Tobi Somorin is in his third year of pursuing a combined MD/MPH degree at SUNY Downstate. Born in the Bronx and raised in Middletown, New York, he graduated from Stony Brook University in 2021, earning a Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry. At his time in Stony Brook, he led a National Institute of Health (NIH) funded experiment researching the effects of stress on chemotherapy resistance in African American patients with colorectal cancer. He ultimately was awarded URECA Researcher of the Month for his work.

Throughout his academic journey at SUNY Downstate, he has continued in his advocacy for students and research into healthcare disparities. He was elected as the SUNY Student Assembly (SA) Representative, during which he created a bill, which was successfully passed at the SUNY SA level, that aims to grant all 6.4 million SUNY students two mental health days per month, acknowledging and addressing the severe mental health crises affecting students in New York.

Tobi has also had the privilege of contributing to various research projects in the realm of health policy, collaborating closely with the Downstate Department of Surgery. These endeavors have been geared towards addressing healthcare disparities at the hospital-institutional level. In addition, Tobi serves as a global collaborator in the Surgeons in Humanitarian Alliance for Reconstruction Research and Education (SHARE). He works on a team that enhances collaboration to improve care and surgical capacity in regions with limited numbers of plastic surgeons but high incidence of conditions requiring plastic surgery treatment - such as traumatic incidents, congenital malformations, and severe cancer pathologies. Tobi plans on pursuing a career in reconstructive plastic surgery and healthcare administration. His ultimate goal is to continue the fight against healthcare disparities that disproportionately affect patients of color on a daily basis.