Ama de-Graft Aikins

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Ama de-Graft Aikins
Born
London, England
Alma materUniversity of Cambridge
London School of Economics and Political Science
Manchester Metropolitan University
University of Manchester
Scientific career
FieldsSocial psychology, public health and global health
InstitutionsUniversity College London
University of Ghana
University of Cambridge
London School of Economics and Political Science
Thesis Social representations of diabetes in Ghana: reconstructing self, society and culture
(http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/2905) (2005)
Websitehttps://www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of-advanced-studies/people/professor-ama-de-graft-aikins
https://chronicitycareafrica.com/

Ama de-Graft Aikins is a British-Ghanaian Social Psychologist who is currently a British Academy Global Professor[1][2] at University College London's Institute of Advanced Studies.[3] Her research focuses primarily on the psychosocial and structural drivers of Africa's chronic non-communicable disease burden, but she also has interests in arts and health, and the history of psychology in Africa and its intersections with critical theory and African Studies.[3][1][4] She has held teaching and research positions at the University of Cambridge, London School of Economics and Political Science and the University of Ghana.[4] In 2015, she became the first female full professor of psychology at the University of Ghana, where she has a tenured position.[5][4]

Early life and education[edit]

Ama de-Graft Aikins was born in London to Ghanaian parents. She had her secondary school education at Wesley Girls High School, Cape Coast, Ghana and South Thames College, London. After a first degree in pharmacology at the University of Manchester, she switched disciplines and completed a conversion master's degree in psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University.She received her doctorate degree (PhD) in Social Psychology from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and completed her postdoctoral training at the University of Cambridge.[4]

Research[edit]

Ama de-Graft Aikins has led, and collaborated on, interdisciplinary non-communicable disease (NCD) research projects based in Africa and Europe, including the UK-Africa Academic Partnership on Chronic Disease and the RODAM Project.[3] She is currently Principal Investigator of the Chronicity and Care in African Contexts Project, which is funded as part of her British Academy Global Professorship Award. The project aims to explore how social responses to chronic conditions can shape public engagement and intervention models for chronic care in African communities on the continent and in the diaspora.

Ama de-Graft Aikins has consulted on NCDs, health and health systems for the Ghana's Ministry of Health, West African Health Organization (WAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

She serves on several boards and advisory groups, including the board of Partnership for African Social Governance Research (PASGR),[6] the Independent Advisory Board of PEBL West Africa, and the Scientific Advisory Board of the World Pandemic Research Network.[7]

Selected publications[edit]

Ama de-Graft Aikins has published on chronic illness representations and experiences in Ghanaian communities and on Africa's NCD burden, and she has (co)edited journal and book volumes on these themes. Her work has been featured in the UK Guardian,[8] the Global Journal,[9] British Medical Journal[10] and Lancet Psychiatry.

Selected publications include:

Books[edit]

Awards and honors[edit]

In 2019, Ama de-Graft Aikins was inducted as an international member of the US National Academy of Medicine. Her citation read: “For research that contributed to the development of unique interdisciplinary models to address Africa’s chronic non-communicable disease burden”[13] Other awards and honours include:

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Professor Ama de-Graft Aikins". The British Academy. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  2. ^ UCL (2018-12-06). "IAS Announces Ama de-Graft Aikins as British Academy Global Professor". Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS). Retrieved 2021-10-28.
  3. ^ a b c UCL (2018-05-25). "Professor Ama de-Graft Aikins". Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS). Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  4. ^ a b c d "Let's channel the artistic imagination that compels and transforms – Prof Ama de-Graft Aikins". Graphic Online. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  5. ^ "Prof. Ama de-Graft Aikins Delivers Inaugural Lecture | College of Humanities". College Of humanities University of Ghana. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  6. ^ "Board of Directors | PASGR". pasgr. Retrieved 2021-10-23.
  7. ^ "Launching of World Pandemic Research Network (WPRN)". EurekAlert!. Retrieved 2021-10-23.
  8. ^ "Africa: raising the profile of obesity, heart disease and diabetes". the Guardian. 2013-04-09. Retrieved 2021-10-23.
  9. ^ "New Responses to Non-Communicable Diseases | The Global Journal". theglobaljournal.net. Retrieved 2021-10-23.
  10. ^ Moszynski, Peter (2011-06-03). "Governments in sub-Saharan Africa need to tackle chronic disease burden". BMJ. 342: d3500. doi:10.1136/bmj.d3500. ISSN 0959-8138. PMID 21642328. S2CID 206893256.
  11. ^ de-Graft Aikins, Ama (2021-03-27). "A too familiar threat". New Scientist. 249 (3327): 23. doi:10.1016/S0262-4079(21)00514-5. ISSN 0262-4079. PMC 7997649. PMID 33814666.
  12. ^ Agyemang, Charles; Aikins, Ama de-Graft, eds. (2016-03-29). Culture, Ethnicity and Chronic Conditions: A Global Synthesis. London: Routledge. doi:10.4324/9781315540764. ISBN 978-1-315-54076-4.
  13. ^ "National Academy of Medicine Elects 100 New Members". National Academy of Medicine. 2019-10-21. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  14. ^ "Current Fellows – GAAS". Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  15. ^ "African Research Fellows come to LSE |". Africa at LSE. 2013-02-26. Retrieved 2021-10-25.

External links[edit]

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