Skip to main content

Home

Mon – Fri: 08:00 – 16:30  ·  bcrc@ucc.edu.gh  ·  (+233) 031 2294590

UCC Logo
BCRC · UCC Biomedical & Clinical Research Centre
 
 

Biomedical & Clinical Research Centre · UCC Ghana

Advancing Health Science    
for Ghana and Beyond

Dedicated to scientific discovery, innovation and impactful research that addresses global health challenges — from the heart of the University of Cape Coast.

3Active Grants
5Research Projects
4Research Units
4Seminars Held
1NIH Workshop

Latest

BCRC holds Workshop on NIH Grants — Oct 2024· UCC plans to establish Animal Research Facility — Dec 2023· Integrated Health Research Journal — now accepting submissions· Partnership open with DRIC, RSTMH & Good Neighbors· Ongoing Schistosomiasis research along the Kakum River — June 2024· BCRC holds Workshop on NIH Grants — Oct 2024· Integrated Health Research Journal — now accepting submissions·

Director's Welcome

Welcome to BCRC

Prof. Samuel Kyei

Prof. Samuel Kyei

Director, BCRC View Profile →

Our Centre is dedicated to advancing scientific discovery, innovation and impactful research that addresses global health challenges. Established to strengthen the research portfolio of the University of Cape Coast, we are committed to producing high-quality research, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and partnering with industries and institutions worldwide.

At the Centre, we make significant contributions in Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Drug Discovery and Development, and Public Health, Advocacy and Outreach. We invite you to explore our platform, connect with our community, and contribute to our shared mission of advancing health science in Ghana and beyond.

Read full welcome message → 

Prof. Samuel Kyei

Prof. Samuel Kyei

Director    
UCC Profile

Prof. Akwasi Anyanful

Prof. Akwasi Anyanful

Deputy Director    
UCC Profile

Ms. Florence Narkie Laweh

Ms. Florence Narkie Laweh

Faculty Officer    
UCC Profile

● Research Impact

BCRC By The Numbers

Driving research excellence, interdisciplinary collaboration and evidence-based health innovation since establishment.

3Active Grants
5Research Projects
4Research Units
4Seminars Held
1NIH Workshop

● Academic Structure

BCRC Research Units

Four specialised research units — each advancing a distinct domain of biomedical and clinical science.

🧬 Biomedical Research Unit

Human genetics and genomics
Cancer research and therapy
Microbiology and Immunology
Human Nutrition and Dietetics
Computational Biology and Modelling
Artificial Intelligence in Health
Neurosciences

💊 Drug Discovery Research Unit

Antibiotic Stewardship and Resistance
Opioid Stewardship
Ethnomedicinal Plants
Neuroscience and Neurodegenerative Disorders
Drug Discovery and Development
Drug Bio-prospecting

🏥 Clinical Research Unit

Communicable and Non-communicable Diseases
Epidemiology and Community Medicine
Family Health
Mental Health
Sexual and Reproductive Health Care
Neglected, Rare and Tropical Diseases

🌍 Public Health, Advocacy & Outreach Unit

Patients' Rights
Hospital Acquired Infections
Health Promotion
Disease Prevention and Management
Clinical Trials and Informatics
Therapeutic Foods
Global Health

● Active Studies · June 2024 – Present

Ongoing Research

Collaborate on Research

1

Developing LAMP-based Diagnostics for Schistosoma haematobium

This study aims to develop Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) based diagnostic tools for Schistosoma haematobium — a parasitic flatworm responsible for urogenital schistosomiasis affecting communities in the Central Region of Ghana.

ParasitologyDiagnosticsLAMP Technology

2

Adopting a Combinational Controlled Approach in Combating and Eliminating Schistosomiasis in Communities along the Kakum River

This study examines a multi-pronged intervention strategy — combining drug treatment, environmental control and health education — to combat and potentially eliminate Schistosoma haematobium infection in communities living along the Kakum River in the Central Region.

Neglected Tropical DiseasesCommunity Health

3

Determining the Immune Profile of Schistosoma haematobium among School Children Living in Communities along the Kakum River

This immunological study characterises the host immune response to Schistosoma haematobium infection in school-aged children in Kakum River communities, providing data on immune profiling that can inform vaccine development and targeted treatment strategies.

