Professor Ellis Owusu-Dabo is the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, a Professor of Epidemiology and Global Health, a Consultant Public Health Physician and Researcher. 

In his previous role as Dean of the School of Public Health, Professor Owusu-Dabo saw to the introduction of new programs and growth of the school, increasing the number of Master of Public Health (MPH) programs from three to seven. He also served as both Deputy Director and Director of the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR) into Tropical Medicine for a period of eight years. Ellis continues to make significant strides in securing and managing multi-million-dollar research grants from principal granting institutions such as the European Union, National Institutes of Health (NIH), The World Bank and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) as well as many bilateral organisations.

He has a wealth of experience in resource mobilisation, grantsmanship, research management, clinical trials and community-based research implementation. His research interests lie in pandemic preparedness, epidemic-prone diseases, vaccine development and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). Currently, he leads KNUST’s Africa Higher Education Health Collaborative, funded by the Mastercard Foundation. Prof. Owusu-Dabo serves as the Executive Steering Committee Chairperson of the nine collaborating higher education institutions in Africa and Canada. Through his leadership, over 2000 primary health care workers across all regions of Ghana have benefitted from capacity strengthening workshops, short-courses and scholarships for certificate, degree and postgraduate programs.

As an advocate for inclusive education, Professor Owusu-Dabo has led the development and implementation of five diploma programs, specifically designed to suit persons with various forms of disabilities. Through his research, he has mentored over thirty young research scientists to PhD and post-doctoral positions across the globe. His exceptional support for female scientists has seen the remarkable rise of his female mentees to reputable positions in research and leadership roles at both national and international levels.

Prof. Owusu-Dabo currently has over 300 scientific publications, 26000+ citations, an hi index of 51 and i10 index of 156, making him one of Ghana’s top five research scientists. Ellis is a Perelman International Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, USA. He has travelled extensively and serves on several boards at both local and international levels, thus providing a massive network for work. His passion is in building capacities of next generation scientists and health systems to help solve Africa’s health challenges through scientific innovation and research collaborations.

Professor Ellis Owusu-Dabo received his PhD from the University of Nottingham, UK, a BSc, MPH and MB ChB from KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana. He has additional qualifications from both the Ghana and West Africa Colleges of Physicians.

Ellis, is married to Joyce with whom they have three boys and fellowships with the Assemblies of God Church, Ghana.