Marilyn Asiedu Sefa
Marilyn Asiedu Sefa is currently pursuing a PhD in Sociology at the University of Ghana. Her research interests focus on food security, food safety, food environment, adaptation in agricultural systems, sociology of consumption and consumer behavior, and methods of standardization. She holds an MPhil in Sociology from the University of Ghana, an Erasmus-funded interdisciplinary degree from the University of Hradec Kralove in the Czech Republic, and a Bachelor鈥檚 degree in Economics and Sociology from the University of Cape Coast. Marilyn is an alumnus of YALI-RLC (West Africa) Cohort 40.
She is a Principal Research Technologist at the Science and Technology Policy Research Institute (STEPRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Ghana. Marilyn has a strong passion for urban and rural development. Her passion for research also stems from her keen interest in expanding existing knowledge to generate new concepts and insights. Marilyn is a certified knowledge manager for Sustainable Development within the Knowledge for Development Partnerships (K4DP) School of Knowledge Science-Austria, Makerere University Business School-Uganda, and the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) CAADPx -P4.
Iliassou Mogmenga
Iliassou Mogmenga is a lecturer and researcher at the Centre Universitaire de Banfora, Universit茅 Nazi BONI in Burkina Faso. He is a young researcher who is part of the Food Biotechnology and Human Nutrition (BioANH) research team at the Laboratoire de Microbiologie et de Biotechnologies Microbiennes (LAMBM) of the Centre de Recherche en Sciences Biologiques Appliqu茅es et Nutritionnelles (CRSBAN). Dr MOGMENGA's expertise covers food processing, evaluation of the hygienic and nutritional qualities of formulated foods, and research into new types of food with high nutritional value to help combat multi-deficiency malnutrition. Dr MOGMENGA's current research focuses on probiotics derived from local foods in Burkina Faso and their application to improve food quality.
Vida Korleki Nyawornota
Vida Korleki Nyawornota is an assistant lecturer with the Physical Education and Sports Studies Department at the University of Ghana Legon. She is a final year PhD student of the Regional Institute for Population Studies at the University of Ghana. She obtained her MPhil in Health Policy Planning and Management from the School of Public Health at the University of Ghana Legon in 2010 and a Bachelor of Education in Physical Education in 2002 at the University of Education, Winneba. Her Ph.D. thesis focused on the perceived neighbourhood environment and physical activity in Ghana to examine how neighbourhood environment attributes influence the physical activity behaviour of Ghanaians. Findings from the study will help promote and increase physical activity levels towards reducing the high rate of inactivity, sedentary behaviour, and related risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs)in Ghana,
Vida is a member of the Active Healthy Kids Ghana (AHKG), a team that published the 2014, 2016, and 2018 Ghana Reports Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth. She is an international trainer for the Youth Sport Trust International UK (YSTI UK) and has undertaken youth sport development projects and pedagogical training in Bahrain, Oman, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Paris, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Ghana. She also collaborated with UNICEF, the British Council, and the Ghana Education Service for Ghana's youth empowerment training program.
Her research interests include children and adolescent physical activity, overweight, the built environment, and active transportation. She is also interested in youth empowerment through sports. She is passionate about developing entrepreneurial and life skills in the youth using the power of sports and physical activity.
Through QES scholar training, Vida hopes to improve her research and teaching skills, acquire new skills in community capacity building and youth empowerment especially females, and be mentored by experts to build her capacity. QES training will also provide her an opportunity to network and collaborate with other researchers from diverse backgrounds.
Jane Appiaduah Odei
Jane Appiaduah Odei is a doctoral student at the University of Ghana, Nutrition and Food Science Department. Her current research is focused on non-communicable diseases among school-aged children in Ghana.
She holds an MPhil student in the same department and worked on factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding of Ghanaian twins where she found that mothers with twins exclusively breastfed far less than mothers with singleton babies. This discovery strengthened her resolve to support and encourage mothers with infants and young children, especially those with twins, to persevere in exclusive breastfeeding despite challenges that may come up. She has interests in maternal, infant, and young child research and intervention research to curb non-communicable diseases in children.
Sarah Cooper
Sarah Cooper is a doctoral candidate in public health (specializing in global health) at the Universit茅 de Montr茅al School of Public Health. She holds a Master's degree in Family Medicine (苹果淫院) and a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry (苹果淫院). Her research interests include maternal health, evaluative research, public policy, structural determinants of health, and mixed methods. More specifically, as part of her doctoral thesis, she is working on a mixed methods project aimed at integrating women's perspectives into the evaluation of the quality of maternal health care, in the hope of assessing the effects of a policy of free health care for women of childbearing age in Burkina Faso.
