Downstate Student Tobi Somorin Receives U.S. Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Award

By Office of the President | Mar 17, 2026

Downstate medical and public health student, Tobi J. Somorin, received the United States Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Award. The national recognition, administered through the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, is presented each year to students who demonstrate leadership in community and population health, and in service to underserved communities, in support of the Department of Health and Human Services’ mission to build a Healthier, Stronger America.

The College of Medicine nominated fourth-year MD/MPH candidate in Healthcare Administration, Tobi, in partnership with the School of Public Health. The nomination reflects his work advancing health equity, leadership across the SUNY system, and research examining how health policy and financing shape care for vulnerable populations.

Tobi was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical Society and the Gold Humanism Honor Society, recognizing scholarship and patient-centered care. He authored 12 peer-reviewed publications, with several additional manuscripts under review. He has delivered more than 50 podium presentations and 20 posters at national scientific meetings, including AcademyHealth, the American Public Health Association, and the Academic Surgical Congress.

Much of Tobi’s research examines the intersection of health policy, healthcare financing, and surgical outcomes, with particular attention to how payment structures and social risk factors influence care in hospitals serving medically underserved communities. Several projects were developed through the Department of Surgery’s iNSPIRe research program, which supports medical students pursuing academic surgery and health services research.

In research published in the American Journal of Surgery, Tobi examined how Medicaid reimbursement levels affect the financial sustainability of academic medical centers caring for large numbers of disadvantaged patients. Other studies have explored how trust in healthcare providers and health systems influences whether patients disclose unmet social needs such as food insecurity, housing instability, and transportation barriers.

Beyond research, Tobi has served in leadership roles within the SUNY system. As President of the Downstate University Council, he represents more than 2,100 students across our five schools. As Downstate’s representative to the SUNY Student Assembly, he authored and helped advance a resolution encouraging the establishment of mental health days across SUNY campuses, an initiative affecting more than 510,000 students across the 64-campus system. The effort was recognized as part of the national youth mental health initiative led by then U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.

Tobi’s work also extends internationally. He is developing an initiative to expand access to 3D printing technologies for craniomaxillofacial reconstruction in sub-Saharan Africa. During a research fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh, he contributed to the development and implementation of CranioRate™, an AI machine-learning tool designed to improve the assessment of craniosynostosis in children and support surgical evaluation.

At Downstate, where clinicians and researchers work with one of the country’s most diverse urban patient populations, Tobi’s work reflects a commitment to improving health outcomes through both patient care and the policies that shape access to care. This approach embodies the mission of training physicians who advance health in the communities they serve.