Andrew Donkor is an early-career oncology and health services researcher with wide-ranging skills and experiences in the field of cancer from prevention, treatment through to palliative care. Andrew has strong passion in developing innovative resources and flexible care models to support policy-makers and serve people with life-limiting illnesses and their families to improve outcomes for all. His research includes conducting systematic review, meta-analysis, linking data to understand cancer patients’ treatment and end-of-life journey, as well as mixed-methods approaches for creating and validating tools for health service leaders.

An essential part of his research over the past three years has been the development and validation of the REadiness SElf-Assessment (RESEA) Tool for low and middle-income countries establishing new radiotherapy services. Andrew is partnering broadly with colleagues in low and middle-income countries, high-income countries, international agencies and organisations to extend this work to create an online-based RESEA Tool. He has methodological expertise in qualitative evaluations of initiatives, systematic review and meta-analysis, expert panels and surveys to monitor, identify and intervene in quality improvement activities in cancer treatment and care, particularly radiotherapy and palliative care.

Andrew is an awardee of Commonwealth Scholarship, University of Technology Sydney President’s Scholarship and University of Technology Sydney International Research Scholarship. He completed his undergraduate degree in Radiotherapy from the University of Ghana. In 2015, he completed a postgraduate programme, Clinical Leadership in Cancer, Palliative and End-Life Care at the University of Southampton, UK. He completed his doctorate at the University of Technology Sydney in 2020 on radiotherapy service establishment in low and middle-income countries.

He has previously held positions, such as Senior Radiation Therapist at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana, Volunteer Clinical Tutor at the University of Ghana, Research Fellow at HammondCare, Research Assistant at University of Technology Sydney and Western Sydney University. He is a member of Africa Research Connect, Africa Evidence Network, Ghana Society of Radiographers, Radiation Oncology Targeting Cancer, Palliative Care New South Wales and Translational Cancer Research Network.

Andrew has an ongoing relationship with University of Technology Sydney as a Professional Fellow in the IMPACCT Research Centre within the Faculty of Health. He is an Academic Tutor for the Master of Palliative Care at the Flinders University, South Australia.

Andrew has authored several articles and contributes to peer review for the International Journal of Public Health, BMC Open, Implementation Science, Human Resources for Health, Plos One, Australian Health Review and Supportive Care in Cancer. He has presented his work at local and international conferences, such as Cancer Institute NSW Innovations Conference, Oceanic Palliative Care Conference, Translational Cancer Research Network Conference, AORTIC Conference, and European Association for Palliative Care Conference.

Developing policy, healthcare organisation and community-based interventions and providing voluntary services in low and middle-income countries to expand access to cancer care are critical parts of his role, which he finds immense fulfilment. Andrew is the founder of AD-Cancer Awareness, Ghana. Together with a team of committed healthcare professionals, Andrew has designed and implemented over 30 community-based cancer awareness and prevention interventions to successful completion. Since 2019, he has been a volunteer community engagement officer for Nakango Vision promoting community education and awareness to prevent violence against African Australian women and their children.

He welcomes collaborations in radiotherapy and health services research, as well as other actions to develop solutions to improve cancer control in Africa and other low- and middle-income countries.