• University of Lagos, B.Sc., Microbiology, 2006
• University of Lagos, M.Sc. Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, 2012
• University of KwaZulu-Natal, Ph.D. Medical Microbiology, 2017
• Africa Health Research Institute, Nelson Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, Postdoctoral Research in HIV Immunology, 2021
• Population Council / Rockefeller University, New York, Postdoctoral Research in HIV and other STIs Host Pathogen Interaction and Preclinical Product Development, 2023
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, ASM CPEP Clinical Microbiology Fellowship, 2026

Dr. Asowata is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Pathology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He completed advanced training in Clinical Microbiology through the ASM CPEP Clinical Microbiology Fellowship Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. His academic and clinical interests focus on advancing clinical microbiology and molecular diagnostics of infectious diseases in diverse patient populations. His expertise spans viral, fungal, bacterial and mycobacterial testing, as well as molecular diagnostics and next-generation sequencing (NGS).

Dr. Asowata has extensive experience with MALDI-TOF MS, syndromic PCR platforms, laboratory automation, molecular workflows, and translation research. He is particularly interested in translating advances in molecular and genomic technologies into practical, clinically actionable diagnostic approaches. He is also passionate about training the next generation of clinical microbiologists, curriculum development, quality improvement, diagnostic stewardship and safety in clinical microbiology and molecular laboratories. His current work includes test development and leading and collaborating on projects focused on generating evidence that can advance clinical microbiology practice and improve infectious disease diagnostics and research.

Prior to his clinical microbiology training, Dr. Asowata conducted translational and basic science research using clinical cohorts from a high HIV-endemic region in Africa. He led studies investigating HIV-associated gut immunity using single-cell RNA sequencing and multiparameter immunohistochemistry, as well as research evaluating the gut microbiome during HIV infection. He also contributed to tuberculosis (TB) research investigating the role of TB-induced myofibroblasts as drivers of lung pathology.

Microbiology, Immunology, HIV, Oncology, Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, invasive fungal infections, non-polio enteroviruses, tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacteria, RNA sequencing, microbiome, assay development, infectious disease diagnostics in immunocompromised and critically ill populations, diagnostic stewardship, quality improvement, laboratory safety

Asowata OE, Singh A, Ngoepe A, Herbert N, Fardoos R, Reddy K, et al. Irreversible depletion of intestinal CD4+ T cells is associated with T cell activation during chronic HIV infection. JCI Insight. 2021 Nov 22;6(22):e146162. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.146162. PMID: 34618690; PMCID: PMC8663780.

Asowata OE, McMillen T, Jani K, Clark B, Morjaria S, Kamboj M, et al. Prevalence and epidemiology of enterovirus species in a pediatric oncology patient population. J Clin Virol. 2025 Dec; 181:105881. doi: 10.1016/j.jcv.2025.105881. Epub 2025 Oct 15. PMID: 41138518; PMCID: PMC13225116.

Fardoos R, Asowata OE, Herbert N, Nyquist SK, Zungu Y, Singh A, et al (2021). HIV infection drives interferon signaling within intestinal SARS-CoV-2 target cells. JCI Insight, 23;6(16):e148920. PMID: 34252054; PMCID: PMC8409978.

Das Adhikari U, Froehle LM, Pipkin AN, Baharlou H, Linder AH, Shah P, et al. Immunometabolic defects of CD8+ T cells disrupt gut barrier integrity in people with HIV. Cell. 2025 Oct 2;188(20):5666-5679.e19. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2025.08.024. Epub 2025 Sep 11. PMID: 40939591; PMCID: PMC12641501.

Mbano IM, Liu N, Wadsworth MH 2nd, Chambers MJ, Mpotje T, Asowata OE, et al. Single-cell and spatial profiling highlights TB-induced myofibroblasts as drivers of lung pathology. J Exp Med 2 March 2026; 223 (3): e2025106701072026c. doi: https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.2025106701072026c. PMID: 41489684; PMCID: PMC12767585.

Singh A, Kazer SW, Roider J, Krista KC, Millar J, Asowata OE, et al. Innate Lymphoid Cell Activation and Sustained Depletion in Blood and Tissue of Children Infected with HIV from Birth Despite Antiretroviral Therapy. Cell Rep. 2020.Sep 15;32(11):108153. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108153. PMID: 32937142; PMCID: PMC7495043.

Jaramillo Cartagena A, Asowata OE, Ng D, Babady NE. An overview of the laboratory diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. J Clin Microbiol. 2025 Mar 12;63(3):e0036124. doi: 10.1128/jcm.00361-24. Epub 2025 Feb 3. PMID: 39898657; PMCID: PMC11898755

Kummerlowe C, Mwakamui S, Hughes TK, Mulugeta N, Mudenda V, Besa E, et al. Single-cell profiling of environmental enteropathy reveals signatures of epithelial remodeling and immune activation. Sci Transl Med. 2022 Aug 31;14(660): eabi8633. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abi8633. Epub 2022 Aug 31. PMID: 36044598; PMCID: PMC9594855.

Fardoos R, Nyquist SK, Asowata OE, Kazer SW, Singh A, Ngoepe A, et al. HIV specific CD8⁺ T_RM-like cells in tonsils express exhaustive signatures in the absence of natural HIV control. Front Immunol. 2022 Oct 18; 13:912038. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.912038. PMID: 36330531; PMCID: PMC9623418.

Anjorin AA, Abioye AI, Asowata OE, Soipe A, Kazeem MI, Adesanya IO, et al. Comorbidities and the COVID-19 pandemic dynamics in Africa. Trop Med Int Health. 2021 Jan;26(1):2-13. doi: 10.1111/tmi.13504. Epub 2020 Oct 23. PMID: 33012053; PMCID: PMC7675305.