William Ofori Appaw is a food safety scientist and laboratory quality leader at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana. His research spans food safety analytics, dietary exposure and risk assessment, public health, agriculture, and environmental sustainability, with a focus on mycotoxins and processing-related contaminants in agri-food systems.

He integrates multi-mycotoxin analysis, exposure modeling, and advanced technique including LC–MS, spectroscopy, and chemometrics to generate evidence that informs food safety policy, regulatory decision-making, and risk management. Guided by a One Health and climate-informed perspective, his work explores the links between environmental variability, agricultural practices, food processing, food contamination, and human health outcomes. His studies have shaped strategies to mitigate mycotoxin risks, supporting food security, nutrition, and trade.

He has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and chapters in food safety, toxicology, and public health. He has contributed to internationally funded research and capacity-building programmes supported funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ & MycoKey, USA’s USAID & USDA, Belgium’s VLIR-UOS, and Germany’s Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB). His research and capacity building engagements at Ghent University, the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences & University of Laval have strengthened laboratory accreditation, exposure assessment, and regulatory-aligned analytical capacity.

Committed to human capital development, he mentors undergraduate and postgraduate students in research design, laboratory practice, data analysis, and scientific writing.

As a CQI & IRCA–certified ISO/IEC 17025 Lead Auditor and senior quality manager, he leads laboratory systems strengthening, method validation, and quality assurance, supporting SMEs and multinational companies to meet national and international food safety standards.

Beyond the lab, he engages smallholder farmers and value chain actors to promote best practices that reduce food safety risks under climate-sensitive conditions. He is also active in STEM promotion, mentoring girls and young women through the WiSTEM Ghana Annual Bootcamp to inspire careers in science, technology, and food safety.

William Ofori Appaw’s work bridges rigorous science, policy impact, and capacity building, advancing food safety, public health, and inclusive agri-food systems in Ghana and beyond.

He is currently a PhD Fellow at the The KNUST Nutrition and Sustainable Agrifood Collaborative, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation (Nkabom Collaborative)