UGMC research must translate laboratory findings into healthcare solutions – Prof Evelyn Bonnie

Evelyn Yayra Bonnie, Associate Professor at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), called for continued investment in health research and human capacity development at a recent symposium held at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC). She emphasized that sustained government funding for research and training is crucial to equip Ghana with the capacity needed to translate scientific discoveries into practical healthcare solutions.

Bonnie spoke during the UGMC Research Symposium, themed "From Bench to Bedside: Integrating Research, Technology, and Clinical Care in Ghana," which aimed to showcase research activities at UGMC and strengthen the link between scientific research and clinical practice. The professor highlighted that UGMC's research centre being located within a hospital presented a key advantage, allowing researchers direct access to patients and clinical settings.

This proximity enables researchers to identify healthcare challenges, investigate them in the laboratory, and develop solutions that can be applied to patient care, embodying the symposium's "bench to bedside" theme. She stressed that research outcomes must move beyond academic findings to produce practical interventions and products benefiting health facilities beyond UGMC.

However, she noted that such innovations must undergo necessary regulatory processes before being deployed more broadly. Bonnie urged the government to intentionally allocate funding for research training, warning that inadequate investment could lead to the loss of skilled professionals who might seek opportunities abroad. By investing in research and training locally, she argued, Ghana could retain its skilled professionals, enabling them to develop solutions to the country's healthcare challenges.