Richard Odame Phillips
The research on African neglected tropical diseases spans multiple domains, offering significant advancements in understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of several infectious diseases. In blood pressure management and hypertension control, studies highlight effective strategies to manage high blood pressure in Ashanti, West Africa. For mycobacterium-related research, comprehensive work on Mycobacterium ulcerans and the use of various pharmacological agents have provided new insights into their management. Malaria studies emphasize understanding transmission vectors and employing PCR-based diagnostics for rapid detection. The exploration of parasitic diseases in Africa includes genetic diversity, host-parasite interactions, and treatment efficacy in species like Staph and SARS-CoV-2. HIV interventions focus on virological suppression strategies, while Parasites' role in neglected tropical disease control is integral to global health efforts. Studies on salmonella and campylobacter emphasize their roles as secondary neglected tropical diseases, with a focus on their ecological impacts. Community surveillance tools using mobile health applications have become crucial for managing neglected tropical diseases like skin-neglected tropical diseases in regions such as Ashanti, Kenya. Child nutrition studies reveal regional variations in salt intake, underscoring the need for tailored approaches to prevent malnutrition. The research also addresses antifungal resistance and susceptibility by exploring genetic diversity and its implications on treatment efficacy. Studies on HIV-related complications highlight long-term outcomes of antiretroviral therapies. TB and HIV studies demonstrate improved control strategies across African nations. Cancer management, particularly in Ashanti, focuses on scabies prevention through public health interventions. The global capacity for doctoral programs in neglected tropical diseases underscores the need for tailored educational approaches. Lastly, genetic diversity studies contribute to understanding disease susceptibility and resistance mechanisms.
Faculty Biography
Richard Odame Phillips is a Professor of Medicine at the School of Medicine & Dentistry and Scientific Director of the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). He has a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) obtained at KNUST, PhD in Infection and Immunity obtained at the University of London (UK) and has a Fellowship in Internal Medicine with the West African Postgraduate Medical College(2008) & Ghana Postgraduate Medical College(2013). He has 25 years experience in the practice of Medicine at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi where he held the position of Infectious Disease Consultant. He conducts research in the area of infectious diseases particularly M. ulcerans disease (Buruli ulcer), Neglected Skin Diseases, Emerging Infectious Diseases HIV, Hepatitis, and TB. He has received several awards and managed grants that include the prestigious Wellcome Trust Value in People Award (2005), the Royal Society UK-Ghana Networking/ and Leverhulme Trust award (2008 and 2010), European Foundations Initiative on Neglected Tropical Diseases (2008), American Leprosy Mission, WHO and recently the prestigious Africa Research Leader award from the Medical Research Council and DFID UK (2012). He recently received awards such as the EDCTP Senior Fellowship Award (2017), KNUST Award of outstanding personality, Department of Medicine (2016), World Health Organisation-Special Programme for Research and training in Tropical Diseases (WHO-TDR) Impact Award (2015) and National Institute of Health Research Award (NIHR UK) (2019) He collaborates with several institutions across the world. He is Member of Pan-African Network for Rapid Research, Response, Relief and Preparedness for Infectious Diseases Epidemics (PANDORA-ID-NET) supported by the EDCTP. He is member of the National COVID19 laboratory Committee and leads the KCCR COVID19 response. He has successfully managed research projects, serves as Deputy Editor for PLOSNTD and has produced 172 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters (orcid.org/0000-0001-8992-0222)(https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Richard_Phillips8)Richard Odame Phillips lives and Kumasi in Ghana
Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria
Antifungal resistance and susceptibility
Blood Pressure and Hypertension Studies
Child Nutrition and Water Access
