Kenneth Bentum Otabil, Ph.D., senior lecturer and principal investigator in epidemiology, clinical microbiology and one health at the University of Energy and Natural Resources in Ghana, joined the UC San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SSPPS) as a visiting scholar at the Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases (CDIPD), led by Professor Conor Caffrey. His fellowship was sponsored by the Fulbright African Visiting Scholar Program.
We caught up with Otabil to learn more about the goal of his research and why he chose to study at SSPPS.
Otabil tests indigenous Ghanian plants for anti-pathogen activity using bioassays developed at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
What is your goal for your fellowship?
My specific interest is to screen various indigenous Ghanaian plants for anti-pathogen activities using the quantitative bioassays established by the CDIPD. These plants are well known in Ghana as folk medicines for certain infections, but are uncharacterized as formal medical treatments and can be unsafe.
Once the relevant bioactivities of these plants are established using the bioassays, we can hone in on the individual chemicals responsible for the therapeutic effect and work to create safer medications. My ultimate goal is to use this bioassay training to help develop a center of drug discovery in my university back in Ghana.
Why did you choose Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences for your fellowship?
I knew I needed to train with experts in neglected tropical diseases, the area of my research, and Conor Caffrey is a world leader in this area. He actually wrote some of the Medical Microbiology and Parasitology textbooks I studied as part of my undergraduate and postgraduate work! When I reached out to Dr. Caffrey, he was extremely welcoming, and I was delighted to be accepted to work in his lab.
What did you enjoy most about San Diego?
My family and I loved the weather, which has some similarities to the weather in Ghana. We also enjoyed exploring Balboa Park and the many wonderful beaches here.
Anything else you would like to add?
I am interested in meeting, connecting, and potentially collaborating with scientists with expertise in terrestrial and marine natural product drug discovery, as I see an untapped potential for discovery of novel drug compounds from the forests and ocean off the Ghanaian coast and Africa in general.
Otabil and his family visit the world renowned Balboa Park in San Diego.
Learn more about the Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases.