Jairus Meer
Field
Location (during time of takeover)
School/Institution
| Undergrad | Hope College Biology |
|---|---|
| Research | University of Ghana Molecular Epidemiology (HIV, SARS-CoV-2) |
| PhD | University of Iowa Biology |
Featured on September 28, 2026
Rounding out September is Jairus Meer, PhD student in Biology at the University of Iowa!
Jairus graduated with a Bachelors degree in Biology, Minor in Peace and Justice cum laude from Hope College in the US. As an undergraduate, he applied a genetic and microbiological approach to search for a treatment for tuberculosis. During this time, he also undertook a research stint at the University of Ghana, where he focused on the molecular epidemiology of HIV and SARS-CoV-2.
For his dissertation, Jairus is now investigating the outer dynes arm of heavy chain motors in the fruit fly Drosophila and hearing. Outside of the laboratory, he is the Director of Events at GradMAP Philippines, where he leads event planning and bridges the US and Philippine academic communities.
Fun facts about Jairus:
- In his free time, he is active and training to do triathlon sports (swim, bike, and run), and someday do an Olympic triathlon/ Ironman. He wasn’t an athlete growing up, and this pretty much started after college.
- He likes traveling to different places (one day go to Iceland), cooking different cuisines from around the world, and listening to a variety of music like Olivia Dean, Rivermaya, Eagles, and so much more
- He has been journaling his international student scientist journey since 2021 (Currently, he has 21 journals right now)
