Professor John Owusu Gyapong is a

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

ian Professor of

Epidemiology Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population. It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decisions and evidenc ...

. He is currently the

Vice Chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, the chancellor is ...

of the

University of Health and Allied Sciences The University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) a public university located at Ho in the Volta Region of Ghana. UHAS is one of the youngest public universities in Ghana. Its operation started in September 2012, when the first batch of 154 s ...

, Ho

Education

Gyapong obtained an

MB ChB Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United King ...

degree from

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) is a public University of Ghana that focuses on science and technology. The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology is the public university established in the country, as well a ...

in 1987. He undertook his postgraduate studies at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine,

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

where he earned an MSc in

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...

developing countries A developing country is a sovereign state with a lesser developed industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to other countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. There is also no clear agreem ...

in 1993, and later a Ph.D in

in 1997.

Career

Before assuming the office of Vice Chancellor of the

, Gyapong was serving his second term as the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Development at the

University of Ghana The University of Ghana is a public university located in Accra, Ghana. It the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian national public universities. The university was founded in 1948 as the University College of the Gold Coast in the Br ...

. He also worked in various capacities at the

Ghana Health Service The Ghana Health Service (GHS) is a Ghanaian government body established in 1996 as part of the Health Sector Reform of Ghana. The Health Service is under the Ministry of Health. The Health service primarily administrates the health services prov ...

and was chairman of the Food and Drugs Authority Clinical Trials Technical Committee. Outside the University, Gyapong has had a wide and varied international experience and exposure. Gyapong has provided expertise as a technical advisor to several national and international organisations and institutions, some of which he has chaired. These include:

The World Bank The World Bank Group (WBG) is a family of five international organizations that make leveraged loans to developing countries. It is the largest and best-known development bank in the world and an observer at the United Nations Development Grou ...

;

World Health Organisation The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...

and the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP).These several roles over the last two decades culminated in his appointment as a Commissioner to the Lancet-University of Oslo Commission on the Global Governance for Health, an independent academic research initiative managed in collaboration with the Harvard Global Health Institute.

Research interests

Gyapong's main area of research is infectious disease epidemiology, especially lymphatic

filariasis Filariasis is a parasitic disease caused by an infection with roundworms of the Filarioidea type. These are spread by blood-feeding insects such as black flies and mosquitoes. They belong to the group of diseases called helminthiases. These par ...

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

, and other neglected tropical diseases. He has been involved in several large scale epidemiological field trials in Ghana including the Ghana on Vitamin A Supplementation, Malaria intervention studies, and Social and economic impact of lymphatic

. For over 10 years he was Director for Research and Development of the Ghana Health Service where he was responsible for health systems research. He has received at least 5 million dollars of research grants as of 2016. Before assuming responsibility as Pro-Vice Chancellor he was the Vice-Dean and Professor in Epidemiology and Disease Control at the School of Public Health of the

, and an Adjunct Professor of International Health at

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

He serves on several international research review committees and boards.

Affiliations

* Fellow,

Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, more commonly known by its acronym RSTMH, was founded in 1907 by Sir James Cantlie and George Carmichael Low. Sir Patrick Manson, the Society's first President (1907–1909), was recognised as "th ...

* Fellow,

American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) is an Arlington, Virginia-based non-profit organization of scientists, clinicians, students and program professionals whose longstanding mission is to promote global health through the ...

* Fellow,

Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons The Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons is a National Postgraduate Medical College established to train specialist doctors in medicine, surgery and other related disciplines by an Act of parliament in 2003. History Prior to the founding of ...

* Fellow,

Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences The Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS) is a learned society for the arts and sciences based in Accra, Ghana. The institution was founded in November 1959 by Kwame Nkrumah with the aim to promote the pursuit, advancement and dissemination ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gyapong, John Owusu Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Ghanaian public health doctors Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology alumni Vice-Chancellors of universities in Ghana People educated at St. Thomas Aquinas Senior High School Presbyterian Boys' Senior High School alumni Fellows of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences