Ghana Drug Discovery Representatives Meeting

Suze Farrell and Ian Gilbert met with representatives from 4 Universities from Ghana to discuss the next steps in the development of the Ghana drug discovery hub. We met at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in the city of Kumasi.

We discussed a variety of different topics. It is very encouraging to see the development of drug discovery within Ghana and the increased interaction between the scientists. Key highlights include pathogen biology, synthetic medicinal chemistry, natural product chemistry and a group in Kumasi starting to develop a capability in drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK). All of these capabilities are building towards a fully integrated drug discovery capability. We looked at ways to increase collaboration between scientists in Ghana, and needs for training and equipment.

A recent award from the University of Dundee GCRF is supporting a series of small inter-institution awards within Ghana.  This allows staff and students to access some of the newly refurbished facilities and equipment for drug discovery.

Photo credits: Banner image @Isaac Asiamah, University of Cape Coast, Left image @Department of Pharmacognosy, KNUST.