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Following the success of previous collaborative workshops of the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) and the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB), the seventh in the series was held from January 16, 2017 to January 27, 2017. This year's workshop was also supported by University of Oxford.

The two-week long workshop was aimed at teaching students strategies for modern biomedical research, focusing on the cell biology, immunology and genetic manipulation of protozoan parasites. The opening ceremony of the workshop attracted faculty members and invited guest speakers from top research institutions in Europe and the USA, in attendance were also postdoctoral fellows, Ph.D. and MPhil students.

Welcoming participants to the workshop, the Head of Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology (BCMB) and Director of WACCBIP, Prof Gordon A. Awandare, highlighted the success of the workshop so far and expressed his gratitude to the collaborative partners for sponsoring this workshop since 2009. He also appreciated the guest speakers for their immense support to the growth of the workshop and believed that such collaboration would expand the scope of research in all fields of study for participants. He explained that WACCBIP has positioned itself as the principal catalyst for the development of scientific research in the country and is privileged to be taking over the cost of the ASCB workshop the second time. He admonished participants to take advantage of the knowledge of the top scientist during the workshop to deepen their understanding of molecular methods.

Giving his remarks, Prof. Keith Gull of the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology at the University of Oxford who is also the Chair of the WACCBIP International Advisory Board, was excited about the workshop and advised participants to contribute their respective fields of specialization in discussions in order for the workshop to meet their expectations. He commended the leadership of WACCBIP and encouraged them to keep up with the good work. He further indicated that the workshop will cover both fundamental theoretical and practical aspects of techniques in laboratory work and how to manipulate Trypanosoma and Plasmodium. He added however that, “the workshop is not just about knowing how to excel in cell biology but to enhance talents for capacity building”. He reiterated the need for young scientists to take advantage of the After Genome (AG) age to sustain their passion in their chosen fields.

The Head of Training and Research of WACCBIP, Dr. Patrick Kobina Arthur, also called on the students to participate in the workshop with continual interest and enthusiasm. He admonished them to abide by the time schedules and take proper notes to widen their scope.

Dr. Jack Sunter from University of Oxford, UK, and a lead facilitator of the workshop said that participants will be exposed to new areas in the genomic makeup of cells in microbiology and encouraged participants to fully engage in discussions. He urged them to use this platform to network and exchange information about recent research findings on advanced materials.

Prof. Dr. Friedrich Frischknecht from University of Heidelberg, Germany, opened the workshop with an intriguing presentation on the history of microscopy. He acknowledged Ibn al-Haytham as the first scientist to lay the foundations for modern optics in transforming the way in which light and vision is understood.

Other international faculty who taught at the workshop included Prof. Lars Hviid (University of Copenhagen and Rigshospitalet, Denmark) Prof. Oliver Billker (Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, UK), Dr Sam Dean (University of Oxford) , Dr Richard Wheeler (University of Oxford) and Dr Sue Vaughan (Oxford Brookes University). Participating lead faculty were from BCMB, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) and the College of Health Sciences.

Topics taught included: Scientific Communication Skills, Grant Writing and Obtaining Funding in Africa, Developing Research Proposals, Assessing and Reading Scientific Papers, Immunology of Malaria, Modern Light Microscopy and Flow Cytometry, Biochemistry and Metabolism and Drug Vaccine Design. Participants also engaged in group presentations, journal club discussions of selected papers from literature and hands-on laboratory sessions.



Participants at the workshop





Participants undergoing hands – on laboratory sessions

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In pursuit of Strengthening our international collaboration and partnerships, a four member delegation from the Savannah State University (SSU) GA, USA has visited the Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology (BCMB) and the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP). The delegation arrived on Friday, 16th December 2016 and was led by Prof Emmanuel Naniuzeyi, Director of the International Education Center and Professor of Political Science at SSU.

The visit was to meet with faculty members to explore possible collaborations and discuss ways of deepening relations between SSU and BCMB.
Savannah State University is a historical black University located in Savannah, Georgia, United States, and was established in November 26, 1890. SSU has also contributed to the Ghana Group Projects Abroad (GGPA) which seeks to promote the development of foreign language and curricula steeped in the history and culture of West Africa.
Welcoming the delegation, Prof Gordon Awandare the Director of WACCBIP and Head of Department of BCMB noted that, the department is desirous of diversifying the number of programmes offered, in line with its internationalization drive.  He added that even though WACCBIP has built extensive partnerships through the World Bank and the Wellcome Trust Developing Excellence in Leadership, Training and Science (DELTAS) programmes, further partnerships are needed to help boost teaching, learning and research activities. He therefore welcomed the idea of sharing knowledge and partnering with SSU.

Prof Emmanuel Naniuzeyi, was full of admiration for the achievements of the department internationally and noted that SSU is keen on giving opportunities in student exchange programs and study abroad agreements which will inure mutual benefit. He said a Memorandum of Understanding will be signed between the College of Sciences & Technology (COST) of SSU and College of Basic and Applied Sciences of University of Ghana, to facilitate an increased collaboration between the institutions. The MOU will also allow funding for buying equipment for research.

During the discussions, Forensic Science emerged as an area of common intent. SSU have a well-developed Forensic Science programme, whereas BCMB seeks to develop one, so it was agreed that this was fertile ground for collaboration. The link between SSU and BCMB was catalyzed by the pending visit of one of the BCMB PhD students to SSU to conduct part of his research thesis in the laboratory of Dr. Mahasin Osman.

The delegation also interacted with faculty members and students and toured the various laboratories and facilities. They commended the department for its laudable achievements and looked forward to visiting again.

