Babafemi Taiwo, M.B.B.S
Director of Research in Africa
312.503.8810
View Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine faculty profile
Dr. Babafemi Taiwo is the Director of Research in Africa at the Center for Global Health. His interest is in clinical HIV/AIDS research, particularly in the United States and sub-Saharan Africa with a focus on optimal approaches to HIV treatment using antiretroviral drugs in established and novel combinations, as well as exploration of the potential role of immune-based therapies. The goals of his research include advancement of virologic control in infected individuals with varied exposure to antiretroviral drugs and discovery of solutions to unmet needs in HIV therapeutics. The treatment gaps that account for the needs include suboptimal CD4 replenishment despite viral suppression, incomplete virologic control in some patient subsets due to resistance or other factors, and ongoing morbidity, mortality and viral persistence in reservoirs despite prolonged treatment with viral suppression in plasma. As such, Dr. Taiwo is also involved in studies of HIV-associated immune activation, bacterial translocation and other processes that contribute to HIV pathogenesis. Since adherence to treatment is the cornerstone of success, he conducts related research especially in resource-limited settings. Large prospective databases such as those derived from the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) and Presidential Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) serve as a robust source of clinical data and biological specimens for his research.
Dr. Taiwo received his MBBS (bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery, equivalent of a U.S. MD degree) in Nigeria. He is the recipient of the 2009 John Carey Young Investigator Award, which was presented at the National Institutes for Health (NIH) AIDS Clinical Trial Group (ACTG).
This page last updated Aug 17, 2012