Page 14 - Inspiring UG

Building Research Capacity in

Human Genetics

in disease diagnosis, prevention, and control.
Under this holistic research-intensive regime,
WACCBIP is training Masters and PhD students
from across the continent, and has instituted a
post-doctoral programme to mentor quali ied
PhDs in Africa, while attracting African scientists
who have completed their PhDs abroad to return
home.

Human genetics will be incorporated to facilitate
research into host-pathogens interactions, while
Prof. Gordon Awandare serving as a bridge between infectious diseases
and non-communicable diseases. WACCBIP aims
The problem of the low contribution of African to drive three major objectives:
scholars to global scienti ic discourse is • Exploiting pathogen biology for developing
frequently linked to the paucity of scienti ic novel disease diagnostics, vaccines and drugs;
capacity as well as to the lack of technological • Determining the molecular bases for
equipment and resources. To address these differences in host susceptibility to infectious
bottlenecks, the University of Ghana's West diseases to guide better disease prevention
African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious and management; and
Pathogens (WACCBIP) has established the irst • Identifying genetic markers to inform
graduate and professional human genetics molecular diagnostic approaches for early
programme in Ghana, following a £5.3 million detection of non-communicable diseases.
grant from the Wellcome Trust's Developing
Excellence in Leadership, Training and Science According to Professor Gordon Awandare, the
(DELTAS) Africa programme. Director of WACCBIP, the new programme also
features a more robust mentoring system, with
The DELTAS Africa programme supports Africa- doctoral and postdoctoral scholars having access
led development of world-class scienti ic to mentors, both local and international.
researchers and leaders. The award is enabling Additionally, these young scientists enjoy funded
WACCBIP extend and augment its existing six-month research tours in laboratories of co-
training programmes and provide young mentors in the UK and USA.
scientists from the region with advanced training

12 12 Inspiring