A Nigerian scientist is using advanced computer tools to help fight HIV, a virus that continues to affect millions of people worldwide.
Abayomi Olabode, a researcher at Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry in Canada, is using machine learning and social network analysis to better understand HIV. His goal is to help develop a vaccine and improve treatment for the disease.
“HIV is always changing. It doesn’t stay the same, which makes it hard to treat and even harder to create a vaccine for. We used to think HIV had pure types, but now we know the virus mixes its parts and creates new versions that are harder to fight,” Olabode said.
According to the World Health Organisation, about 40 million people around the world were living with HIV in 2023, with 65% of them in Africa.
Olabode is working with a team of top HIV scientists, including Art Poon, Eric Arts, Richard Gibson, and Miguel Quiñones-Mateu. Together, they are looking at how HIV hides in the body and becomes active again, making it hard to remove completely.
Olabode has designed an algorithm—a special kind of computer program—that compares the genetic material of the virus from many patients. This helps scientists find common “epitopes,” or pieces of the virus that the immune system can target.
Olabode explained, “Finding the most common epitopes is very important. It helps us make a vaccine that will work for more people.”
Also Read:
- Public Health Doctors Raise Alarm Over Poor Investment in PHCs
- Michelle Obama Says Therapy Is Helping Her Prepare for Life at 60
In 2022, Olabode gained international attention when he published research that used social networking tools to study HIV genomes. These tools, often used to study human behaviour, helped show how different parts of the virus connect and change.
He is also working to find ways to “wake up” HIV hiding in the body so that treatments can remove it more easily.
While personalised medicine is still expensive, Olabode is focusing on solutions that can help the majority.
“Until we can afford to tailor treatment to each person, we need general approaches that work well for most people,” he said.
Born in Nigeria, Olabode’s passion for fighting infectious diseases started early. His father was a virologist who inspired him to help others.
“I saw many people suffering from HIV while growing up. Before cheaper drugs became available, many people died,” he said.
Olabode now hopes his work will lead to better treatments and, one day, a cure. “Knowing that we’re getting closer to a cure is very exciting. Every step we take can improve the lives of millions living with HIV,” he said.