Founding Director of the West African Genetic Medicine Centre (WAGMC) and the first Professor of Medical Laboratory Sciences at the University of Ghana, Prof. Solomon Fiifi Ofori-Acquah, has been appointed to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council in the United States of America (USA).
Prof. Ofori-Acquah’s appointment was communicated by Mr. Xavier Becerra, the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services. This is effective immediately and concludes on October 31, 2026.
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Advisory Council, chaired by Gibbons Gary, H., M.D., the Director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, advises the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the Assistant Secretary for Health, the Director of National Institutes of Health and the Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute on matters relating to the cause, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood diseases; the use of blood and blood products and the management of blood resources; and on sleep disorders.
To further research, the Council considers applications for research and research training grants and cooperative agreements and recommends funding for those applications that show promise of making valuable contributions to human knowledge. The Council, when the need arises, also makes recommendations to the Director, NHLBI and meets four times a year.
Prof. Ofori-Acquah joins a team of distinguished professionals including Dr. Victoria L. Bautch, Beverly Long Chapin Distinguished Professor of Biology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, Professor and Chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco; Dr. Mercedes R. Carnethon, Mary Harris Thompson Professor and Vice-Chair of the Department of Preventative Medicine at Northwestern University, Chicago.
Other notable members include Dr. Amanda Mae Fretts, Dr. Tina V. Hartert, Dr. David H. Ingbar, Dr. Edward E. Morrissey, Dr. Kiran Musunuru, Dr. Lynn M. Schnapp, Dr. Martha C. Sola-Visner, and Dr. Zachariah P. Zachariah. Their collective expertise promises valuable contributions to cardiovascular and respiratory health research and policy decisions.
With a career starting in 1987 as a trainee Medical Laboratory Scientific Officer in Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Prof. Solomon Fiifi Ofori-Acquah brings expertise in genomics, vascular biology, breast cancer, and sickle cell disease research to his new role. Serving on this critical body provides Professor Ofori-Acquah a platform to contribute to critical discussions shaping cardiovascular, pulmonary, and blood-related research.
As the Founding Director of the West African Genetic Medicine Centre (WAGMC) and an Associate Professor of Medicine and Human Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh in the U.S., Professor Ofori-Acquah's appointment underscores his international contributions to medical research over the years.
The University of Ghana acknowledges this appointment, which is a significant opportunity for Prof. Ofori-Acquah to further contribute to advancing medical research and education. The University looks forward to his continued impact on the global stage in the medical sciences.
