Professor Jerry Paul Ninnoni is an Associate Professor and Head, Department of Mental Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Cape Coast, Ghana. He had both his undergraduate and postgraduate education in Scotland (UK). He was awarded the SAAS scholarship for a Bachelor of Nursing (mental health). Upon completion of his first degree in 2006 and through hard work and dedication, he was awarded a studentship scholarship for PhD jointly sponsored by the then Managed Clinical Network for Epilepsy and the Health Service Research Group, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, to investigate effective communication and the interplay between people with epilepsy and learning disabilities with carers and healthcare professionals. Following graduation in 2011, he worked with Royal Cornhill hospital (NHS-Grampian) for many years.
While working, he had a temporary appointment with Robert Gordon University, where he taught research methods until 2013. In 2014 he relocated to Ghana to help develop mental health nursing education with the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. He became the coordinator/head of the Department of Mental Health (2014-2018), the then-only university in Ghana with a degree programme in mental health. He brought innovative ideas to resource the Department. He is registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Councils in UK and Ghana. This allows him to cite context-specific examples to enrich student learning experiences from a global perspective on mental health services delivery. He has worked tirelessly for the Mental Health Department and the School of Nursing and Midwifery to make the Department of Mental Health the number 1 in Ghana and West Africa. He has represented universities nationally and internationally, including the Grand Valley State University, Michigan and Limerick University, Ireland. He is leading a committee to develop a PhD in mental health nursing.
He has many years of experience in postgraduate and undergraduate teaching and research and has supervised dozens of postgraduate students to completion. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals across the globe. His research focuses on mental health, chronic conditions, HIV, depression and anxiety, stigma, substance abuse, and learning disabilities.