COVID-19 diagnosis using AI
COVID-19 epidemiological studies
Dermatological diseases and infestations
Fungal Infections and Studies
Global Maternal and Child Health
Health Policy Implementation Science
Helicobacter pylori-related gastroenterology studies
Hepatitis B Virus Studies
Hepatitis C virus research
Hepatitis Viruses Studies and Epidemiology
HIV-related health complications and treatments
HIV/AIDS drug development and treatment
HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
Liver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment
Malaria Research and Control
Mobile Health and mHealth Applications
Multiple Sclerosis Research Studies
Mycobacterium research and diagnosis
Parasites and Host Interactions
Parasitic Diseases Research and Treatment
Parasitic Infections and Diagnostics
Rabies epidemiology and control
Salmonella and Campylobacter epidemiology
SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
Syphilis Diagnosis and Treatment
Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology
Emergence and spread of the SARS-CoV-2 omicron (BA.1) variant across Africa: an observational study
Open AccessStigma experiences, effects and coping among individuals affected by Buruli ulcer and yaws in Ghana
Open AccessEvaluating the World Health Organization’s SkinNTDs App as a Training Tool for Skin Neglected Tropical Diseases in Ghana and Kenya: Cross-Sectional Study
Open AccessCarriage of ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli among children in rural Ghana: a cross-sectional study
Open AccessRole and capacity needs of community based surveillance volunteers in the integrated management of skin neglected tropical diseases (skin NTDs): a qualitative study from central Ghana
Open AccessMulti-centric evaluation of Biomeme Franklin Mobile qPCR for rapid detection of Mycobacterium ulcerans in clinical specimens
Open AccessBeliefs, attitudes and practices towards scabies in central Ghana
Open AccessImpaired T-cell response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) in tuberculosis patients is associated with high IL-6 plasma levels and normalizes early during anti-mycobacterial treatment
Open AccessA combined effort of 11 laboratories in the WHO African region to improve quality of Buruli ulcer PCR diagnosis: The “BU-LABNET”
Open AccessUsing drones to transport suspected COVID-19 samples; experiences from the second largest testing centre in Ghana, West Africa
Open AccessSARS-COV-2 antibody responses to AZD1222 vaccination in West Africa
Open AccessPlasma cytokine levels characterize disease pathogenesis and treatment response in tuberculosis patients
Open AccessGenetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Ghana from 2020-2021
Open AccessPrevalence and Antibiotic Resistance in Campylobacter spp. Isolated from Humans and Food-Producing Animals in West Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Open AccessRabies is still a fatal but neglected disease: a case report
Open AccessPerformance of COVID-19 associated symptoms and temperature checking as a screening tool for SARS-CoV-2 infection
Open AccessOverview of preparedness and response to COVID-19 in Ghana
Open AccessMental health and quality of life burden in Buruli ulcer disease patients in Ghana
Open AccessCaregiver burden in Buruli ulcer disease: Evidence from Ghana
Open AccessLower IL-7 Receptor Expression of Monocytes Impairs Antimycobacterial Effector Functions in Patients with Tuberculosis
Low risk of SARS-CoV-2 in blood transfusion
Open AccessEvaluation of a real-time recombinase polymerase amplification assay for rapid detection of Schistosoma haematobium infection in resource-limited setting
A scabies outbreak in the North East Region of Ghana: The necessity for prompt intervention
Open AccessEpidemiological profile of SARS-CoV-2 among selected regions in Ghana: A cross-sectional retrospective study
Open AccessInterleukin-6 and Mycobacterium tuberculosis dormancy antigens improve diagnosis of tuberculosis
High prevalence of asymptomatic malaria infections in adults, Ashanti Region, Ghana, 2018
Open AccessPharmacologic management of<i>Mycobacterium ulcerans</i>infection
Open AccessRifampicin and clarithromycin (extended release) versus rifampicin and streptomycin for limited Buruli ulcer lesions: a randomised, open-label, non-inferiority phase 3 trial
Open AccessDetermining virological suppression and resuppression by point-of-care viral load testing in a HIV care setting in sub-Saharan Africa
Open AccessThe public health control of scabies: priorities for research and action