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As part of the Wellcome Trust DELTAS programme, WACCBIP has held a week long Bioethics training workshop for postdoctoral fellows and stakeholders from some sister universities in Ghana. The five-day workshop started on November 28th to December 2^nd, 2016. This workshop was taught by Prof. Mahamadou Diakite, Professor of Immunogenetics at the University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Mali, Dr. Paulina Tindana, a Bioethicist from the Navrongo Health Research Centre (NHRC), and Dr. Angeliki Kerasidou, a researcher in Global Health Ethics and the Ethics Coordinator for the Malaria Genomics Epidemiology Network (MalariaGEN) at the Ethox Centre, Oxford University.

The opening ceremony of the workshop was attended by faculty members, postdoctoral fellows under the Wellcome Trust DELTAS programme and other professionals in the sciences across the Sub-Region namely Ghana, Mali, The Gambia, Nigeria and Cameroon. This workshop was aimed at building the capacity of participants on responsible conduct of scientific research, with emphasis on key ethical issues related to genomics research in Africa. Some topics discussed included the introduction of research ethics, ethical issues in genomic research, community engagement, data sharing, sample export and shipping requirements, and privacy and confidentiality.

Prof. Gordon Awandare, the Director of WACCBIP warmly welcomed all participants and threw more light on the importance of the workshop. He emphasized the fact that the workshop is aimed at exploring contemporary and significant topics in bioethics. He said, “WACCBIP is keen on contributing to sound research through capacity building aimed at addressing pertinent health issues in the West Africa sub-region”.He further encouraged participants to fully engage with the resource persons and with each other to ensure they derive the maximum benefit from the workshop.

A keynote presentation on Blood Borne Pathogens and laboratory safety was delivered by Prof. Mahamadou Diakite. He made an observation about the increasing number of people affected by blood borne pathogens such as hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) worldwide. He also covered topics on Biosafety including, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Animal Biosafety Levels, Parasites and Biosafety and Post-Exposure Management in the laboratory.

Dr. Paulina Tindana, also gave an introductory presentation on Ethical issues pertaining to genetics research in Africa. She described genomics and genetics and their associated differences, influences of diseases and how they affect human behaviour. She further identified some challenges in trying to explain human genomes and cited the example of the difficulty involved in the translation of scientific terms into our local languages. She was however optimistic that improved community engagement will help to address such issues.

Dr Angeliki Kerasidou, another lead facilitator for the workshop, took participants through an introduction to Research Ethics. She explained ethics as a discipline that employs methods and logic to answer research questions. She also used the philosophical view of research to explain how researchers ought to behave in the context of biomedical research.

Participants at the workshop were engaged in breakout sessions where they brainstormed on some of the topics discussed. There were also question and answer sessions where pertinent questions and key contributions were made.

Some participants shared their experience on the workshop and certificates of participation were presented to participants at the end of the workshop.

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The West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) has received the International Advanced Degree Accreditation from the Royal Society of Biology UK (RSoB) for graduate programmes at the Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology. The programmes are MPhil in Molecular Cell Biology of Infectious Diseases and PhD in Molecular Cell Biology of Infectious Diseases, which were introduced as part of the World Bank African Centres of Excellence project. The Royal Society of Biology is a single unified voice for biology in the UK. The Society represents a diverse membership of individuals including practicing scientists, students at all levels, professionals in academia, industry and education, and non-professionals with an interest in biology, learned societies and other organizations. The RSoB's International Advanced Degree Accreditation recognises academic excellence in the biosciences, and highlights degrees that educate the research and development leaders and innovators of the future. The Advanced Accreditation criteria require evidence that graduates from the programme meet defined sets of learning outcomes, including gaining a substantial period of research experience.
On receiving the news that the Centre had received full accreditation Professor Awandare stated that “This is a major step forward in our quest to become a leader in higher education excellence in Africa. The validation of our training quality by the Royal Society of Biology helps us attract the best students and gives funders further confidence to invest in our programmes”.

In addition to the prestige and international credibility that comes with this accreditation, students who graduate from the programmes also stand to reap significant benefits.   Graduates from the accredited programmes will receive one year's free membership of the Royal Society of Biology at Associate level, which will open up networks for applying for jobs or fellowships for further studies or research. In addition, Associate level members can become Members of the Royal Society of Biology (MRSB) after two further years of work or professional practice, rather than the usual three.
The accreditation process was achieved by fulfilling the requirements set out by the society in 3 stages. As part of stage one, WACCBIP submitted a list of documents including a list of documents including letter of intent, the programme specifications, module descriptors, resource documents, curriculum vitae of staff, most recent summative assessments and a completed accreditation matrix. Secondly, an accreditation assessment panel from RSoB carried out a site visit to evaluate WACCBIP's facilities and interact with students as well as the teaching faculty. Following the successful report from the assessment team, the Degree Accreditation Committee awarded WACCBIP the full 5 year accreditation for the 2 new programmes on November 16, 2016.


The centre has received a certificate of International Advanced Accreditation, and can now use the RSoB's name and logo on all materials relating to the accredited degrees, as well as on other marketing materials.

