A medical Anthropologist by training, Professor Gyapong is Director of the Institute of Health Research (IHR) and Coordinator of the Centre for Health Policy and Implementation Research (CHPIR) at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), Ghana. Under her leadership, the centre was designated as a WHO/TDR Satellite Training Centre for Implementation Research in 2018.
Prior to joining the university in 2017, she spent almost 25 years as a researcher in the Ghana Health Service and was foundation Director of the Dodowa Health Research Centre from 2005 to 2016, transforming it from a small research station to an internationally acclaimed research Centre. Her interests are in socio-cultural aspects of tropical diseases, implementation research, Health Systems, maternal and child health.
Prof. Gyapong is currently a member of the Sight Savers board of trustees, BRCCH Scientific Strategic Advisory Board, the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute External Review Board, Global Institute Board for Disease Elimination, Health Campaign Effectiveness Advisory board, WHO Scientific and Technical Advisory Group (STAG) on Neglected tropical diseases, the WHO/AFRO Advisory Committee on Health Research and Development and advisor on capacity building and training in Malaria for the Havard TC Chan school of Public Health WHO rethinking malaria program.
She has in the recent past been member of the WHO Task force on Malaria Research Capability Strengthening in Africa, Vice chair, WHO/TDR Scientific Advisory Committee on Integrated Community Based Interventions, Co-Chair WHO/TDR Technical Review Group on social Science and Gender, Member Global Technical Strategy on Malaria steering group 2010-2013.
In 2017, she was one of 12 women across the world to receive the first Heroines of Health award for her work in drawing attention to the needs of women suffering from the consequences of Neglected tropical Disease. A year later she was profiled in TDR Global for some of her achievements in Implementation Research and work on Neglected tropical diseases.
On International Women’s Day in March 2021, she was celebrated by WHO/TDR as one of 15 women who champion mentorship and collaboration among scientists tackling infectious diseases in low and middle income countries. In May of the same year she was ranked by the world Scientist and University Ranking 2021-AD Scientific Index 2021 as number 4 in the university of Health and Allied Sciences, number 13 in Ghana and number 550 in Africa. On October 18th 2021 she was adjudged the Most Outstanding Female Scientist by the EDCTP for her contribution, training and mentorship to reducing poverty related diseases.
In Academia, Professor Gyapong is full Professor of Applied Health Social Science at UHAS, and adjunct professor of Global Health at Georgetown University. She has 105 publications in peer reviewed journals to her credit.
Publications: ORCID (Read more...)