Open AccessLower prevalence of Blastocystis sp. infections in HIV positive compared to HIV negative adults in Ghana
Open AccessParadoxical reactions in Buruli ulcer after initiation of antibiotic therapy: Relationship to bacterial load
Open AccessMapping the global distribution of Buruli ulcer: a systematic review with evidence consensus
Open AccessThe Efficacy of Doxycycline Treatment on Mansonella perstans Infection: An Open-Label, Randomized Trial in Ghana
Open AccessRapid detection of Mycobacterium ulcerans with isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification assay
Open AccessBuruli Ulcer: a Review of the Current Knowledge
Open AccessMonitoring and management of autoimmunity in multiple sclerosis patients treated with alemtuzumab: practical recommendations
Open AccessComparative efficacy of low-dose versus standard-dose azithromycin for patients with yaws: a randomised non-inferiority trial in Ghana and Papua New Guinea
Open AccessHistorical epidemiology of hepatitis C virus in select countries—volume 4
Open AccessStrategies to manage hepatitis C virus infection disease burden—Volume 4
Open AccessThe present and future disease burden of hepatitis C virus infections with today's treatment paradigm: Volume 4
Open AccessPrevalence of hepatitis D virus infection in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Open AccessClearance of viable Mycobacterium ulcerans from Buruli ulcer lesions during antibiotic treatment as determined by combined 16S rRNA reverse transcriptase /IS 2404 qPCR assay
Open AccessAnalysis of Mycobacterium ulcerans-specific T-cell cytokines for diagnosis of Buruli ulcer disease and as potential indicator for disease progression
Open AccessEpidemiology of Mansonella perstans in the middle belt of Ghana
Open AccessFormer Buruli Ulcer Patients’ Experiences and Wishes May Serve as a Guide to Further Improve Buruli Ulcer Management
Open AccessGenetic Susceptibility and Predictors of Paradoxical Reactions in Buruli Ulcer
Open AccessPulmonary aspergilloma: An evasive disease
Open AccessHigh prevalence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis among patients with rifampicin resistance using GeneXpert Mycobacterium tuberculosis/rifampicin in Ghana
Open AccessThe gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase to platelet ratio (GPR) shows poor correlation with transient elastography measurements of liver fibrosis in HIV-positive patients with chronic hepatitis B in West Africa. Response to: ‘The gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase to platelet ratio (GPR) predicts significant liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in patients with chronic HBV infection in West Africa’ by Lemoine <i>et al</i>
Open AccessTenofovir is associated with increased tubular proteinuria and asymptomatic renal tubular dysfunction in Ghana
Open AccessHelicobacter pylori Infection Is Associated with Higher CD4 T Cell Counts and Lower HIV-1 Viral Loads in ART-Naïve HIV-Positive Patients in Ghana
Open AccessSimple, Rapid Mycobacterium ulcerans Disease Diagnosis from Clinical Samples by Fluorescence of Mycolactone on Thin Layer Chromatography
Open AccessRecent advances: role of mycolactone in the pathogenesis and monitoring of<i>Mycobacterium ulcerans</i>infection/Buruli ulcer disease
Open AccessLoop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification for Laboratory Confirmation of Buruli Ulcer Disease—Towards a Point-of-Care Test
Open Access<i>Helicobacter pylori</i>Coinfection Is Associated With Decreased Markers of Immune Activation in ART-Naive HIV-Positive and in HIV-Negative Individuals in Ghana
Open AccessLiver Fibrosis by Transient Elastography and Virologic Outcomes After Introduction of Tenofovir in Lamivudine-Experienced Adults With HIV and Hepatitis B Virus Coinfection in Ghana
Open AccessEffectiveness of Routine BCG Vaccination on Buruli Ulcer Disease: A Case-Control Study in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana and Togo
Open AccessHigh Frequency of Active HCV Infection Among Seropositive Cases in West Africa and Evidence for Multiple Transmission Pathways
Open AccessAntibody screening tests variably overestimate the prevalence of hepatitis <scp>C</scp> virus infection among <scp>HIV</scp>‐infected adults in <scp>G</scp>hana
Persisting Social Participation Restrictions among Former Buruli Ulcer Patients in Ghana and Benin
Open AccessBuruli Ulcer Control in a Highly Endemic District in Ghana: Role of Community-Based Surveillance Volunteers