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The West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) organised a Public Engagement programme at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). The event which took place on November 18, 2016 was held at the Department of Microbiology, KNUST.
The main purpose of the outreach was to present general information about WACCBIP to increase awareness of the Centre, present undergraduate and post graduate students with existing opportunities for graduate and postdoctoral work, create opportunities to increase WACCBIP funding in terms of marketing our equipment to faculty and staff for their research and explore collaborative partnerships. The 6-member delegation was led by Dr Lydia Mosi, a faculty of WACCBIP and a senior lecturer at the Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, and Hadassah Odotei, the Centre's Public Engagement Specialist. The team also consisted of Mr. Balapangu Shankar Srinivasan, the Laboratory Technologist of WACCBIP, Wilhelmina Annie Mensah, a second year PhD student, Temitope Wilson Ademolue, a Research Assistant and an international graduate student of WACCBIP's MPhil programme and Marian Nanor, a graduate intern.
Dr Mohammed Mutocheluh, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Microbiology, KNUST and a visiting lecturer at WACCBIP, hosted the WACCBIP team. About 60 graduate and undergraduate students from 5 Departments, as well as some faculty from the School of Medical Sciences participated in the programme. It began with a brief overview of WACCBIP as well as the centre's mission and objectives by Dr Lydia Mosi. She went on to explain the centre's graduate programmes and MPhil, PhD and post-doctoral fellowships, the graduate internship programmes and the short courses/workshops offered by WACCBIP. Dr Mosi also elaborated on the requirements for admission into the centre's programmes.
During Mr. Temitope Ademolue's presentation, he highlighted his experience at WACCBIP as an international student. He also commended the quality of faculty, research and the availability of equipment and laboratory supplies which helped facilitate research. His presentation also emphasized the cordial student-lecturer/supervisor relationship at the centre as well as opportunities for socialization. Mr Ademolue also shared his experience on how he had the platform to present his research to world class scientists in the field during the centre's workshops and research conferences.
In the third presentation for the programme, Mr B.S Srinivasan, the Laboratory Technologist of WACCBIP, focused on showcasing the centre's equipment, their specifications, functions and special features. These equipment included the Flow Cytometer, Biosafety Cabinets, Quant Studio 5 Real Time PCR System, Magpix Luminex system, Amersham Gel Documentation System, Nano Drop Spectrophotometer, Eppendorf Electroporator, Inverted microscope with AxioCam Camera and Accessories, Blitz Protein Analyses System, Stuart rotary evaporator pump, Brunswick incubator shaker, Autolab with module, Thermo Fisher Varioskan LUX Micro Plate Reader, high capacity CO2 and shaky incubators. He also added that these equipment could be used by outsiders at a moderate fee. Mr Srinivasan also touched on the WACCBIP's research themes namely Molecular diagnosis, Pathogen genomics/bioinformatics, Molecular epidemiology for surveillance, Disease pathogenesis and immunity, target discover for drug and vaccine development. He also mentioned how these equipment are used to facilitate research in these areas.
In the course of the outreach event, Wilhelmina Mensah, a WACCBIP PhD student, also did an insightful presentation on her experience so far at WACCBIP. She discussed the courses, research, seminars/workshops and conferences as well as extracurricular activities for students at the Centre.
Ms Odotei summed up all the presentations and invited the participants at the event to engage with WACCBIP online and take advantage of all the opportunities presented.   She thanked all participants for gracing the occasion and being very engaging in their interaction. Dr Mutocheluh and Dr Sakyi, a lecturer at the School of Medical Sciences also commended the centre on its achievements and urged the students to enrol at WACCBIP.
The programme ended with a visit to the Regional Water and Environmental Sanitation Centre, KNUST (RWESCK), the African Centre of Excellence at KNUST.

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Congratulations to Dr Emmanuel Amlabu, a WACCBIP-DELTAS Postdoctoral fellow, for winning a Research Excellence award from the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVC).    He was the winner in the Life Sciences and Medicine Category for his outstanding research on New Generation Malaria Vaccine Development at a short ceremony held on November, 2016.
Dr. Amlabu is also a faculty member of the Department of Biochemistry at the Kogi State University, Anyigba-Nigeria.

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The Sixth African Centres of Excellence (ACE) workshop was held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire from November 14-17, 2016. Workshop participants included representatives from the World Bank, Association of African Universities (AAU), and the 22 ACEs in West and Central Africa. The delegation from the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) included Prof. Gordon Awandare (Centre Leader), Dr. Patrick Kobina Arthur (Head, Training and Research), Mr. Michael Somuah Nkansah (Project Manager), Ms. Sika Menka (M & E focal person), Mr. Collins Amofah (Financial Management focal person) and Mrs. Constance Kocke (Procurement focal person). Prof Bassirou Bonfoh of the Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques (CSRS), a partner institution of WACCBIP, also participated in this workshop.
The workshop began after welcome addresses by Mr. Andreas Blom (World Bank Task Team Leader), Prof Etienner Ehile   (AAU Secretary General) and Prof, Hamidou Boly (ECOWAS Commissioner for Education, Science & Culture). The World Bank Education Practice Manager, Mr. Halil Dunder, and a Representative of the President of the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire gave the opening addresses.
A progress report on the status of the ACE projects and an update on disbursement of funds was presented by the AAU and World Bank representatives. WACCBIP was applauded as the first among the 22 ACEs to obtain international accreditation from the Royal Society for Biology, UK in November 2016. The University of Ghana ACEs, WACCI and WACCBIP, were commended as they together with three other ACEs, contributed 84 percent of the total externally generated revenue obtained for all ACEs.
During parallel presentations by the 22 ACEs in three breakout sessions (STEM, Health and Agriculture), there were discussions on the need for change. Each ACE also presented a brief status update and outlined one of their new training initiatives. Further discussions on teaching pedagogy were held, and different teaching and training strategies used to improve student learning in the ACEs were outlined. The Head of Training & Research at WACCBIP, Dr. Patrick Arthur, also took the other Health ACEs through WACCBIPs International Accreditation process.
In preparation towards the mid-term review scheduled for June 2017, suggestion and proposals towards the approach of this review were sought from the ACEs. There was also feedback from some ACE Centre Leaders on the mid-term state of the project implementation. Other issues on Procurement, Financial Management and Monitoring & Evaluation were discussed.
The workshop wrapped up with an evaluation survey of the workshop. The seventh ACE project workshop will take place in May 2017 in Nigeria.

