Prof. Alexander Yaw Debrah BSc, MPhil, PhD

Prof. Alexander Yaw Debrah holds BSc (Hons) in Biological Sciences and M’phil in Clinical Microbiology from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). He won German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) (Sandwich) scholarship in 2003 to do a PhD in Medical Parasitology in Bonn University. He joined the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences at KNUST as a lecturer in 2007, where he teaches Medical Parasitology at the Medical School and the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences. He has held a number of positions at the KNUST, including Examination Officer (2007-2009), Head of Department of Medical Laboratory Technology (2009-2012) and the Dean of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences.

His main research focus is on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) but his area of interest is in filariasis. The molecular basis of symbiosis between filarial worms and their Wolbachia endobacteria is one of the cornerstones of his research work, the second being the genetics of filariasis. In addition, he conducts research on other neglected tropical diseases such as schistosomiasis and intestinal helminthiasis. He has received a number of awards including American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) Travel Award in 2007, a nomination by VW Foundation of Germany to attend a forum of Nobel laureates and young promising scientists in Lindau, Germany in 2010, the prestigious bi-annual main prize of the German Paul-Ehrlich-Society for anti-infective therapy (“PEG”) in 2013 and the German “Momento Research” Prize of 2015. He has also won both Junior (2008-2011) and Senior (2012-2015) fellowships of European Foundation Initiative on Neglected Tropical Diseases (EFINTD). He has a number of ongoing research activities sponsored by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, European Commission, European Foundation Initiative on Neglected Tropical Diseases (EFINTD), VW Foundation of Germany and German Research Foundation (DFG) of Germany among others.

Prof. Debrah has research collaborations with many international universities and research institutions including University of Bonn, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine of Hamburg, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Case Western Reserve University of Cleveland, University of Buea in Cameroon among, and Janssen Pharmaceuticals among others.

He has held a number of international positions including being a member and co-Chair of the planning committee of Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) of the American Society of Microbiology from 2014-2016 (He was the first African to hold this position since the formation of ICAAC six decades ago) and was recognized by the American Society of Microbiology as such in Boston 2016.

On research, he is involved in a number of research activities including being the overall coordinator of German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) 7.8 million Euros funded project involving three African countries (Cameroon, Tanzania and Ghana) and two German institutions (Bonn University Hospital and Munich University).

Prof. Debrah has over 50 publications in peer-reviewed journals. The following are some important ones.

1. Prodjinotho UF, von Horn C, Debrah AY, Batsa Debrah L, Albers A, Layland LE, Hoerauf A, Adjobimey T. (2017). Pathological manifestations in lymphatic filariasis correlate with lack of inhibitory properties of IgG4 antibodies on IgE-activated granulocytes. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 11(7):e0005777.

2. Globisch D, Eubanks LM, Shirey RJ, Pfarr KM, Wanji S, Debrah AY, Hoerauf A, Janda KD. (2017). Validation of onchocerciasis biomarker N-acetyltyramine-O-glucuronide (NATOG). Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 27(15):3436-3440.

3. Lagatie O, Batsa Debrah L, Debrah A, Stuyver LJ. (2017). Plasma-derived parasitic microRNAs have insufficient concentrations to be used as diagnostic biomarker for detection of Onchocerca volvulus infection or treatment monitoring using LNA-based RT-qPCR.Parasitol Res. 16(3): 1013-1022

4. Nausch N, Antwi-Berko D, Mubarik Y, Abass KM, Owusu W, Owusu-Dabo E, Debrah LB, Debrah AY, Jacobsen M, Phillips RO. (2017). Analysis of Mycobacterium ulcerans-specific T- cell cytokines for diagnosis of Buruli ulcer disease and as potential indicator for disease progression. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 11(2):e0005415.

5. Debrah LB, Nausch N, Opoku VS, Owusu W, Mubarik Y, Berko DA, Wanji S, Layland LE, Hoerauf A, Jacobsen M, Debrah AY, Phillips RO. (2017) Epidemiology of Mansonella perstans in the middle belt of Ghana. Parasit Vectors. 10(1):15.

6. Klarmann-Schulz U, Specht S, Debrah AY, Batsa L, Ayisi-Boateng NK, Osei-Mensah J, Mubarik Y, Konadu P, Ricchiuto A, Fimmers R, Arriens S, Dubben B, Ford L, Taylor M, Hoerauf A. (2017) Comparison of Doxycycline, Minocycline, Doxycycline plus Albendazole and Albendazole Alone in Their Efficacy against Onchocerciasis in a Randomized, Open-Label, Pilot Trial. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 11(1):e0005156.

7. Lagatie O, Njumbe Ediage E, Batsa Debrah L, Diels L, Nolten C, Vinken P, Debrah A, Dillen L, Silber S, Stuyver LJ. (2016). Evaluation of the diagnostic potential of urinary N-Acetyltyramine-O,β-glucuronide (NATOG) as diagnostic biomarker for Onchocerca volvulus infection. Parasit Vectors. 239 (1):302.

8. Stanton MC, Best A, Cliffe M, Kelly-Hope L, Biritwum NK, Batsa L, Debrah A. (2016). Situational analysis of lymphatic filariasis morbidity in Ahanta West District of Ghana. Trop Med Int Health. 21:236-44

9. Stanton MC, Mkwanda SZ, Debrah AY, Batsa L, Biritwum NK, Hoerauf A, Cliffe M, Best A, Molineux A, Kelly-Hope LA (2015). Developing a community-led SMS reporting tool for the rapid assessment of lymphatic filariasis morbidity burden: case studies from Malawi and Ghana BMC Infect Dis. 15:214

10. Debrah AY, Specht S, Batsa L, Klarmann U, Mand S, Kwarteng A, Osei-Atweneboana M, Boakye D, Adjei O and Hoerauf A. (2015) Doxycycline treatment shows a strong embryostatic effect and clearance of persistent microfilariae in the skin of onchocerciasis patients in whom repeated ivermectin treatment had failed to clear microfilaridermia. Journal of clinical Infectious Diseases 61:517-26

11. Klarmann-Schulz U, Arndts K, Batsa L, Debrah A, Epp C, Fimmers R, Specht S, Layland RE, Hoerauf A. (2015). Ivermectin treatment is crucial for Plasmodium-specific Th17 mmune responses in Onchocerca volvulus-infected individuals. Parasit Vectors 184. doi: 10.1186/s13071-015-0786-5

12. Quintana JF, Makepeace BL, Babayan SA, Ivens A, Pfarr KM, Blaxter M, Debrah A, Wanji S, Ngangyung HF, Bah GS, Tanya VN, Taylor DW, Hoerauf A, Buck AH (2015). Extracellular Onchocerca -derived small RNAs in host nodules and blood. Parasit Vectors. 8(1):58. doi: 10.1186/s13071-015-0656-1.

13. Garms R, Badu K, Owusu-Dabo E, Baffour-Awuah S, Adjei O, Debrah AY, Nagel M, Biritwum NK, Gankpala L, Post RJ, Kruppa TF (2015). Assessments of the transmission of Onchocerca volvulus by Simulium sanctipauli in the Upper Denkyira District, Ghana, and the intermittent disappearance of the vector. Parasitol Res. 114:1129–1137

14. Katawa G, Layland LE, Debrah AY, von Horn C, Batsa L, Kwarteng A, Arriens S, W Taylor D, Specht S, Hoerauf A, Adjobimey T. (2015). Hyperreactive Onchocerciasis is Characterized by a Combination of Th17-Th2 Immune Responses and Reduced Regulatory T Cells. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 8;9(1):e3414. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003414.

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