Research Scientist

Office: [+233-302-779514]

Mobile: [+233-54-502-7056 ]

DEGREES

BSc (Hons) Ghana

MPhil (Ghana)

PhD (Sweden)

Awards

2016 – 2019: Wellcome Trust Initiative to Develop African Research Leaders

Dr. Mrs. Akua Kyerewaa Botwe holds a PhD. (Medical Science) from Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, and an MPhil. (Biochemistry) and BSc. Hons (Biochemistry and Botany) from the University of Ghana. Her specialty is in molecular epidemiology although with a versatile research background that has cut across broad disciplines including malaria parasitology, immunology, antimalarial drug resistance, malaria vaccine clinical trials, bioethics, biosafety, scientific writing, field work and laboratory management. She embarked on her research career immediately after her BSc. training and thus has two decades of experience from working with dynamic biomedical research teams at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Kintampo Health Research Centre – where she pioneered molecular biology research and helped to lay the foundations for the formation of the vibrant covid-19 testing site that serves the Bono East region of Ghana, and Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kilifi.

Dr. Botwe is a reviewer for international peer-reviewed journals and she has collaborated with researchers across the globe to co-author several publications in peer-reviewed journals. She has received fellowships and grants for research studies, proposals, publications, conferences, workshops or meetings from the Wellcome Trust Initiative to Develop African Research Leaders, Swedish Research Links, National Institutes of Health, KHRC Director’s Small Grants Award, INDEPTH Network, Africa Malaria Network and Belgian Technical Cooperation. Dr. Botwe’s long standing research interests have revolved around reducing child morbidity and mortality in Ghana, by deciphering the host determinants and parasite genetic factors that influence malaria distribution among children under five years of age.

Dr. Botwe has recently joined the Biomedical and Public Health Research Unit of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – Water Research Institute, Ghana; and her current research is focused on maternal and infant health, specifically to deepen the understanding of how the malaria trajectory before birth can be utilized to prevent malaria within the first year of life. Dr. Botwe is looking to further veer into partnerships with a goal to promote the health and wellbeing of children, through studies with the potential to either provide interventions that will reduce malaria/bacterial co-infections in children; to explore the COVID-19 and NTD landscape among children; or to build capacity towards cancer research among children in Ghana.

Research Interest: 

Promoting good health and wellness among young children living in the tropical regions of the world.

Current Research:

My research is in the area of molecular epidemiology. The current research will focus on the understanding of how the malaria trajectory before birth can be utilized to prevent malaria within the first year of life.

 Future Outlook:

To collaborate with research partners to either provide interventions that will reduce malaria/bacterial co-infections in children, or to explore the COVID-19 and neglected tropical disease landscape in young children, or to build capacity towards cancer research among children in Ghana.

Publications

Akua K. Yalley, Selasie Ahiatrogah, Anna A. Kafintu-Kwashie, Gloria Amegatcher, Diana Prah, Akua K. Botwe, Mildred A. Adusei-Poku, Evangeline Obodai and Nicholas I. Nii-Trebi. A systematic review on suitability of molecular techniques for diagnosis and research into infectious diseases of concern in resource limited settings (2022). Current Issues in Molecular Biology. 44(10):4367-4385. doi: 10.3390/cimb44100300.

Akua Kyerewaa Botwe, Felix Boakye Oppong, Stephaney Gyaase, Seth Owusu-Agyei, Muhammad Asghar, Kwaku Poku Asante, Anna Färnert, Faith Osier. Determinants of the varied profiles of Plasmodium falciparum infections, among infants living in Kintampo, Ghana. (2021). Malaria Jounal. 20:240. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-021-03752-9.

Akua Kyerewaa Botwe, Seth Owusu-Agyei, Muhammad Asghar, Ulf Hammar, Felix Boakye Oppong, Stephaney Gyaase, David Dosoo, Gabriel Jakpa, Ellen Boamah, Mieks Frenken Twumasi, Faith Osier, Anna Färnert,, Kwaku Poku Asante. (2020). Profiles of Plasmodium falciparum infections detected by microscopy through the first year of life in Kintampo a high transmission area of Ghana. PLOS One. 15(10): e0240814. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0240814.