Patrick Adu was born in Ghana and had his Bachelor of Science (Medical Laboratory Sciences) at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. Prior to this, I attended Kumasi Polytechnic (presently called Kumasi Technical University) where I pursued HND in Dispensing Technology (the equivalent of diploma in pharmaceutical studies in other countries). In 2010, I won a four-year University of Glasgow scholarship to pursue both MRes (Molecular Functions in diseases) and subsequently, PhD (in haematopoietic stem cell biology) at the Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, UK. I have been part of the academic staff of the University of Cape Coast since 2015 where I combine research with teaching and community engagement.
From 2019 - 2021, I was awarded the Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarship to pursue MSc. Medical Leadership at the Lancaster University, UK. Over the course of this study, I consolidated my research skills and expand my repertoire of research techniques and methodologies as I was able to add qualitative research methods to my portfolio. Presently, my research designs generally triangulate the data collection processes to enhance the rigour of the research output. Through this leadership masters, I learn key leadership principles including stakeholder identification/mapping and engagement and how to weave this into research design to increase chance of research output.
From August 2020 - February, 2024, I served as the Coordinator for clinical training of Medical Laboratory Students of the department of Medical Laboratory Science. I coordinated the clinical internship of both regular and sandwich students to ensure that students garnered the required credit hours of clinical and practical training as well equipping students to develop the skills of critical reflection and write reflective report to inculcate the habit of reflective practitioner.
In 2023, I had the opportunity to participate in a competency-based MOOC on Implementation Research 2023. This course was developed and organized jointly with Regional Training Centre (RTC) for Health Research, and supported by TDR, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada and the WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR). Through this course I honed my capacity to develop research protocols leveraging the Implementation Research paradigm.
From August 2023 to November, 2023, I undertook the twelve weeks Doctoral supervisor training organised by Stellenbosch University, South Africa to build my capacity to efficiently supervise Masters and Doctoral students. This was a competency -based certification training that participants have to pass a capstone assignment to merit the award.
In August 2024, he was awarded the TWAS-CSIR-UNESCO 2023 Postdoctoral Fellowship to undertake a study in CRISPR Diagnostics in sickle cell disease and other haemoglobinopathies at the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Center for Scientific and Industrial Research (IGIB-CSIR), India.
My research interests are mainly in haemoglobinopathies, red cell enzymopathies, immuno-haematology and haemato-biochemistry; in these endeavuours, I actively seek to harness both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies to create new knowledge. I aspire to actively contribute to scientific knowledge through publications in peer-reviewed scientific journal, presentations at scientific conferences and facilitation of CPD programs for Medical Laboratory professionals in Ghana. I am experienced in mixed-methods research approaches.
I am an active member of the European Society of haematology, African Association of Blood Transfusion, Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLS) and a licensed Allied Health professional in Ghana.