Throughout her doctoral studies at ESPUM, Sarah has been a valued member of Dr Thomas Druetz's research team. This experience allowed her to contribute to various projects in Burkina Faso, Benin, and Haiti, enriching her understanding of global health dynamics. Her doctoral research was funded by the Fonds de recherche du Qu茅bec Science, the Queen Elizabeth Scholars Program, Hyegia Observatoire, and the RRSPQ.
Zeenat Adams
Zeenatu Suglo Adams is a diligent food scientist and entrepreneur pursuing her PhD in Food Science and Technology at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Department of Food Science and Technology. With a wealth of experience in the food industry, she has refined her expertise through diverse roles, including as a lecturer at Ho Technical University and as the CEO and Founder of Pneuma Food Scientifics (PFS), an innovative consultancy firm specializing in food safety and quality management.
Driven by her passion for research and entrepreneurship, Miss Adams has made significant contributions, particularly in exploring alternative gelling polysaccharides such as tamarind kernel xyloglucans. These underutilized polysaccharides have the potential to revolutionize the food industry by providing viable alternatives to commercial pectin. PFS's product line includes Shemah Instant Rice Porridge and Fibrelicious High Fruit Fibre Porridge, which reflect Miss Adams's commitment to delivering consumers safe, healthy, and high-quality food options. In addition to her entrepreneurial endeavors, Miss Adams is deeply involved in training and capacity building, having trained over 200 businesses in good manufacturing practices (GMP) and HACCP. Her expertise extends to product development, project management, and mentorship, showcasing her multifaceted approach to addressing challenges in the food industry.
Through her work at PFS and academic pursuits at KNUST, Miss Adams continues to make significant contributions to advancing the food industry, driving innovation, and promoting food safety and quality on both local and global scales.
Afua Ayewa Tenkorang
Afua Ayewa Tenkorang is currently pursuing a PhD in Population Studies with a solid background in community development, entrepreneurship, and gender equity. Her research interests encompass social health dynamics, adolescents, women, body mass index, sexual behavior, and autonomy.
Ms. Tenkorang holds an MA in Population Studies from the University of Ghana and a BED in Mathematics with a Physics minor from the University of Cape Coast. She has a strong foundation in both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. Her extensive experience spans various academic and field roles, including her position as a Field Supervisor on the QES program, 鈥淓xamining the Effect of Household Headship on Women鈥檚 Household Decision-Making Regarding Health and Nutrition鈥�.
Ms. Tenkorang is currently a Teaching Assistant at the Regional Institute for Population Studies, University of Ghana. She has previously worked as a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at the Ghana Statistical Service and as a Team Leader for the DeliverEd project at ISSER. In these positions, she continuously displayed leadership, project management, and data analysis abilities. Her responsibilities have included creating monitoring frameworks, directing teams, and communicating with educational and government stakeholders. Ms. Tenkorang has actively participated in community-focused programs, partnered with the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers to educate individuals about voter involvement, and supported parliamentary activities as a Program Officer with the STAR-Ghana Programme. Her volunteer work as a teacher in local schools emphasizes her dedication to education and community service.
Passionate about community development, entrepreneurship, and gender equity, Ms. Tenkorang鈥檚 academic background, professional experience, and volunteer activities have equipped her with the skills and knowledge to contribute meaningfully to these areas. She is enthusiastic about the QES program鈥檚 capacity-building, mentorship, and community engagement opportunities, which align perfectly with her career aspirations. Ms. Tenkorang looks forward to collaborating with diverse stakeholders to promote sustainable and inclusive development initiatives in Ghana and beyond.
Dr. Francis Agyei
Dr. Francis Agyei is a psychologist. He is a lecturer with the Department of Family and Community Health, Fred N. Binka School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS). He teaches courses undergraduate and graduate courses in psychology and mental health. He obtained both his PhD in Psychology and Master of Philosophy in Social Psychology degrees from the Department of Psychology, University of Ghana (UG). Before joining UHAS, he held Graduate Assistantship positions at UG from 2015 to 2020, assisting senior academics in teaching MPhil courses at the Department of Psychology and a doctoral-level course in the Philosophy of the Social Sciences at the College of Humanities. Both within his current university and other institutions, he supervises, co-supervises and examines undergraduate and graduate theses in public health and social science.
Dr. Agyei鈥檚 research interests encompass building mental health and non-communicable disease (NCD) competence and system strengthening in Ghana. He has competence in advanced quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method research, as well as implementation science. He has held various research positions on several internationally funded projects, collaborating with senior researchers from Africa, Europe, the USA, and Asia. Across these research interests, he has authored and co-authored 14 articles in peer-reviewed international journals. He also serves as a reviewer for five international journals, including the Journal of Health Psychology, Community Mental Health Journal, Scientific African, PLOS Mental Health, and the Journal of Business Studies. He holds membership of; Ghana Psychological Association (GPA), Pan-African Psychology Association (PAPU), American Psychological Association (APA), and International Society of Critical Health Psychologists (ISCHP).