July 10, 2026
Five doctoral researchers from the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) proudly represented the institution at the prestigious Imperial–AIMS Global Fellows Programme 2026, hosted at the AIMS Ghana Centre in Accra from June 1 to 5.
The programme, jointly organised by Imperial College London’s Early Career Researcher Institute and the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) Ghana, convened PhD students from across Africa and the UK. This year’s theme — Addressing Heat-Driven Consequences of Climate Change in Cities — focused on the intersection of climate and public health, aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals 3, 11 and 13.
The UHAS participants — Gloria Odoom, Rita Ama Narlyn Wurapa, Patience Omoh Krakani, Rejoice Appati-Gyima and Leonard Kyei — each placed in a different interdisciplinary team of about eight fellows, tackling urban heat challenges. Activities included expert lectures, policy visits to the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and cultural tours. The highlight was the “Accelerator Project,” where fellows developed innovative proposals to combat extreme urban heat.
UHAS-affiliated teams excelled: Group 3 won the judges’ top prize with a cool shield and cooling wristband concept for outdoor workers, while Group 4 earned the audience favourite award for a mini-forest urban cooling initiative. The Accra Metropolitan Assembly confirmed that insights from these projects will inform future urban heat-response planning.
Prof. Martin Ayanore, Dean of UHAS School of Graduate Studies, praised the achievement: “The participation of our doctoral researchers reflects UHAS’ commitment to developing globally competitive researchers who can work across disciplines to address complex health and societal challenges.”
This milestone reinforces UHAS’ growing reputation as a leading research-intensive health university, advancing international collaboration, interdisciplinary innovation and the Sustainable Development Goals.
