Ghanaian scientist wins 2015 Royal Society Pfizer Early Career Award

Dr Gordon A. Awandare, Head of the Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana, has become the first Ghanaian to win the Royal Society Pfizer Early Career Award.
The Early Career Award is presented to a research scientist showing exceptional promise, but at an earlier stage of his or her career, usually having received their PhD within the last 20 years.
The 2015 Award is in recognition of his achievements in Molecular and Cellular Studies of Malaria, including how Malaria parasites invade red blood cells and cause diseases.
The prize for Early Career Award winner is £15,000, including personal prize money and funds for a small research project of their choice.
The Royal Society is a self-governing Fellowship of many of the world’s most distinguished scientists drawn from all areas of Science, Engineering, and Medicine.
The Society’s fundamental purpose, as it has been since its foundation in 1660, is to recognise, promote, and support excellence in Science and to encourage the development and use of Science for the benefit of humanity.
On winning the Pfizer Award, an elated Dr Awandare told the Ghana News Agency on Thursday in Accra that: “It is an enormous honour to me and my team, including students, faculty and collaborators.
“We are building capacity for high quality science right here in Africa, and this award indicates that we are on course.
“But we are only getting started therefore recognition from such an esteemed institution as the Royal Society will give momentum to our research and training efforts”.
Dr Awandare and other medalists will be celebrated during the Royal Society’s 10th Anniversary Day in November 2015.