ImmunologyPaediatric HealthKakum River

● BCRC's Project · Kakum River Research

Our River. Our Health. Our Future.

A public engagement magazine documenting BCRC's integrated science-community partnership to understand and eliminate Female Genital Schistosomiasis along Ghana's Kakum River.

 
 

Our River. Our Health. Our Future.

Inside Ghana's Kakum River basin, a science team and a community are reshaping how the world understands Female Genital Schistosomiasis — and what it means to heal together.

"Because science achieves its greatest impact when it begins by listening." — Prof. Samuel Kyei

A Public Engagement Magazine from the Biomedical and Clinical Research Centre (BCRC), University of Cape Coast

200M+People needing treatment globally (WHO)
90%Of cases in Sub-Saharan Africa
6MPeople at risk in Ghana
50%+Infection in school children in hotspots
56MWomen with Female Genital Schistosomiasis

Inside the Magazine

Beyond Awareness

Feature Article

Beyond Awareness — Why Public Engagement is Transforming Schistosomiasis Research

"The greatest barrier to disease elimination is not always the parasite. Sometimes it is the distance between science and the people it seeks to serve."

Her Silent Burden

Health & Society

Her Silent Burden — Understanding Female Genital Schistosomiasis

Between 20 and 56 million women and girls are living with the genital form of schistosomiasis — a condition that is systematically unseen and surrounded by stigma.

Children of the River

Community

Children of the River — Growing Up Between Play and Parasites

BCRC's approach does not sever children's connection to the Kakum River — it reconfigures it through safer play zones and co-designed prevention strategies.

Read the complete project story

Foreword by Prof. Samuel Kyei · Science in Pictures · Teams in Pictures · Partners & Acknowledgements · Funded by Good Neighbors Ghana

⬇ Download PDF

● Research Output

Publications

Integrated Health Research Journal →

📄

Journal Article — 2016

Using electrophysiology to explore retinal function in autosomal dominant optic atrophy

A study using electrophysiological techniques to investigate retinal function in patients with autosomal dominant optic atrophy (ADOA), a hereditary optic neuropathy caused by OPA1 gene mutations. Published in collaboration with Cardiff University.

Read Paper — ORCA Repository →

📄

Journal Article — 2016

Electrophysiological ON and OFF responses in autosomal dominant optic atrophy

This research characterises ON and OFF pathway electrophysiological responses in ADOA patients, providing insight into the functional impact of OPA1 mutations on the visual pathway.

Read Paper — ORCA Repository →

● Photo Archive

Gallery

All pictures are copyrighted. Contact BCRC for usage permissions.

BCRC Lab
BCRC Research
BCRC Team
BCRC Facility
BCRC Activity

● Global Network

Our Partners

BCRC collaborates with leading local and international institutions to advance health research, attract funding and deliver impactful outcomes.

🎓

DRIC, UCC

Directorate of Research, Innovation & Consultancy

🔬

RSTMH

Royal Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene

🌍

Good Neighbors

International NGO — Project Funder

📋

UCC IRB

Institutional Review Board

💉

NIH Collaborator

National Institutes of Health

You can partner with us today — join the No. 1 CoHAS Research Centre in Ghana and West Africa.

Get in Touch →

● Press Centre

News & Events

All News

NIH Workshop

Workshop 01 Oct 2024

Biomedical and Clinical Research Centre holds Workshop on NIH Grants

Read more →

Animal Research Facility

Workshop 15 Dec 2023

UCC plans to establish Animal Research Facility

Read more →

● Partner With BCRC

Join the No. 1 CoHAS Research Centre in Ghana

Contact Information

📧 bcrc@ucc.edu.gh

📞 (+233) 031 2294590

🌐 bcrc.ucc.edu.gh

📍 University of Cape Coast    
Cape Coast, Central Region, Ghana

Mon – Fri: 08:00 – 16:30

© 2025 Biomedical & Clinical Research Centre · University of Cape Coast. All Rights Reserved.

bcrc.ucc.edu.gh  |  ucc.edu.gh