Boluwatife OLU Afolabi

Bio

Boluwatife OLU Afolabi is a Nigerian clinician–scientist specializing in head and neck cancer, whose work sits at the intersection of clinical dentistry, molecular biology, and translational research. Trained as a Doctor of Dental Surgery at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria he brings rare dual fluency in patient-facing oral medicine and bench science — a perspective that sharpens how he asks research questions and interprets findings.

He is currently completing a PhD in Oral Biology (Minor in Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology) at the University of Minnesota, where his research is focused on mechanistic and translational aspects of head and neck cancer. His long-term goal is to bridge laboratory discoveries and clinical realities to improve cancer prevention, diagnosis, and care — with particular attention to underserved populations in North America, Africa, and globally.

Beyond the bench, Olu Afolabi serves as the 2024–2026 President of the Council of Graduate Students at the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities, demonstrating leadership in advocacy, policy, and institutional governance. He is also a published poet and essayist — his debut chapbook, The Cartographer of Memory, explores grief, memory, and Nigerian life — reflecting a commitment to public engagement at the intersection of science, arts, and health policy.

Research Profile

Boluwatife OLU Afolabi's research investigates how environmental exposures and inflammatory signaling networks drive tumor initiation and progression in oral epithelial systems — with a particular focus on aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) signaling and its role in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Using CRISPR/Cas9 knockout, plasmid transfection, and cell culture models spanning HNSCC and normal oral keratinocyte lines, his work interrogates the molecular mechanisms of oral carcinogenesis from first principles.

He integrates multi-platform approaches — combining RT-qPCR, Western blot, and LC-HRMS untargeted metabolomics with large-scale bioinformatic analyses across TCGA, cBioPortal, and CPTAC datasets — to bridge experimental findings with clinically relevant cancer biology. Ongoing work extends into the epigenome, with active development of ChIP-seq, bisulfite pyrosequencing, and DNMT/HDAC inhibitor studies, as well as in vivo oral carcinogenesis modeling. The overarching goal is to convert mechanistic insights into strategies for cancer prevention, early diagnosis, and more equitable care.

Academic and Scholarly Profiles

Comprehensive research activity, publications, and academic contributions can be accessed through:

Media, Recognition, and Public Scholarship

Selected features and profiles are available in the “In the News” section.

Current Institutional Affiliation

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