{"id":478,"date":"2021-04-22T17:38:34","date_gmt":"2021-04-22T21:38:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/krieger.jhu.edu\/graduate-admissions\/?post_type=profile&p=478"},"modified":"2022-10-25T13:07:33","modified_gmt":"2022-10-25T17:07:33","slug":"ikenna-okafor","status":"publish","type":"profile","link":"https:\/\/krieger.jhu.edu\/graduate-admissions\/profiles\/ikenna-okafor\/","title":{"rendered":"Ikenna Okafor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Ikenna Okafor is currently a PhD candidate in the Program in Cell, Molecular, Developmental Biology and Biophysics.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I study biomolecules in motion using high-resolution microscopes. I am from Rochester, NY, where I spent the first half of my childhood before moving to Edgewood, MD (a suburb of Baltimore). My Nigerian father, and my Jamaican mother raised me (well), and I have 2 older siblings (a brother and a sister).<\/p>\n\n\n\n My area of focus is important because I study a technology that can change the DNA of organisms, giving them new functions, treating genetic disorders which only scratches the surface of its overall potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I am inspired by the Agape form of love, which would translate to being motivated by my family, my culture and my desire to help create a better world. I have been the co-director\/co-chair of the Black Graduate Student Association for two academic years now. In my role I help design academic, professional development, wellness, and social events targeted towards Black graduate students. In the past two years we have secured over $50,000 in funding to carry out these initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n