Research Projects (Current and Past)
- Investigator, Phase IV Study, Typhoid Fever Vaccine (TyVeGHA) Trial (2019-2023). EDCTP/BMGF Funding through the International Vaccine Institute, Seoul, Korea – Multicentre trial : Ghana, DR Congo, Burkina Faso, Madagascar
- Investigator Vacc-Ints Study (2020 – 2022) ( Clinical trial of Vaccine against Invasive Non-typhoidal Samonellae Infection). Funded by GSK.
- Principal Investigator, Exploring Stigmas and HIV Diagnosis Delay, Linkage and Retention for MSM in Ghana (2016-2017) - Funded by NIH through the University of Rochester.
- Principal Investigator, Feasibility and Acceptability of using a Mobile Application for HIV Symptom Monitoring, Clinical Follow Up and Peer Support among HIV Infected MSM in Ghana, West Africa (2016-2017). NIH Funding through the University of Rochester
- Principal Investigator, Severe Typhoid in Africa Study (2015-18). Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through the International Vaccine Institute, Seoul, Korea. This study seeks to investigate risk factors associated with severe typhoid infection. It is a multi-centre study with sites in Madagascar, Kenya, Burkina Faso and Ghana (KNUST). There is a position for 1 PhD student, and 1MSc student.
- Co-Investigator, Nasopharyngeal Microbiota changes among Children with HIV Infection (2017). EDCTP Funding
- Principal Investigator; Estimating the Population Size and HIV surveillance in People Who Inject Drugs in Kumasi (2017).Funded by Boston Centre for Global Health, Boston.
- Principal Investigator, Ghana Mens’ Study II (2015-2017). This is funded by the Centers for Disease Control/Ghana AIDS Commission. The Human Sciences Research Council, South Africa is giving technical support. HIV in Ghana disproportionally affects certain groups including Men who have sex with Men (MSM). Whilst the prevalence of infection in the general population in Ghana is 1.3%, that in the MSM population is 17.5%. This is a follow up study to the Ghana Mens’ Study 1 carried out in 2012. The current study seeks to find out whether interventions put in after the 2012 study have made any impact on the prevalence of infection in MSM. There is a position for 1 PhD student and 2 MSc students.
- Principal Investigator, Comparison of 30mg and 20mg Azithromycin in the treatment of Yaws (2015-16). Funded by the WHO, Geneva. An earlier study of treatment for yaws infection recommended a dose of 30mg/kg of azithromycin. This is the current WHO recommendation. However there are many public health programmes slated for eradication that use 20mg/kg of azithromycin (e.g. Trachoma mass drug administration). This treatment trial compares the 20mg and 30 mg doses. Should the 20mg dose work, it will have huge implications for Yaws programming. The trial is being coordinated form KNUST with sites in the Eastern and Central Regions. A similar study is starting soon in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. 1 PhD student is being mentored through this.
- Principal Investigator, German-African Cooperation Projects in Infectology - Coronaviruses as a paradigm for the transmission interface between wildlife, livestock and humans (2014-2017). Funded by the German Research Council, 2PhD and 2 MPhil are in training on this. Coronaviruses found in livestock, including the SARS-coronavirus have a high zoonotic potential. This study is sampling body fluid material from livestock including cattle, sheep, goats, camels and pigs across the country for the presence of coronaviruses in them and risk factors for the potential transfer of the viruses to man.
- Fever without source (2013-2015). Most febrile illnesses in children in Ghana are ascribed to malaria and enteric fevers. There remains many fevers though, the cause of which are unknown. Funded by the DZIF, Germany, this study sought to elucidate causes of fever in children with unapparent sources at the Agogo Presbyterian Hospital.
- Principal Investigator; HIV Key Populations Study. Funded by USAID, Ghana (2013-2014). Collaborated with the University of Boston. HIV key populations are those who have a disproportionately high risk of HIV acquisition and whom HIV Information, Education and Communication messages are least targeted. These include MSM, Young female students in tertiary institutions, Intravenous drug users, prisoners, and young females working as porters and in Bars. The study looked at the risk factors for the acquisition of HIV in these populations.
- Principal Investigator: Bat-borne Lyssaviruses as causes of Viral encephalitis and potential zoonosis in Ghana (2010-13). Funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany with Collaboration from the University of Bonn (1 PhD, 1 MPhil trained on this). Some novel hepatitis viruses with the potential of causing human infections were found in bats inhabiting various caves in Ghana.
- Principal Investigator, Virus biology, host ecology, and human behaviour as determinants for Coronaviral zoonoses (2010-2012). Funded by the German Research Council (1 PhD trained on this) with collaboration from the University of Bonn. The risk of a potential zoonosis from Bat-borne viruses led us to study possible bat-human interactions that could pose a risk of infection. A previous pilot study conducted in caves indicated the presence of coronaviruses in bats. Additionally, the presence of Henipavirus was demonstrated in the fruit eating bats in Kumasi.
- Co-Investigator, African Programme of Advanced Research Epidemiology and Training (APARET). Funded by the European Commission (2011-12). 2 Research Fellows were trained on this
- Principal Investigator; Ghana Syphilis Study (2010-2012). Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (2 PhD students, 1 Msc and 1 MPH student). Issues of point of care diagnostics for syphilis in pregnancy were studied. Based on this a recommendation for the use of the SD Bioline test kit was made to the Ghana Health Service and it is one of the tests currently used in both HIV and maternal syphilis programmes in the country.
- DFID (UK) Sexual and Reproductive Health Research Consortium (Included Partners from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Reproductive Health Research Unit, University of Witwatersrand, National Institute for Medica Research, Mwanza Tanzania) (2004-2010). This supported my PhD research on Trichomoniasis. 1 PhD and 1 MSc student were trained on this. Through this many sexual Reproductive issues in Ghana were studied including maternal syphilis in pregnancy (award winning study) and Human Papilloma Virus vaccine initiation in Ghana.
- Co- Investigator, Viruses and bacteria as sources of fever in African children (2007-2009). Study was funded by the United Bank of Switzerland (UBS) with the Bernadt Nocht Institute, Hamburg as Collaborator. The study looked at various aetiological agents responsible for fevers in children. 1 PhD (One of my current post-doc students) and 2 MPhil students were trained on this
- Principal Investigator; Typhoid Fever Surveillance Programme in Sub-Saharan Africa (2006-2008). Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (With the International Vaccine Institute, Seoul, Korea (1 PhD and 2 MPhil students have graduated through this). The burden of typhoid fever in the Asante Akyem North District and the antimicrobial patterns of Salmonellae were studied.
- Co-Investigator, Young Infants Study (2000) (With Boston University). This was funded by Saving New Born Lives, a US based charity. The study looked at factors that predicted hospitalization of children with fever.
- Collaborator, Amoxycillin and Penicillin in Severe Pneumonia in Children Study (1998-2000), (With Boston University and funding from Saving New Born Lives). Penicillin had been the drug of choice for the treatment of pneumonia in children. This study for the same infection, compared penicillin to amoxicillin.