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The governing council for the International Federation of Cell Biology (IFCB) has appointed Dr. Patrick Kobina Arthur, the Head of Training and Research for the West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), as its first Vice President for Africa. His appointment takes effect from September 2016 to September 2018.
The IFCB has its historical roots in the early 1930's. It was officially established in St. Louis, Missouri in 1972 to coordinate and support Cell Biology activities across the world and to represent cell biology in the International Union of Biological Sciences.  The IFCB is also represented in the International Cell Research Organization (ICRO) which collaborates with The  United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO.
WACCBIP's mandate is to serve as a core facility with state-of-the art biomedical laboratories to support infectious diseases research in the West African sub-region. The Center is developing a core facility to serve as a hub for collaboration among scientists in the sub-region with access to modern research equipment for analysis of samples and other services. The Centre was awarded $8,000,000.00 by the World Bank in November 2013 to provide Masters, PhD training, and targeted short-courses in Cell & Molecular Biology.   In addition, WACCBIP is further supported by a Wellcome Trust Developing Excellence in Leadership, Training and Science (DELTAS) Africa award of $7,823,628.00 to strengthen its research, expand its regional network beyond West Africa.
WACCBIP's mission, which is to improve diagnosis, prevention and control of infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa by providing advanced level training and research excellence on cell and molecular biology of infectious pathogens is in line with IFCB  main mission of promoting international cooperation, and to contribute to the advancement of cell biology in all its branches.
Dr. Patrick Kobina Arthur teaches at the Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology (BCMB) and has held a variety of positions in the Department. He obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Biochemistry at the University of Ghana in May 2001 and undertook his postgraduate studies  at the University of Goettingen, where he earned his MSc in Molecular Biology in April 2003.  He later obtained his PhD in Biochemistry at the same university in July 2008 and specialized in Drug discovery and Proteomics. Dr. Arthur has notable publications to his credit.

In addition to his vast experience, his appointment will be helpful in contributing to the promotion of the biological sciences, building research capacity in Africa. The Public Engagement team interacted with him on his new position and he had this to say.
Personal Engagement Team: Good evening Dr. Arthur, congratulations on your new position as IFCB vice president for Africa.
Dr. Arthur: Thank you very much.
Personal Engagement Team: Why did you accept the position as the vice president?
Dr. Arthur: It is an honor to represent Africa on the IFCB. I am also happy because it brings some prominence to WACCBIP and recognizes WACCBIP as the home of Cell biology on the African continent.
Personal Engagement Team: How will this position boost the image of WACCBIP?
Personal Engagement Team: This will help portray WACCBIP as the hub of Cell Biology, serve as a means to bring visibility and more collaboration in terms of training and research on the continent, and to also invite other Cell Biologists in Africa interested in our training.
Personal Engagement Team:     What do you hope to achieve within your tenure of office as Vice president for IFCB, Africa?
Dr. Arthur: Firstly, we hope to increase the level of training opportunities for Cell Biology in Africa.  At the moment, WACCBIP seems to be the only Center of Excellence on the continent that has the level of concentration of research and training in Cell Biology. In addition, we will strive to organize an Africa-wide conference in Cell Biology. Furthermore, we will encourage students to take full advantage of the opportunities that come along with studying Cell Biology.    Lastly, we will collaborate with foreign institutions across the world to boost grant acquisition in Cell Biology for African scientists.
Personal Engagement Team: Thank you very much for making time for us.
Dr. Arthur: You are welcome.
 
Dr. Arthur's appointment comes in recognition of his enormous contribution to WACCBIP as a Center of Excellence. We congratulate him and trust that his dynamic and visionary qualities will support the achievement of the mission of the IFCB.

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The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu has broken the grounds for the construction of a building for the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), at the Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology (BCMB), College of Basic and Applied Sciences (CBAS).

The new WACCBIP building (Biochemistry Annex) will be situated behind the Adjei-Bekoe building which houses the department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology. WACCBIP is one of the World Bank's African Centres of Excellence (ACE) and was established in 2013 led by faculty from BCMB and the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR). The mission of the Centre is to improve diagnosis, prevention and control of infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa by providing advanced level training and research excellence on the cell and molecular biology of infectious pathogens.
The Centre was awarded $8,000,000.00 by the World Bank in November 2013 to provide Masters, PhD training, and targeted short-courses in Cell & Molecular Biology, conduct applied research into biology and pathogenesis of tropical diseases and increase research output and innovation by enhancing collaboration among biomedical scientists and industry/private sector leaders in the sub-region.   In addition, WACCBIP is further supported by a Wellcome Trust Developing Excellence in Leadership, Training and Science (DELTAS) Africa award of $7,823,628.00 to strengthen its research, expand its regional network beyond West Africa, train postdoctoral fellows and provide additional PhD fellowships.
The Vice Chancellor was joined at the grounding-breaking ceremony by the World Bank Co-Task Team Leader for the ACE Project, Mrs. Eunice Ackwerh, and the Head, Planning, Research and Policy Development  at the National Council on Tertiary Education (NCTE), Dr. Emmanuel Newman.   The Acting Pro-Vice Chancellor for Office of Research, Innovation and Development (ORID), Rev. Prof. Cephas Omenyo, the Provost of CBAS, Prof. Daniel K. Asiedu, the Director of NMIMR, Prof Kwadwo Koram and the Director of the West African Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), Prof Eric Y. Danquah attended the ceremony. Other University officials present included the acting Dean of the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Prof Robert K. Adaboh, the Director of Physical Development and Municipal Services Directorate (PDMSD), Mr. Charles Kofinti, as well as Heads of Departments in the School of Biological Sciences.

