Education:
University of Missouri, Columbia
Biological Sciences, Romantic Languages and Literatures and French majors
B.A./B.S., 2017
Honors and Awards:
- Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award for Predoctoral MD/PhD Fellows, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 2022-2026
MSTP Student Governance:
- Student Advisory Committee, 2021-23
- Student Admissions and Recruitment Committee, 2020-23
- Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, 2021-24
Thesis Advisors: David Boulware, M.D. and Kirsten Nielsen, Ph.D.
Thesis Research
Infectious disease pathology.
Publications (pubmed)
Okurut S, Boulware DR, Okafor E, Rhein J, Kajumbula H, Bagaya BS, Bwanga F, Olobo JO, Manabe YC, Meya DB, Janoff EN. Divergent neuroimmune signatures in the cerebrospinal fluid predict differential gender-specific survival among patients with HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis. Front Immunol. 2023 Dec 13;14:1275443. PMCID: PMC10752005
Kasibante J, Irfanullah E, Wele A, Okafor E, Ssebambulidde K, Okurut S, Kagimu E, Gakuru J, Rutakingirwa MK, Mugabi T, Nuwagira E, Jjunju S, Mpoza E, Tugume L, Nsangi L, Musibire AK, Muzoora C, Rhein J, Meya DB, Boulware DR, Abassi M. Utility of Cerebrospinal Fluid Protein Levels as a Potential Predictive Biomarker of Disease Severity in HIV-Associated Cryptococcal Meningitis. medRxiv. 2023 Dec 11:2023.12.10.23299793. PMCID: PMC10760268
Okurut S, Boulware DR, Okafor E, Rhein J, Kajumbula H, Bagaya B, Bwanga F, Olobo JO, Manabe YC, Meya DB, Janoff EN; ASTRO trial team. Divergent Neuroimmune Signatures in the Cerebrospinal Fluid Predict Differential Gender-Specific Survival Among Patients With HIV-Associated Cryptococcal Meningitis. medRxiv. 2023 Aug 15:2023.08.09.23293903. PMCID: PMC10462187
Skipper CP, Hullsiek KH, Stadelman A, Williams DA, Ssebambulidde K, Okafor E, Tugume L, Nuwagira E, Akampurira A, Musubire AK, Abassi M, Muzoora C, Rhein J, Boulware DR, Meya DB. Sterile Cerebrospinal Fluid Culture at Cryptococcal Meningitis Diagnosis Is Associated with High Mortality. J Fungi (Basel). 2022 Dec 28;9(1):46. PMCID: PMC9866844
Lofgren SM, Okafor EC, Colette AA, Pastick KA, Skipper CP, Pullen MF, Nicol MR, Bold TD, Bangdiwala AS, Engen NW, Collins LB, Williams DA, Axelrod ML, Thielen BK, Hullsiek KH, Boulware DR, Rajasingham R. Feasibility of SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Testing in Remote Outpatient Trials. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2021 Oct 6;8(11):ofab506. PMCID: PMC8522439
Rajasingham R, Bangdiwala AS, Nicol MR, Skipper CP, Pastick KA, Axelrod ML, Pullen MF, Nascene AA, Williams DA, Engen NW, Okafor EC, Rini BI, Mayer IA, McDonald EG, Lee TC, Li P, MacKenzie LJ, Balko JM, Dunlop SJ, Hullsiek KH, Boulware DR, Lofgren SM. Hydroxychloroquine as pre-exposure prophylaxis for COVID-19 in healthcare workers: a randomized trial.Clin Infect Dis. 2021 Jun 1;72(11):e835-e843. PMCID: PMC7665393
Pullen MF, Pastick KA, Williams DA, Nascene AA, Bangdiwala AS, Okafor EC, Hullsiek KH, Skipper CP, Lofgren SM, Engen N, Abassi M, McDonald EG, Lee TC, Rajasingham R, Boulware DR. Lessons Learned From Conducting Internet-Based Randomized Clinical Trials During a Global Pandemic. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2020 Dec 28;8(2):ofaa602. PMCID: PMC7798626
Okafor EC, Hullsiek KH, Williams DA, Scriven JE, Rhein J, Nabeta HW, Musubire AK, Rajasingham R, Muzoora C, Schutz C, Meintjes G, Meya DB, Boulware DR. Correlation between Blood and CSF Compartment Cytokines and Chemokines in Subjects with Cryptococcal Meningitis. Mediators Inflamm. 2020 Oct 29;2020:8818044. PMCID: PMC7644322
