Emerita Professor Isabella Akyinbah Quakyi, President of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS), delivered a message of solidarity and a call to bold scientific leadership at the opening of the 9th Research Conference of the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP). Speaking on behalf of the Academy, she joined leading scientists, scholars, policymakers, and institutional partners from across the continent to support WACCBIP’s mission of advancing African-led biomedical research.
The conference, held in Accra at the University of Ghana from July 23 to 25, 2025, was themed “Evolving African Science: From Capacity to Discovery and Impact.” It highlighted the urgent need to move beyond capacity building toward research that delivers meaningful improvements in health, development, and scientific leadership.
Prof. Quakyi emphasized that while building capacity remains essential, it is only the beginning. “Science that does not touch lives is incomplete,” she said. “The work being presented here has real implications for how we craft policy, respond to epidemics, and empower our communities.”
She called on African researchers, institutions, and governments to invest boldly in local talent and infrastructure, to trust in the continent’s ability to lead scientific innovation, and to reduce dependence on external aid. “We are showing the world that the next scientific breakthroughs can, and will emerge from Accra, Nairobi, Dakar, and beyond,” she noted.
Reflecting on her long association with WACCBIP, Prof. Quakyi recalled the Centre’s early beginnings and celebrated its growth. “I was part of the birth of WACCBIP over a decade ago,” she said. “And like a proud mother, I relish your extraordinary achievements.”
She congratulated WACCBIP for consistently raising the bar in scientific inquiry and for nurturing a research culture rooted in mentorship, collaboration, and innovation across generations. The Centre, based at the University of Ghana, has become a leading institution in biomedical research on the continent, particularly in the area of infectious diseases
As the country’s premier institution for the advancement and promotion of knowledge in the sciences and humanities, GAAS continues to support efforts that affirm the leadership and excellence of African scholarship and research
