Dr. Sherif Olanrewaju is an Assistant Professor at the University of Iowa College of Nursing.

He earned his PhD from The Pennsylvania State University and completed a T32 Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.

Dr. Olanrewaju is a health services researcher whose research program focuses on the intersections of nursing workforce, nurse migration, long-term care, aging, and workforce policy. His work examines how nurse staffing, care environments, and workforce structures influence patient outcomes, organizational performance, and nurses’ employment outcomes. His research seeks to improve care delivery and health outcomes for older adults, particularly those living with dementia and multiple chronic physical and mental conditions.

A central goal of his research is to develop and evaluate workforce-centered strategies that improve care quality and strengthen recruitment, retention, and professional development within a diverse and skilled healthcare workforce. His scholarship also aims to inform health-system and policy decisions that promote supportive nursing work environments and improve outcomes for vulnerable older adults.

He was named a 2026 Health Disparities Research Institute Scholar. His research has received pilot grant support from the NIH/NIA, the Advancing Workforce Analysis and Research for Dementia Network, the Resource Center for Minority Aging Research, and the Center for Improving Care Delivery for the Aging.

He serves on the boards of the Society of Internationally Educated Nurses and Nursing Allies and the Interdisciplinary Research Group on Nursing Issues within AcademyHealth.

Curriculum Vitae