Welcoming the Vice chancellor and other guests to the ceremony, the Director of WACCBIP and Head of BCMB, Prof Gordon A. Awandare noted that in just two years, WACCBIP has already made a significant impact on graduate training and research at BCMB. He said the number of Masters and PhD students at the department has increased from less than 20 in 2013 to the current number of 91.   The Centre has awarded a total of $3,544,993.00 as scholarships, including $288,400.00 to MPhil students and $2,056,593.00 to PhD students, to support costs of tuition fees, research expenses and stipend. The centre has also strengthened its research facilities by investing $1,193,595.96 to procure lab equipment such as a Flow cytometer, Gel imager, Biosafety cabinets, Centrifuges, etc as well as furniture, computers and vehicles. WACCBIP has also provided dedicated lecture rooms for Masters and PhD students, a postdoctoral fellows' office and Bioinformatics laboratory with high-capacity desktop computers for analysis of genomic data.

Prof. Awandare explained that with an additional workforce of 41 employees, and a growing number of students, there was the need to expand on the existing infrastructure at BCMB to cater to the needs of the Centre.
The construction of this building will contribute to attaining a key objective of the project, which is to improve the teaching and learning environment. This 1.4 million Ghana Cedi facility will comprise a large seminar room, lecture rooms, offices, a Bioinformatics lab, a student resource center, and a cold room.
The Provost of CBAS, Prof Asiedu, commended the leadership of WACCBIP for their successes in winning competitive grants and bringing in resources to help fill the gap left by the dwindling government subventions.  He was glad that the new building will provide additional facilities, which other departments in the College would benefit from.   He noted as a result of the WACCBIP projects, BCMB now has the highest number of graduate students in the College, which is as a result of the fellowships that WACCBIP provides to support the students.   In addition, Prof Asiedu alluded to the fact that WACCBIP has employed Research Assistants and Teaching Assistants to compensate for the void left by the freeze on government employment. Mrs. Ackwerh of the World Bank on her part said “We at the World Bank are delighted at the progress made by the Centres of Excellence at the University of Ghana and we are confident that this new facility will promote regional specialization in the biosciences and further strengthen capacity of WACCBIP to deliver quality training and applied research,”

While congratulating the University for the progress made in winning the ACE projects, Dr. Newman of the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) also urged the Vice Chancellor to provide additional investment in the Centre to ensure sustainability.

The Vice Chancellor corroborated the assertion made by the representative of the NCTE on the need for government to match the effort made by the external donors in the provision of resources for teaching and learning. He lauded the effort made by the faculty in BCMB and challenged other departments to emulate this example. He further commended WACCBIP for the progress made in building a center of excellence in line with the vision of the University of becoming a research-intensive University as part of its nine strategic priority areas. He said “The construction of this new extension block will go a long way in fostering the intellectual climate to stimulate cutting edge research and public engagement in the biosciences.”

The groundbreaking ceremony was marked by the planting of trees at the project site by the Vice Chancellor and Director of WACCBIP, supported by the Provost of CBAS and the Director of NMIMR.



Prof. Awandare took the guests on a tour of WACCBIP/BCMB laboratories to brief them of equipment procured for training and research.

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As part of the major strides in becoming a centre of excellence for higher education in Africa, the WACCBIP team, led by the Project Director Prof Gordon Awandare, was thrilled to host a 3-member delegation of assessors from the Royal Society of Biology (RSB) in the UK. The visiting team comprised Prof. David Coates, Prof. Richard, Reece and Ms. Emma Fowler. WACCBIP presented to the team on the various components of its graduate training programme namely, the objectives, structure, research, regional and international partners, student enrolment and faculty strength. The assessors had the opportunity to participate in a Seminar as well as hold diverse interactions with staff of WACCBIP.


 

In their interaction with students across all years of the various programmes, they observed an engaged group with the requisite skills and knowledge to take up key positions in the biosciences. A tour of the center's facilities was organized for the assessors to enable them experience all the center has to offer. In the course of the tour they witnessed the labs in use and observed students carrying out some hands-on work to identify areas of good practice.


 

This site visit marks the second stage of the process of obtaining Royal Society of Biology International Advanced Accreditation, a process which began in April 2016, and has involved the submission of many documents. Thus the aim of the RSB team site visit was to further evaluate WACCBIP's programmes and facilities and have face-to-face discussions with staff and students of the various programmes. Indeed, this constitutes a key milestone in a crucial objective of WACCBIP which is to obtain international accreditation for 2 of its newly designed and introduced programmes namely the PhD and MPhil in Molecular Cell Biology of Infectious Diseases. Once this international accreditation process is successfully completed, these programmes will be the first of its kind in Africa with Royal Society accreditation.

The Royal Society of Biology is a single unified voice for biology: advising the Government of the United Kingdom and influencing policy; advancing education  and professional development; supporting its members, and engaging and encouraging public interest  in the life sciences. The Society represents a diverse membership  of individuals, learned societies and other organisations. Individual members include practising scientists and non-professionals with an interest in biology.

