Afam Okoye

Afam Okoye is a Professor at the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute (VGTI) at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). He serves as a core scientist within the Division of Pathobiology and Immunology at the Oregon National Primate Center and holds an Affiliate Faculty position in the Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology at the OHSU School of Medicine. His research focuses on understanding HIV persistence during antiretroviral therapy and developing novel therapeutic interventions for an HIV cure.

Dr. Okoye's educational background includes:

• B.Sc. (Hons) in Microbiology from the University of Nigeria (1998)
• M.Sc. in Biotechnology from Nottingham Trent University (1999)
• Ph.D. in Virology from the University of Glasgow (2004)

Dr. Okoye leads the Okoye Laboratory, which is dedicated to understanding the mechanisms by which HIV persists during antiretroviral therapy (ART) and investigating novel therapies that may lead to a cure for HIV. His research focuses on HIV pathogenesis and cure strategies, immunotherapy approaches, therapeutic vaccine development, and understanding immune aging in the context of HIV infection. The laboratory utilizes the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) non-human primate model to study HIV persistence and potential cure strategies, with particular emphasis on viral reservoir dynamics, T-cell homeostasis, and immune interventions.

Analysis of Dr. Okoye's recent publication record reveals a strong focus on understanding viral reservoir dynamics in the context of early antiretroviral therapy, the role of immune cells in controlling viral rebound, and the development of novel therapeutic approaches including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells and latency reversing agents. His work spans multiple disciplines including virology, immunology, molecular biology, and translational medicine, with a consistent theme of translating basic science discoveries into potential HIV cure strategies.

Dr. Okoye's research has been supported by numerous grants from the National Institutes of Health and other funding agencies, though specific awards are not detailed in the available information. His work has contributed significantly to the understanding of HIV persistence mechanisms and potential therapeutic interventions.

The Okoye Laboratory at the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute is a collaborative research environment focused on HIV cure research. The lab works closely with other research groups at OHSU and collaborates with scientists nationally and internationally to advance the field of HIV persistence and cure research. The laboratory utilizes advanced techniques including single-cell analysis, viral barcoding, and novel immunotherapeutic approaches to tackle the challenge of HIV persistence during antiretroviral therapy.