Professor Ofori-Acquah

Professor Solomon Fiifi Ofori-Acquah, Dean, School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences at the University Of Ghana has been appointed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as a Permanent Member of the Hematology research committee, known as the Molecular and Cellular Hematology Study Section, for a six-year term.

Study Section members help the NIH identify and fund promising research, thus being essential to the Centre for Scientific Review’s mission of ensuring that NIH grant applications receive fair, independent, expert and timely reviews.

According to UG News, Prof. Ofori-Acquah, who is also the Director, West African Genetic Medicine Centre (WAGMC) is a world-renowned haematology scientist with a track record focused on sickle cell disease and genomics research. Since 2004, the NIH has continuously funded his research and has received thirteen NIH grants as Principal Investigator totalling over $ 25 million to this day.

His most recent award was a $5.5 million grant for the SickleGenAfrica project, which is the largest single NIH grant received by the University of Ghana.

In addition, Professor Ofori-Acquah is the only African serving on the Haematology Committee which reviews grant applications pertaining to basic and applied aspects of normal and abnormal hematopoiesis, as well as basic and applied aspects of the formed elements of the blood.

He previously served a six-year term (2013-2019) as a permanent member of the NIH lung study section known as the Respiratory Integrative Biology and Translational Medicine (RIBT)

The NIH is the largest grant-awarding body in the world with a budget of more than $32 billion devoted solely to medical research.

Photo Courtesy of UG News

Article by Jedidah Mwangi

https://www.ug.edu.gh/news/professor-ofori-acquah-appointed-nih-committee