The WACCBIP team was thrilled to receive the visiting delegation from the Royal Society of Biology and looks forward to finalizing the process in the weeks to come. With this accreditation, these two WACCBIP programmes will have achieved the requisite recognition in academic excellence in training future leaders in research and development. This will also foster the sharing of best practice across the sector, increase international competitiveness and drive up the standard of graduates in the biosciences in the West Africa sub-region.

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WACCBIP's achievements over the past three years have been noteworthy. Thus we were delighted to host Aquaculture and Fisheries Science Department (AquaFish) from Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Malawi. The World Bank approved LUANAR as a Centre of Excellence in Aquaculture and Fisheries Science on 26th May 2016 with funding to the tune of US$6 million.

The 4- member delegation was led by Dr Daud Kassam, Deputy Centre Leader and Principal Investigator of AquaFish. He expressed his excitement to the WACCBIP team and underscored the importance of their visit and interaction. He noted that the main purpose of their visit was to understudy what WACCBIP has achieved so far and “to see how the Centre of Excellence operates on day-to-day basis so we can implement best practice once we start our center in Malawi”.

Dr. Daud Kassam reiterated the similarities in the objectives of Aquafish and WACCBIP to build institutional capacity which will provide quality post-graduate education and build institutional capacity for high quality applied research to address key developmental challenges in Africa.

In welcoming the team, Prof. Gordon Awandare, the Director of WACCBIP, explained to them how far WACCBIP has come in providing advanced training and research excellence in the biomedical sciences.   He noted that WACCBIP has built an extensive partnership network across the world and will strive to maintain and strengthen these partnerships. He also shared the success and challenges of WACCBIP and indicated that teamwork and hard work has been the hallmark of the center. He was also optimistic that the two centers will build stronger ties in the future.

The team later interacted with WACCBIP staff and toured the various laboratories and facilities. The team ended their visit with satisfaction and commended WACCBIP for its laudable initiatives.

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The third cohort of Masters and PhD students has been enrolled in the Molecular Cell Biology of Infectious Diseases (MCBI) programme.  Prof Gordon Awandare, the Director of West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) and the Head of Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology (BCMB), has officially welcomed all graduate students and has urged the newly admitted graduate students to make maximum use of the opportunity their programme offers. He urged the students to take their training programmes as a rare privilege in a conducive environment to add value to themselves.

He also formally welcomed the first batch of students under the newly introduced WACCBIP- Wellcome Trust Developing Excellence in Leadership Training, and Science (DELTAS) PhD fellowship. He stated that overall, sixteen (16) PhD and fifteen (15) MPhil students were admitted for this academic year from various African countries including,  Ghana, The Gambia, Nigeria, Mali, Cameroon and Kenya.
Prof. Awandare reiterated to the students to make good use of the ultra-modern scientific laboratories and facilities available to equip themselves with cutting-edge research skills. He announced that, publications from WACCBIP-BCMB faculty and students will be rewarded with an amount of hundred dollars multiplied by the impact factor of the journals. Supervising faculty members will also receive two hundred dollars multiplied by the impact factor of the journal; this policy he said, is designed to increase productivity.

Dr Theresa Manful, the Coordinator for Graduate Admissions and PhD Qualifying Examinations, also briefed the new students on the academic calendar. She informed them that, the university's PhD programme is challenging and required consistent work and regular attendance to lectures. She added that, PhD students must take and pass a comprehensive exam at the end of the first year. She further cautioned them to create a balance between their social and academic lives.

The Head of Training and Research, Dr. Patrick Kobina Arthur, also called on the students to take responsibility for their training and avoid attitudes that would prevent them from getting the best out of their education. He further added that time management was key and hence they should have a well-planned time scheme and take proper notes during seminars to widen their scope.
Other faculty members present also made brief remarks.

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In our quest to become the leading research-training centre in West Africa, WACCBIP has launched successfully its annual research conference. The maiden research conference which took place on July 14-15, 2016, at the Noguchi Memorial Institute Conference Hall, served as the official grand opening of the centre since its inception in 2013.
The maiden research conference, which was dubbed “Improving Health through Advanced Research and Training”, also served as a milestone in our development as a centre of excellence for biomedical research with completion of the first MPhil cohort.
The two-day event showcased the immense talent and quality of our young African scientists. The maiden launch attracted over three hundred and fifty delegates and participants from top research institutions, invited guest speakers from Africa, Europe and the USA, as well as the general public.  The two-day research conference created an avenue for presenters to interact and share their knowledge and skills acquired in their learning and research pursuits with our participants.

In his opening remarks, the Director of WACCBIP, Prof. Gordon Awandare, emphasized on the vision and mission of WACCBIP and how far the centre has come in providing advanced training and research excellence in the biomedical sciences. He made it clear that WACCBIP will continue to be one of the forces to be reckoned with when it comes to using innovative research and high technological facilities to promote and develop new approaches in the control of diseases. He noted that WACCBIP had built an extensive partnership network across the world and will thrive to maintain and strengthen these partnerships.
Prof. Awandare also expressed his excitement in the increasing number of female enrolment on various training programs offered at the centre. He made an urgent call for corporate entities to support students financially through scholarships for masters and PhD training.

