I am an Associate Professor of Pharmacology & Toxicology at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Ghana. Since my appointment in 2011 as an Assistant Lecturer through to my current designation which spans over 12 years, I have served UCC and the scientific community to the best of my ability through the apprenticeship of teaching, research and community service.
I have taught courses in Pharmacology & Toxicology, namely Pharmacology I, Pharmacology II, Drug Metabolism and Toxicology in the Department of Medical Laboratory Science since my appointment. Aside my primary Department, I have been engaged by other Departments to assist in the teaching of Pharmacology and Pharmacology-related courses (Please, refer to my CV). I should say that, through teaching, I have been able to introduce students to concepts and principles of Pharmacology that underpin core disciplines in applied biomedical sciences. I did not only succeed in introducing students to core concepts in pharmacology that are relevant to their training as Allied Health Professionals but also I have inspired and mentored some of these students, who have started careers in either Pharmacology or Pharmacology-related fields. For example, I have supervised over 100 undergraduate students, three postgraduate students (Two Mphils. and one PhD) of which two (a PhD and an Mphil) are ongoing. To improve ease of teaching Pharmacology at the undergraduate level, I have contributed by publishing a general Pharmacology Practical Manual (ISBN: 978-9988-2-6437-6) for use by undergraduate students undertaking Introductory Pharmacology. To comply with the Legal Deposit obligation, two copies of the Pharmacology Manual have since been deposited at the George Padmore Research Library as required by the Ghana Library Authority in full compliance with the Book and Newspaper Registration Act of 1961 (Act 73). Also, a copy of the Pharmacology Manual has been deposited at Sam Jonah Library, UCC. In the 2017/2018 academic year, I was tasked by the HoDs of Biomedical and Forensic Sciences to develop a tailored Practical Pharmacology Manual for students in those two Departments to help students firm up their understanding of pharmacology and I willingly availed myself to help those two departments. Development of tailored postgraduate programmes to produce the needed manpower to drive both institutional and national developmental agenda has always been the focus of every academic institution including UCC. To this end, I made my experience and service available in the development of an MSc/MPhil/PhD Medical Laboratory Diagnostics program at my department, specifically, I wrote the content and course descriptions for Pharmacology and Toxicology-related courses. It is interesting to note that this postgraduate program is under consideration at the Academic Board.
Research is the engine that drives institutional development, visibility, and international collaboration. Since joining UCC, I have devoted most of my time in conducting basic scientific research in the area of natural products pharmacology. My research efforts have focused on plant-derived natural products, testing of their claimed pharmacological effects using disease models, elucidation of their mechanism of action, assessment of their safety and their potential as templates for drug development. For example, my research group has been assessing the effects of medicinal plants with demonstrable bioactivity (anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-microbial and anti-infective effects) in the treatment of systemic diseases such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and diabetes mellitus. I should say that findings from my research has earned a research collaboration with the Center for Plant Medicine Research (CPMR), Mampong-Akuapem, in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Currently, a project is ongoing to assess anti-cancer properties of phyto-compounds derived from Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides and citrus fruit peels experimental models of HCC, uterine and prostate cancers. Also, I should say that within my niched scientific community, I have been involved in the dissemination of research findings through the journal system. For example, I have received many unsolicited invitations from internationally recognized journals to serve editorial roles probably such invitations are in recognition of my research efforts in my niched research community. For example, I serve on the editorial board of Pharmacognosy Magazine, Frontiers in Pharmacology and that of other journals in the natural product niche. Also, I review for many journals most of which are indexed/curated in the Web of Science Core Collections. In two consecutive years (2018 and 2019), my review efforts were acknowledged with Top Reviewer Awards (Pharmacology & Toxicology) by Publons during the Publons Global Reviewer Awards powered by Web of Science group (Clarivate Analytics). In all these engagements in my niched scientific community, I should say that I have creditably represented my niched scientific community as well as the University of Cape Coast. Locally, my research efforts have been recognized on two occasions by the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Consultancy (DRIC), UCC. First, in 2018, I was adjudged the Best College Level Researcher for College of Health and Allied Sciences (CoHAS). Similarly, in 2021, I was adjudged the Best Evolving Researcher in the University of Cape Coast. Overall my teaching and research experiences which span a period of over 13 years have produced more than 70 peer reviewed research publications, an ebook, a book chapter, and two editorials. Although my area of research is a conserved area, nonetheless my research is making impact as evidenced by a Google Citation index < 980, H-index of 19, i10-index of 33, and Scopus H-index of 13 and Scopus citation of 431.
I have engaged in a number of activities outside my core mandate of teaching and research. For example, I represented the University of Cape Coast during the project defense for students at the school of anesthesia, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH). Also, I represented the then provost (Prof. Johnson Nyarkoh Boampong, now Vice Chancellor, UCC) of CoHAS at the 141st Speech and Prize Given Day of Mfamsipim School in 2017. I have served as a moderator for UCC Affiliation Office, in many affiliate institutions including Baldwyn University College, Osu, Accra, College of Health and Wellbeing, Kintampo, just to mention but a sample. I serve on some boards and committees at departmental, school and college levels. Whiles serving as a Coordinator of the Department of Sport and Exercise Science, with the support of faculty I was able to make small but visible gains in making the department improve enrollment despite the general decline in enrollment even at the institutional level. For example, enrollment was marginally improved though more needs to be done. Also, together with my able faculty and supporting staff, I was able to obtain programme accreditation from Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) for the Department of Sport and Exercise Science.
Put together, over a period of 13 years, I have through teaching, research and community service contributed towards development and advancement of biomedical research and the University of Cape Coast, Ghana.
