Dr. Daniel Oduro (BSc, MPhil, PhD (Ghana))

Research interest:
I have been involved studies that seek to understand the Pathogenesis of cerebral malaria and other forms of severe malaria with much interest in microvascular damage in brain endothelium. In collaboration with the Weill Cornell Medical College and the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), we are investigating role of exosomes in pathogenesis of Cerebral Malaria.

I have interest in diversity of ticks in wild and Domestic animals and tick-borne infections of medical and veterinary significance. My team seek to develop an upgraded database of ticks and associated tick-borne infections in wild and domestic animals. My Ghana Tick Team in collaboration with other Senior Colleagues (Profs’ Ntiamoa-Baidu and Langbong Bimi) are updating the list of tick species in Ghana.

Zoonoses and neglected tropical communicable diseases are of much interest to me and my Zoonoses team who are currently investigating the zoonotic potential of enteric pathogens in wildlife meat. We are also looking at the role of enteric helminths and protozoans in the development of crisis conditions in children with sickle cell conditions.

Current research/project(s)* 

1. In vitro modeling of blood brain barrier dysfunction on a chip to elucidate the pathogenesis of cerebral malaria.

   This study will provide new insights into disease pathogenesis and potentially identify new prognosis biomarkers for cerebral malaria.

2. Impact of Climate change on the distribution and diversity of wild animal ticks and tick-borne infections in Ghana.

   The main objective of the study is to determine the impact of climate change on tick diversity and assess the microbiome of ticks on wildlife mammals and implications for human health.

3. Assessment of pathogenic bacteria and parasite burden in Wildlife meat (Bushmeat) in Ghana

4. Tick diversity in urban and rural Ghana.

5. Sickle cell crisis condition and helminth infections

Past research projects*

1. Bacteria contaminants in different zones and point sources of sandy beaches in Accra, Ghana. BRA Funded (2020 – 2021)
2. Assessment of Plasmodium falciparum population structures in Haiti and Ghana in the setting of parasite eradication/decreasing transmission.     2017 – 2019 (NIH funded Fogarty Foundation)
3. Endothelial progenitor cells and the pathogenesis of cerebral malaria    2012 -2017(NIH Funded)

Awards*

1. Postdoctoral Research fellowship (Weill cornel Medical College, Cornell University, NY)    2015-2018
2. Fogarty Global Gealth Fellow 2017

Recent publications*

• Dickinson-Copeland CM, Wilson NO, Liu M, Driss A, Salifu H, Adjei AA, Oduro D, et al. (2015) Heme-Mediated Induction of CXCL10 and Depletion of CD34+ Progenitor Cells Is Toll-Like Receptor 4 Dependent. PLoS ONE 10(11): e0142328.
• Obiri, D., Erskine, I. J., Oduro, D., Kusi, K. A., Amponsah, J., Gyan, B. A., . . . Ofori, M. F. (2020). Histopathological lesions and exposure to Plasmodium falciparum infections in the placenta increases the risk of preeclampsia among pregnant women. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 1-10.
• Blankson, E. R., Oduro, D., Ewool, J., & Gbogbo, F. (2021). The effect of heavy metals and physicochemical variables on benthic macroinvertebrate community structure in a tropical urban coastal lagoon. Community Ecology, 1-10.
• Bimi, L., Yeboah, J. A., Adongo, L. A., Ofori, B. Y., Oduro, D., Tetteh, A. K., & Owusu, E. H. (2021). Gastrointestinal parasites of three peri-domestic animals in selected areas in Accra, Ghana. The Journal of Basic and Applied Zoology, 82(1), 1-7.