Meet 2026 Award Recipient
Edward Sarfo
Edward Sarfo was born and raised in Ghana before immigrating to the United States to pursue higher education. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology, summa cum laude, from the CUNY City College of New York, where he was a National Institutes of Health (NIH) MARC U*STAR Scholar. He then received an NIH Postbaccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award and conducted vaccine research at the Vaccine Research Center, contributing to the development of vaccines for HIV and SARS-CoV-2. His work was recognized with both the NIH Director’s Award and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director’s Merit Award.
Ed entered the MD program at Icahn Mount Sinai in 2021. During his training, Ed served as President of the First Generation Scholars Program, where he mentored high school students through the college application process. He also supported the NERA MedPrep Health Career Opportunity Program by advising, developing, and leading enrichment seminars to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds become competitive medical school applicants. He was also the Chair of the Student Council’s Academic Information Technology and Libraries Committee for three years.
Ed was a summer fellow at the Mount Sinai Discovery and Innovation Hub (DIH), working with HealthTech 4 Medicaid to improve investments in underrepresented founders. He served as a DIH/DTP Associate Product Manager as a scholarly year fellow, contributing to initiatives to enhance patient digital experiences. His work with the DIH twice earned him the Mount Sinai Innovation Award. In 2025, Ed was elected into the Gold Humanism Honor Society.
Ed completed two clinical global health electives: first at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret, Kenya, through the Arnhold Institute for Global Health (AIGH) - AMPATH Kenya partnership, followed by a second rotation at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, Ghana.
Ed attributes his success to the unwavering support and sacrifices of his family, particularly his father, Mr. Joseph Sarfo, as well as his partner, Danielle, his friends, and his mentors. He is especially grateful to Drs. Ann-Gel Palermo, Allison Gault, Gary Butts, Lauren Linkowski, and David Muller for their guidance throughout his medical training.
Ed will graduate with his MD degree, with a Distinction in Research, and will continue his residency training in Internal Medicine at Mount Sinai Morningside-West.