, Helix Health Equity Subcommittee
Senior Research Advisor, Tumorlink
Member, ODORBN
Partner, Project Idara
Partner, CUIV

Research Interests: Dr. Essien’s research interests include health systems improvement, public health program evaluation, clinical decision support tools, and data harmonization for multi-site studies.

Current research activities and funding: Dr. Essien is currently involved in the implementation and evaluation of the PedsBP CDS intervention across multiple clinics, the data harmonization across health systems in Minnesota to improve public health, inform policy and advance research, and the multi-institutional real time data sharing and analysis serving as a bridge between public health surveillance and academic research, enabling rapid, evidence-based responses to respiratory illness trends.