Open AccessAdhesion of the ulcerative pathogen <i>Mycobacterium ulcerans</i> to DACC-coated dressings
Good Quality of Life in Former Buruli Ulcer Patients with Small Lesions: Long-Term Follow-up of the BURULICO Trial
Open AccessKinetics of mycolactone in human subcutaneous tissue during antibiotic therapy for Mycobacterium ulcerans disease
Open AccessCombined Inflammatory and Metabolic Defects Reflected by Reduced Serum Protein Levels in Patients with Buruli Ulcer Disease
Open AccessLong Term Streptomycin Toxicity in the Treatment of Buruli Ulcer: Follow-up of Participants in the BURULICO Drug Trial
Open AccessGenetic Diversity of PCR-Positive, Culture-Negative and Culture-Positive Mycobacterium ulcerans Isolated from Buruli Ulcer Patients in Ghana
Open AccessComparison of Two Assays for Molecular Determination of Rifampin Resistance in Clinical Samples from Patients with Buruli Ulcer Disease
Open AccessHepatitis C in Sub-Saharan Africa: Urgent Need for Attention
Open AccessClinical and Bacteriological Efficacy of Rifampin-Streptomycin Combination for Two Weeks followed by Rifampin and Clarithromycin for Six Weeks for Treatment of Mycobacterium ulcerans Disease
Open AccessInsertion Sequence Element Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Typing Provides Insights into the Population Structure and Evolution of Mycobacterium ulcerans across Africa
Open AccessPharmacogenetic associations with plasma efavirenz concentrations and clinical correlates in a retrospective cohort of Ghanaian HIV-infected patients
Long-term effectiveness of first-line non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)-based antiretroviral therapy in Ghana
Open AccessHepatitis E virus infections in HIV-infected patients in Ghana and Cameroon
High prevalence of renal dysfunction and association with risk of death amongst HIV-infected Ghanaians
Detection of Viable Mycobacterium ulcerans in Clinical Samples by a Novel Combined 16S rRNA Reverse Transcriptase/IS2404 Real-Time qPCR Assay
Open AccessOutcomes of starting first-line antiretroviral therapy in hepatitis B virus/HIV-coinfected patients in Ghana
Open AccessResponse to antiretroviral therapy in occult hepatitis B and HIV co-infection in West Africa
Assessing and Strengthening African Universities' Capacity for Doctoral Programmes
Open AccessMycolactone Diffuses into the Peripheral Blood of Buruli Ulcer Patients - Implications for Diagnosis and Disease Monitoring
Open AccessResearch and Capacity Building for Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases: The Need for a Different Approach
Open AccessMycobacterium ulcerans DNA Not Detected in Faecal Samples from Buruli Ulcer Patients: Results of a Pilot Study
Open AccessShort Communication: Low seroprevalence of cryptococcal antigenaemia in patients with advanced HIV infection enrolling in an antiretroviral programme in Ghana
Open AccessDetection of Highly Prevalent Hepatitis B Virus Coinfection among HIV-Seropositive Persons in Ghana
Open AccessClinical Efficacy of Combination of Rifampin and Streptomycin for Treatment of<i>Mycobacterium ulcerans</i>Disease
Open AccessDetection of Mycolactone A/B in Mycobacterium ulcerans–Infected Human Tissue
Open AccessImmunosuppressive Signature of Cutaneous<i>Mycobacterium ulcerans</i>Infection in the Peripheral Blood of Patients with Buruli Ulcer Disease
Open AccessSensitivity of PCR Targeting <i>Mycobacterium ulcerans</i> by Use of Fine-Needle Aspirates for Diagnosis of Buruli Ulcer
Open AccessBuruli ulcer disease: prospects for a vaccine
Buruli ulcer: emerging from obscurity
Mycobacterium ulcerans disease.
Open AccessSensitivity of PCR Targeting the IS <i>2404</i> Insertion Sequence of <i>Mycobacterium ulcerans</i> in an Assay Using Punch Biopsy Specimens for Diagnosis of Buruli Ulcer
Open AccessEfficacy of the Combination Rifampin-Streptomycin in Preventing Growth of <i>Mycobacterium ulcerans</i> in Early Lesions of Buruli Ulcer in Humans
Open AccessRural and semi-urban differences in salt intake, and its dietary sources, in Ashanti, West Africa.
In Vitro Killing of<i>Mycobacterium ulcerans</i>by Acidified Nitrite
Open AccessPilot Randomized Double-Blind Trial of Treatment of<i>Mycobacterium ulcerans</i>Disease (Buruli Ulcer) with Topical Nitrogen Oxides
Open AccessPrevalence, Detection, Management, and Control of Hypertension in Ashanti, West Africa
Open AccessPrevention of hypertension and stroke in Africa
Hypertension and renal failure in Kumasi, Ghana
Department of Medicine
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology