Professor Gordon Awandare
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The University of Ghana (UG) has appointed Professor Gordon Awandare as the substantive Pro-Vice-Chancellor in charge of Academic and Student Affairs (ASA).
Prof Awandare, until his appointment, was the Director of the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP).
He will take over from Professor Daniel Frimpong Ofori who was serving in acting capacity.
A statement from the University of Ghana indicated that Professor Gordon Awandare’s appointment will take effect from January 1, 2022.
“Council, at its meeting held on 23rd December, 2021, considered and approved the appointment of Prof. Gordon Akanzuwine Awandare as Pro Vice-Chancellor, Academic and Student Affairs (ASA) with effect from 1st January, 2022,” the statement reads.
Profile of Professor Gordon Awandare
Professor Gordon Awandare is the founding Director of West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), and a Professor at the Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology (BCMB) at the University of Ghana, Legon.
He is also a visiting Professor at the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK.
He completed his O’level in 1991 at Notre Dame Seminary Secondary School, Navrongo and A’level in 1993 at Presbyterian Boys Secondary School, Legon.
He then obtained his Bsc Biochemistry in 1998 and MPhil Biochemistry in 2002 at the University of Ghana, Legon.
Subsequently, he obtained a PhD in Infectious Diseases and Microbiology from the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA in 2007, followed by a Postdoctoral fellowship at the Walter Reed Army Institute for Research, MD, USA from 2007 to 2010.
He was appointed Lecturer at the Department of Biochemistry, University of Ghana in 2002, promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2011, Associate Professor in 2015 and Professor in 2018. He was Head of Department of Biochemistry from 2013 to 2017.
In 2014, he led the establishment of WACCBIP after winning one of the World Bank’s African Centres of excellence grants.
Subsequently, WACCBIP has won several other big grants, including a Wellcome Trust DELTAS grant, which altogether have secured over $40 million to University of Ghana for equipment, infrastructure, and fellowships to about 300 African scientists for Masters, doctoral and postdoctoral training.
He has supervised 14 postdoctoral fellows, 20 PhD students and 23 Master’s students.
His research interest is in the molecular and cellular aspects of infectious diseases in Africa, with specialization in the biology of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, and the pathogenesis of its infections in African children.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Prof Awandare’s team have played a leading role in Ghana’s response by providing research data on seroprevalence and genomic diversity of circulating SARS-CoV-2 viruses.
He has more than 130 peer-reviewed journal publications in a wide range of journals, including some of the leading infectious diseases and immunology journals.
Prof Awandare brings significant experience in university management and governance.
He is currently the Foundation Chairman of the Governing Council of the CK Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Navrongo, where he is also Chairman of the University’s Finance Committee.
Prof. Gordon A. Awandare Appointed Pro-VC ASA. https://t.co/Y6G3G1OaR6 #GoToUniversity#IntegriProcedamus pic.twitter.com/aoZ9qYkWMm
— University of Ghana (@UnivofGh) December 24, 2021