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Ernest Aryeetey, graced the occasion as Chair of the conference. He expressed his pleasure on being present at the occasion with just some few days to leave office as the Vice Chancellor. He expressed appreciation on the works of WACCBIP, as greatly influencing health policies and development in Africa as well as empowering trainees. He indicated that, he had been given the opportunity to lead the newly formed African Research University Alliance (ARUA), which comprises of sixteen leading institutions with strong record in research training programs, and sees WACCBIP aligning itself to the same vision.  This, he says, shows how University of Ghana has been recognized internationally in research development. Prof. Aryeetey encouraged the students to take advantage of the platform provided by the conference to interact, share ideas and learn from senior researchers as well as their peers. He disclosed that an amount of $1 million was allocated to support faculty research and participation in conferences which will contribute to the university's research outputs.

Prof. Kwadwo Ansah Koram, Director of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), also gave brief remarks on the Institute's commitment to researching on national health priorities. He commented that NMIMR was ever ready to collaborate on important research activities. He called on all stakeholders in the sub-region to pull together resources in supporting this vision.

Dr. Owen Laws Kaluwa, the World Health Organization (WHO) country representative to Ghana, officially opened the conference. He emphasized how the WHO is committed to supporting research innovation. He noted that infectious diseases research is one of the key areas that the organization supports and called on world leaders to be committed especially in the areas of HIV and TB.

The first keynote address was delivered by Prof. Keith Gull of the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology at the University of Oxford. He is also the Chair of the WACCBIP international advisory board. He congratulated the university on its support for research and gave a rousing presentation on Capacity Building for Health Research in Africa. He enumerated the increasing number of focused research initiatives on molecular microbiology in Africa and described Africa as the hub for real Science Research Leadership, which is a great step into the future. He urged the young scientists to take research to the higher level. He described the 21^st  century as a century of life sciences, and that capacity building is more about people than money. He gave selected examples of Africa's health research centres that have been improving. He added that Africa should encourage women into the sciences.

Dr. Abraham Hodgson, the Director of the Research and Development Division of the Ghana Health Service, also gave his keynote address on health research priorities. He threw more light on the relevance of setting the research agenda in Ghana. He further indicated that a five year plan had been drawn to provide relevant topics on improving quality health service delivery and malaria control programs. The plan he said, serves as a guide, not only for the Ministry of Health and its various implementing agencies, but also for stakeholders to contribute directly or indirectly to improving the nation's health.

There were over 37 oral presentations and 15 poster presentations by post-doctoral, PhD, and MPhil fellows, and the best student presenters were awarded with the opportunity to attend an international conference. There were plenary talks on both days by Dr. John Michael Ongecha (Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu), Dr. Kevin Tetteh (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK), Prof. Lars Hviid (University of Copenhagen and Rigshospitalet, Denmark), Prof. Solomon Ofori-Acquah (University of Pittsburgh, USA), Prof. Oliver Billker (Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, UK), Prof. Ambrose Wonkam (University of Cape Town, South Africa), and Prof. Douglas J. Perkins (University of New Mexico, USA).


Other dignitaries present were, Prof. Samuel Agyei-Mensah (Provost, College of Humanities),               Prof. Jennifer Welbeck (Dean, School of Medicine and Dentistry), Dr. Constance Bart-Plange (Head of the Malaria Control Programme), Prof. Mark Carrington (Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, UK), Dr. Jack Sunter (University of Oxford, UK), Prof. Kirk Deitsch (Cornell University, USA), and Prof. Isabella Quakyi (School of Public Health, UG)


The two day conference ended with a closing note from the Director, who told the participants to expect more next year. Participants were happy about the excellent organization of the workshop, particularly, the focus of the conference.
This year's research conference received support from Carramore International Limited, Merck Pharmaceuticals, Inqaba Biotec West Africa Limited, and Kasapreko Company Limited.

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The third workshop on Molecular Biology, Pathogenesis and Diagnostics of Neglected Diseases, sponsored by the Leverhulme trust and the Royal Society has kicked off with exciting sessions.
This year's workshop which started on July 11, 2016 will run till July 22, 2016. It is made possible with the collaborative efforts of the Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) and the University of Cambridge. The opening of the workshop was attended by MPhil and Ph.D. students, international faculty members from other institutes and participants from other sub-Saharan countries.
This workshop is aimed at training graduate, post graduate and healthcare professionals from various institutions in sub-Saharan Africa.  Trainees will participate through presentations, journal club discussions of selected research papers, hands-on laboratory sessions and informal interactions with faculty.

Dr. Gordon Awandare, the director of WACCBIP, in his opening remarks, expressed his gratitude toward the collaborative agreement that has taken place over the past years with the hope that it will accelerate academic interaction. He was also optimistic that the workshop will ignite the passion of participants to undertake more rigorous research. He further indicated that (WACCBIP) has for the last few years focused on becoming a leading research training institute in West Africa.

The Keynote address was delivered by Prof. George Armah of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research on the topic “Sanitation, Disease and Development”: The SANIpath Experience. He shared connective challenges facing Africa with regards to sanitation and the  neglected topics surrounding it. In his presentation, he precisely threw more light on the SaniPath Tool, which has been used to assess potential public health risks as a result of poor access to urban sanitation facilities and unsafely managed fecal sludge in Ghana. He made an observation about the increasing number of people who die yearly to cholera and malaria. He noted that such problems can be tackled by implementing research findings.

Dr. Theresa Manful Gwira, the local organizer of the workshop, thanked and expressed her gratitude for the support of international faculty members.   She advised the students to be interactive and adapt to the standardized format of teaching programs.

Prof. Mark Carrington from the Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge in his preliminary remarks, urged participants to use this platform as a means to network and use the knowledge and skill acquired in their learning and research pursuits.
Some participants shared their experience and expectations on the workshop.

Participating faculty from the University of Ghana include: Dr. Theresa Manful Gwira, Dr. Lydia Mosi, Dr. Gordon A. Awandare, Dr. Nana Yaw Asare Yeboah, Dr. Patrick Arthur, Dr. Osbourn Quaye, Prof. Neils Quashie and Dr. Samuel Doudu. Other international faculty include: Professor Mark Carrington (University of Cambridge), Dr. Jack Sunter (University of Oxford), and Dr. Paula McGregor from University of Cambridge.

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Ghana had the privilege to host the fifth ACE workshop from May 17-19, 2016 at the La-Palm Royal Beach hotel, Accra. Present at the workshop were representatives from the World Bank, Association of African Universities (AAU), National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) and the 22 ACEs in West and Central Africa.

Prof. Jane Naana Opoku- Agyeman, the Minister of Education, Ghana gave the welcome remarks. In her remarks, she reiterated government's commitment to the ACE project.

For the first time, Vice Chancellors from a number of the ACE institutions were present at the workshop including, Prof. Ernest Aryeetey the VC of the University of Ghana, to share their experiences on the implementation of the project.

Progress reports on the status of the ACE projects and an update on disbursement of funds was presented by the AAU and World Bank representatives. During parallel presentations by the 22 ACEs in three breakout sessions (STEM, Health and Agriculture), each ACE presented a brief status update and their awards and achievement were outlined. Other issues on Procurement, Financial Management and Monitoring & Evaluation were discussed.

The sixth ACE project workshop will take place in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso from November 15-17, 2016.

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Dr. Oyebola Kolapo, a postdoctoral fellow at WACCBIP was recently awarded three awards in the following categories:

1. Best PhD Thesis in Sciences, University of Lagos (2014/2015)

2. Overall Best PhD Thesis in The Humanities and Sciences, University of Lagos (2014/2015)

3. Babatunde Shofoluwe Prize for the overall best PhD graduate in The University of Lagos (2014/2015)

The awards were presented to him at the recent convocation ceremony of the University of Lagos, Nigeria.

 
 
 
 
 
Dr. Oyebola Kolapo receiving his awards
In the light of this development, Dr. Emmanuel Amlabu, a visiting research fellow at WACCBIP also received the 1st Prize in Individual Research by Group of Disciplines (Life Sciences and Medicine) category in Nigerian Universities by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
Dr. Amlabu is a faculty member from the Department of Biochemistry at the Kogi State University, Anyigba- Nigeria.
For more information visit the web link below:
http://nuc.edu.ng/wpcontent/uploads/2015/01/MB__21st_March_final.pdf.

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A one-week course sponsored by the Volkswagen Foundation (VWF) and the International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS)
Location: MRC Unit, Banjul, The Gambia
Date: 19 – 26 November, 2016
This one-week course is open to 35 advanced PhD and MD students and post-doctoral scientists from the Gambia and other West African countries and 5 from Germany. The course will provide an interactive forum with international faculty, focussing on immunology of malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and additional tropical diseases.
All participants will have free access to teaching material via the web-based Immunopaedia platform (http://www.immunopaedia.org.za/teaching-learning-tools/ ) 6 weeks ahead of the course, and are expected to have familiarized themselves with a good knowledge of basic and clinical immunology.
The course will include a practical introduction to flow cytometry.
The registration fee is 50 EUR for African students and 500 EUR for German students. Travel costs (up to 800 EUR) and accommodation will be covered for all participants by the sponsoring institutions.
To apply, please send the following documents as  ONE SINGLE PDF  not later than May 31st, 2016, per email to Prof. Dieter Kabelitz, Institute of Immunology, University of Kiel, Germany (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.):

• one page application letter with statements as to how participation at the course will help to shape your career in Africa


• one page CV


• one page abstract for poster presentation


• one page of (most important) publications, if applicable


• one page letter of support from your supervisor

10 of the submitted abstracts will be selected for oral presentation.
For more information, download the poster  here  and the program details  here.

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The annual Ghana Biomedical Convention (GBC) conference is here.
Theme:  “Accelerating the Momentum for Science in Africa”
Venue:   University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho.
Date:     2-4 August 2016, with satellite workshops on  August 1 and 5.
The registration and abstract submission portal is now open at  http://ghanabiomedicalconvention.org/conventions/current/instructions. You are kindly requested to read the instructions before submitting your abstract.
REGISTRATION:
http://ghanabiomedicalconvention.org/conventions/gbc-2016
The categories for abstract submissions are:

Many abstracts could fall into more than one category, so please select the one you prefer. The scientific committee reserves the right to shift abstracts from the authors' preference to another section in order to balance the programme.   You will also select whether you want your abstract to be considered for a Talk Only, Poster Only, or Either a Talk or Poster. Please be aware that selecting Talk Only is the most competitive choice and your abstract might be rejected.
Regular abstract submission closes on 22  May 2016 at midnight. Late abstract submission closes on  29 May 2016 at midnight. Abstracts submitted AFTER the regular deadline in the LATE period may not be included in the conference booklet.  ALL abstracts must be submitted through the web site on or before  29 May 2016.
In order to reduce the burden of “no-shows”, once your abstract is accepted you will be requested to make a 50 GHS non-refundable deposit towards your conference registration fee. Instructions will be provided on how to make your deposit with your acceptance email. Your registration and abstract submission are not final until the deposit is paid. This does not apply to those residing outside of Ghana, you will be asked to confirm your attendance by email.
Visit  http://ghanabiomedicalconvention.org/conventions/current/workshops

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