Leonora Akporyoe

Leonora Akporyoe is a fourth-year MD candidate at Stanford School of Medicine. Originally from Accra, Ghana, she moved to the United States at 18 to study biochemistry at Earlham College, a transition that sparked her lasting commitment to supporting students navigating unfamiliar academic environments.

Before medical school, Leonora coordinated gene therapy clinical trials for sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, conducted molecular biology research at University of Pennsylvania, and contributed to acute myeloid leukemia drug discovery at Janssen Pharmaceuticals.

At Stanford, mentorship has remained central to her work outside the clinic and classroom. She has served as a Bioscience Career Advisor, Peer Academic Coach, and Diversity Liaison for the Student National Medical Association chapter, where she worked to build community among medical students from underrepresented backgrounds. Leonora is passionate about expanding access and helping first-generation, international, and pre-medical students pursue opportunities they may not have imagined for themselves. In her free time, she enjoys reading and listening to music.