SPOTLIGHT on George Kyei
George Kyei, MBChB, PhD
The Midwest D-CFAR community is full of brilliant and inspiring people, and we want to introduce them to the world! For our January 2025 spotlight, we are featuring George Kyei, associate professor of medicine and microbiology at WashU, and co-director of our Advanced Technology Core. Many thanks to Dr. Kyei for taking the time to speak with us!
Could you briefly describe your career journey and research interests?
Dr. Kyei: I earned my medical degree from the University of Ghana Medical School in 1998 and followed it up with an MPhil in microbiology in 2003. In 2007, I completed a PhD in biomedical sciences at the University of New Mexico. After that, I joined the WashU Physician Scientist Training Program, completing my internal medicine residency and infectious diseases fellowship in 2014.
My research primarily focuses on understanding how HIV persists in patients despite potent antiretroviral therapy and strong immune responses. Specifically, I study HIV latency and reservoir maintenance, investigating factors that control HIV replication in macrophages, dendritic cells, and resting T cells. My labs are also working on identifying cellular factors and small molecules required for HIV reactivation in latently infected cells.
In 2018, I extended my work to the University of Ghana with the aim of training African scientists in HIV basic science and cure research. In Ghana, I also serve as Director of Research of the University of Ghana Medical Center, the country’s most advanced hospital.
What projects do you currently have ongoing?
I lead the HIV Cure Research Infrastructure Study based at the University of Ghana. This initiative aims to train African scientists in HIV cure research and includes several components: monitoring the immune status and viral load of 400 patients, screening compounds and African herbal extracts for their potential to eliminate the HIV reservoir, and exploring patients' perspectives on HIV cure research. Last year we obtained an NIH Fogarty D43 grant to train Ghanaian scientists in HIV basic science and cure research, led by myself, Dr. Liang Shan and Dr. Evelyn Bonney of the University of Ghana. Through this program, some Ghanaian postdocs and graduate students will visit WashU labs to learn advanced techniques in cure research.
Some of the work we are doing in the Ghana laboratory involve characterizing the HIV subtypes in West Africa, especially the role of co-infections like tuberculosis and malaria on the reservoir. We also have a large grant from Expertise France to study how to integrate cervical cancer screening into HIV care in Ghana. For this project, some of my trainees are studying how the human papilloma virus (HPV), the causative agent for cervical cancer may also affect the HIV reservoir. We are also interested in working with our implementation science colleagues to understand how African people living with HIV perceive HIV cure and cure research in the light of recent advances in treatment like long-acting injectable ARTs.
Could you talk briefly about the Midwest D-CFAR’s Advanced Technology Core (ATC)? What initiatives are you looking forward to in 2025?
The ATC provides consultation services for young investigators or those new to HIV who want to polish their ideas, generate preliminary data, craft a grant proposal or need services like viral production and quantification. Looking ahead, I’m excited about fostering new collaborations, advancing the research we’re doing, and deepening our community engagement to address the HIV epidemic more effectively. I also look forward to connecting the work we are doing in Ghana more to the D-CFAR activities.
What do you do in your free time?
Outside of work, I like to spend time with family and friends and read or listen to audio books. I go through about 30 or more books per year. I have broad interests from A History of the World to The Origins of Human Language. This year I am on book #4 already. I also enjoy mentoring up and coming physicians and scientists.
Edited by April Houston.