User:Yaw Bediako

Yaw Bediako
Yaw Bediako is a Ghanaian immunologist and entrepreneur, currently serving as the co - founder and Chief Executive Officer at Yemachi Biotech . Bediako has extensive expertise in cellular and molecular immunology and has a keen interest in immune function as relates to non-communicable diseases among African populations. He obtained a PhD at Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, and subsequently undertook post-doctoral fellowships at the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Programme in Kenya and at the Francis Crick Institute in London. Prior to his current role, he took up a faculty appointment at the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) at the University of Ghana. Yaw Bediako was selected as one of 5 scientists in the inaugural round of the prestigious Crick Africa Network Fellowship. In recognition of his contributions, Yaw is a Fellow of the Calestous Juma Science Leadership, Ghana Young Academy, and an Affiliate member of the African Academy of Sciences.

Life
Yaw grew up in Accra, Ghana. He obtained his undergraduate degree at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, USA, where he studied Biology/Biochemistry. Fueled by his passion for immunology, he then pursued an advanced Ph.D. program at Northwestern University in Evanston, USA. Building upon his academic foundation, Yaw sought to deepen his expertise through a post-doctoral fellowship at the KEMRI – Wellcome Trust Research Programme in Kilifi, Kenya. During this phase, his focus sharpened on Malaria Immunology, contributing significantly to the understanding of this complex field. Continuing his quest for knowledge and innovation, Yaw extended his post-doctoral research at the prestigious Francis Crick Institute in London, UK. Here, he immersed himself deeper into the intricate realm of immunology.

Career
From 2018 to 2022, Yaw demonstrated a steadfast commitment to advancing biotechnology and immunology across the African continent. During this period, he actively participated as a Member of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), contributing significantly to the global discourse on tropical diseases. Concurrently, he played a pivotal role as a Fellow of the Crick Africa Network, utilizing his expertise to catalyze collaborative research endeavours. Yaw's commitment extended to his involvement with the eLife Early Career Advisory Group, where he served as a member from 2019 to 2021, providing valuable insights to this peer-reviewed open-access scientific journal. In 2020, Yaw expanded his impact into the realm of scientific publishing by undertaking the role of a Review Editor for Frontiers in Tropical Diseases, showcasing his dedication to advancing research and disseminating knowledge.

This period set the groundwork for his pivotal position as the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Yemaachi Biotechnology Ltd, an initiative focused on addressing the absence of biotech industries in Africa and spearheading immunogenomics research. At Yemaachi Biotechnology, Yaw together with other clinical partners generate knowledge around cancer in African populations through its first-of-its-kind Pan-African digital genomic and clinical knowledge base. Actively collaborating with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to develop the next generation of molecular diagnostics and therapeutics that overcome the challenges of genetic variations, ensuring high effectiveness across different ethnicities.

Awards

 * Top 100 Most Influential Africans – New Africa Magazine, 2022
 * Ghana top 40 under 40 award – Science, Technology, and Innovation, 2022
 * Calestous Juma Science Leadership Fellowship, 2021-2026
 * Open Society/ARUA – Capacity building Grant, 2021
 * Cambridge Alborada Grant, 2020 -2021
 * UCSF Global Cancer Program: Global Cancer Pilot, 2020 -2021
 * Academy of Medical Sciences- GCRF Networking Grant, 2019-2020
 * Crick African Network- Career Accelerator Award, 2019-2021
 * Royal Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2016 -2017