Skipper CP, Pastick KA, Engen NW, Bangdiwala AS, Abassi M, Lofgren SM, Williams DA, Okafor EC, Pullen MF, Nicol MR, Nascene AA, Hullsiek KH, Cheng MP, Luke D, Lother SA, MacKenzie LJ, Drobot G, Kelly LE, Schwartz IS, Zarychanski R, McDonald EG, Lee TC, Rajasingham R, Boulware DR. Hydroxychloroquine in Nonhospitalized Adults With Early COVID-19 : A Randomized Trial. Ann Intern Med. 2020 Oct 20;173(8):623-631. Clinical Trial. PMCID: PMC7384270
Lofgren SM, Nicol MR, Bangdiwala AS, Pastick KA, Okafor EC, Skipper CP, Pullen MF, Engen NW, Abassi M, Williams DA, Nascene AA, Axelrod ML, Lother SA, MacKenzie LJ, Drobot G, Marten N, Cheng MP, Zarychanski R, Schwartz IS, Silverman M, Chagla Z, Kelly LE, McDonald EG, Lee TC, Hullsiek KH, Boulware DR, Rajasingham R. Safety of Hydroxychloroquine Among Outpatient Clinical Trial Participants for COVID-19. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2020 Oct 19;7(11):ofaa500. PMCID: PMC7654376
Rajasingham R, Bangdiwala AS, Nicol MR, Skipper CP, Pastick KA, Axelrod ML, Pullen MF, Nascene AA, Williams DA, Engen NW, Okafor EC, Rini BI, Mayer IA, McDonald EG, Lee TC, Li P, MacKenzie LJ, Balko JM, Dunlop SJ, Hullsiek KH, Boulware DR, Lofgren SM. Hydroxychloroquine as pre-exposure prophylaxis for COVID-19 in healthcare workers: a randomized trial. medRxiv. 2020 Sep 18:2020.09.18.20197327. PMCID: PMC7523161
Okafor EC, Pastick KA, Rajasingham R. Hydroxychloroquine as Postexposure Prophylaxis for Covid-19. Reply. N Engl J Med. 2020 Sep 10;383(11):1089.
Lother SA, Abassi M, Agostinis A, Bangdiwala AS, Cheng MP, Drobot G, Engen N, Hullsiek KH, Kelly LE, Lee TC, Lofgren SM, MacKenzie LJ, Marten N, McDonald EG, Okafor EC, Pastick KA, Pullen MF, Rajasingham R, Schwartz I, Skipper CP, Turgeon AF, Zarychanski R, Boulware DR. Post-exposure prophylaxis or pre-emptive therapy for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2): study protocol for a pragmatic randomized-controlled trial. Can J Anaesth. 2020 Sep;67(9):1201-1211. Clinical Trial. PMCID: PMC7205369
Boulware DR, Pullen MF, Bangdiwala AS, Pastick KA, Lofgren SM, Okafor EC, Skipper CP, Nascene AA, Nicol MR, Abassi M, Engen NW, Cheng MP, LaBar D, Lother SA, MacKenzie LJ, Drobot G, Marten N, Zarychanski R, Kelly LE, Schwartz IS, McDonald EG, Rajasingham R, Lee TC, Hullsiek KH. A Randomized Trial of Hydroxychloroquine as Postexposure Prophylaxis for Covid-19. N Engl J Med. 2020 Aug 6;383(6):517-525. PMCID: PMC7289276
Pullen MF, Skipper CP, Hullsiek KH, Bangdiwala AS, Pastick KA, Okafor EC, Lofgren SM, Rajasingham R, Engen NW, Galdys A, Williams DA, Abassi M, Boulware DR. Symptoms of COVID-19 Outpatients in the United States. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2020 Jun 30;7(7):ofaa271. PMCID: PMC7337847
Pastick KA, Okafor EC, Wang F, Lofgren SM, Skipper CP, Nicol MR, Pullen MF, Rajasingham R, McDonald EG, Lee TC, Schwartz IS, Kelly LE, Lother SA, Mitjà O, Letang E, Abassi M, Boulware DR. Review: Hydroxychloroquine and Chloroquine for Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). Open Forum Infect Dis. 2020 Apr 15;7(4):ofaa130. Review. PMCID: PMC718435
Work prior to the UMN MSTP:
Halane MK, Kim SH, Spears BJ, Garner CM, Rogan CJ, Okafor EC, Su J, Bhattacharjee S, Gassmann W. The bacterial type III-secreted protein AvrRps4 is a bipartite effector. PLoS Pathog. 2018 Mar 30;14(3):e1006984. PMCID: PMC5895054
