Meet the provider: Awoniyi Awonuga, M.D.

Awoniyi Awonuga, M.D., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, joined Wayne Health in 2013 after completing a Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility fellowship through Wayne State University’s REI program.

Dr. Awonuga has special interest in infertility treatment, including the emotional, psychological and financial drain that it imposes on women and their partners. He also treats other, common women’s health conditions, such as menstrual irregularities, chronic pelvic pain, endometriosis and gynecological cancer. He is committed to improving access to care, providing effective treatment, and developing strategies to offset the effects of aging on a woman’s health.

Dr. Awonuga obtained his medical degree from the University of Ibadan, a premier medical school in Nigeria. He completed an Obstetrics-Gynecology residency at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital in Nigeria, then moved to the United Kingdom where he completed a second OB-GYN residency. He is an accredited OB-GYN specialist in the United Kingdom and a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Dr. Awonuga moved to the United States in 2000 and completed a third OB-GYN residency at Maimonides Medical Center in New York after receiving credit for his prior training from the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Awonuga completed a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility in the United Kingdom (Kings College Hospital in London and Birmingham Women’s Hospital). He later completed a second REI fellowship at Wayne State University, also completing scholarly training in the Women’s Reproductive Health Research Career Development Program of the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Dr. Awonuga joined Wayne Health’s REI team because of its affiliation with Wayne State University, its academic excellence, its fellowship and residency programs with the opportunity to teach medical students, residents and fellows, and its affiliation with the C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development. He enjoys working with the diverse patient population in Metro Detroit and the opportunity to see and manage a wide range of conditions in his specialty. He chose to specialize in REI because he was fascinated with hormonal functioning as it pertains to reproduction and infertility. He saw that the field of REI was bound to grow with great opportunity for research that would lead to improvements in women’s fertility issues. Infertility treatment is still very expensive and he hopes to contribute to research that leads to a reduction in the cost of treatment.

Dr. Awonuga is transparent in communicating with patients; when he doesn’t have all the answers, he admits it. He also listens to and respects patients’ opinions, explaining his assessment and his suggestions for going forward. He helps patients decide on the best infertility treatment option based on how much they would like to spend, how quickly they want to get pregnant, and treatment success rates. As part of his evaluation for infertility treatment, he ensures that women are in good health before they get pregnant, and that any significant health problem is resolved to ensure a problem-free pregnancy and birth. Seeing patients succeed in getting pregnant is a source of happiness for him and his staff. His patients have shown him that being compassionate has its rewards, because a high percentage of his patients have stuck with him over the years.

The most impactful experiences during Dr. Awonuga’s medical career are the many friends and collaborators he has had over the years, and the many patients who keep in touch with him, even years after treatment. He is very proud of his success since moving to the United States, including his promotion to full-time professor in his sub-specialty within six years of graduating from his fellowship.

Dr. Awonuga has been honored with many awards, including the American Society of Reproductive Medicine Star Award, the Wayne State University School of Medicine’s College Teaching Award, the Kamran S. Moghissi, M.D. Faculty Award of WSU’s Department of OB/GYN and the National Council of Resident Education. He serves on the editorial board of six medical journals and as a reviewer for six national and twelve international journals.

In his free time, he enjoys reading, writing and activities with his spouse and family.

To set up an appointment with Dr. Awonuga, visit our appointment page or call (877) 929-6342.