Clinician–Scientist in Head & Neck Cancer Biology
I am Boluwatife OLU Afolabi, a Nigerian clinician–scientist studying how environmental signals and epigenetic changes reshape the defenses of oral epithelial cells—and how these changes contribute to cancer.
I am completing my PhD in Oral Biology at the University of Minnesota, with a minor in Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology. My work connects dentistry, molecular cancer biology, and translational research.
Explore my research → · Read my writing →
Research
What happens to the protective functions of oral epithelial cells as they become malignant—and can those functions be restored?
This question guides my research in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. I investigate the relationship between aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) signaling and calprotectin (S100A8/S100A9), with particular attention to the epigenetic mechanisms that may contribute to the loss of epithelial defense pathways in cancer.
Working with normal and malignant oral epithelial models, I combine genetic and molecular perturbations with analyses of gene regulation and cancer datasets. My current work focuses on genetic validation and the functional consequences of changes in the AHR–calprotectin axis.
I conduct this research under the supervision of Professor Mark Herzberg and Dr Chong Wang.
My longer-term goal is to contribute mechanistic evidence that informs cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, including for populations underserved by advances in cancer research.
Publications & Scholarly Profiles
Google Scholar · ORCID · University of Minnesota Experts
Selected Writing
I write about science, public health, technology, and the social conditions that shape health and scientific progress.
- Nigeria’s HPV Vaccine Moment
- LLMs and a Budding Crisis in Mental Health
- Nigeria’s Safety Net is Vanishing in a World that is Turning Inward
Leadership & Public Scholarship
My interests in research extend to the institutions that support it: how scientists are trained, how research is supported, and how knowledge serves the public.
At the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities, I served as President of the Council of Graduate Students, following service as Vice President and as a representative of the School of Dentistry. These roles deepened my engagement with graduate education, institutional governance, and research policy.
Selected news and public scholarship →
Beyond the Lab
I am also a poet and essayist. My debut poetry chapbook, The Cartographer of Memory, explores memory, grief, identity, and Nigerian life.
Outside research, I read across history, politics, international affairs, literature, and biography. Reading, writing, and music are enduring parts of my life.
Explore my poetry and personal essays →
Currently reading
- The Fall and Rise of Political Leaders: Olof Palme, Olusegun Obasanjo, and Indira Gandhi
- Foreign Policy and Leadership in Nigeria: Obasanjo and the Challenge of African Diplomacy
- The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers: Economic Change and Military Conflict from 1500 to 2000
- The Sword of Freedom: Israel, Mossad, and the Secret War
- Dream Count: A Novel