Afam Okoye

Associate Professor
Afam obtained his B.Sc. in Microbiology from the University of Nigeria and M.Sc. in Biotechnology from the Nottingham Trent University. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Glasgow where he studied human papillomaviruses. His current research involves elucidating mechanisms that contribute to HIV persistence during effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) and applying this knowledge to develop therapeutic interventions aimed at achieving clinically relevant reservoir reduction during ART and/or durable remission from HIV replication after ART cessation. He is also interested in understanding aging-related deficits in immune function to develop tools to enhance immunity in the elderly.

Afam enjoys running and watching his favorite soccer team, Liverpool FC.

Benjamin Varco-Merth

Research Program Manager
Ben earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Whitman College before pursuing a PhD in Biochemistry from Arizona State University. The focus of his graduate research was the structural biology of the membrane-bound ATP synthase, as well as applications of ATP synthase in lipid bilayer-based nanoscale devices. As a PhD student, he collaborated with an interdisciplinary cohort of scientists and engineers in a biomolecular nanotechnology graduate training program. He then did postdoctoral work  at Oregon Health and Science University, focusing on structure-function of the Jak-STAT signaling pathway and its role in gene regulation, endocrinology and immune function. A highlight of this work was characterizing a naturally-occurring mutation in human STAT5b that disrupted the growth hormone-IGF-1 signaling axis and also caused immune dysfunction.

As a research project manager in the Okoye lab, brings a broad range of experience to help coordinate studies with Okoye lab staff, veterinary staff and scientific collaborators. He is enthusiastic about developing HIV cure therapies and understanding mechanisms of HIV persistence, including sharing research advances with both scientists and the broader public.

In his free time, Ben enjoys exploring the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest as well as learning about food and cooking.