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New Technical Assistant in Ghana

Posted 15th November 2021 by Joseph Kofi Abankwa

I joined the Target Malaria team in Ghana in September 2021 as a Technical Assistant. It gives me a lot of pleasure to be part of this large family striding three different continents.

I previously worked with the Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies. My role as a Research Assistant included but was not limited to vermi-composting, water parameter checks and testing soil qualities.

I later worked with the Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research as a Research Assistant. My duties were to culture both cancerous and normal cells, isolate compounds from plant extracts and train PhD and Master’s students in cell culturing and toxicity testing.

I became a Technical Assistant to the Principal Investigator of Target Malaria Ghana, who is also a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Sciences, Dr. Fred Aboagye-Antwi.

I am a Ghanaian. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Biology & Conservation Science. I also pursued a Master of philosophy degree (MPhil) in Pharmacology at the University of Ghana where I undertook research on the pharmacodynamic role of chemical compounds and plant extracts against cancer cells in-vitro. My research shed more light on the interactions and effects of compounds on receptors.

Currently, I am investigating the synthesis and determination of the effective concentration and the synergistic role of chemical attractants (Pheromones) in mosquito mating, sex recognition and courtship.

This study will add to existing literature on the mating mechanism which might lead to vector control strategies that target insect reproductive behaviour.

In my spare time, I like to travel to places for recreation and relaxation.