Name: Dr. Beverly Egyir

Email address: begyir@noguchi.ug.edu.gh; begyir@ug.edu.gh;

Telephone: +233-302-501178/9

Fax: +233-302-502128/513202

Department: Bacteriology

Biography

Dr. Beverly Egyir is a Research Fellow of the Bacteriology Department and a product of the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Her PhD study in Molecular Bacteriology and Infection focused on nasal carriage prevalence, antimicrobial resistance and clonal structure of Staphylococcusaureus isolated from hospital and community settings.The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), through the Antibiotic Drug Use Monitoring and Evaluation of Resistance (ADMER) Project, funded her study. Using phenotypic and molecular tools, her study provided, for the first time, a comprehensive baseline data on the carriage frequency, antimicrobial resistance patterns and clonal lineages of S. aureus in Ghana; a useful information to guide antimicrobial therapy, and for effective surveillance.

Dr. Egyir’s current research interest is on epidemiology of antimicrobial resistant bacteria of public health importance.

She is a part time lecturer at the School of Biomedical & Allied Health Sciences (MSc. Medlab Sciences Course); she also takes up invitations to give seminars/lectures at the department of Biochemistry, Cell Biology and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana.

she has been with Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) since 2001. Prior to her PhD studies, she served as a Research Assistant on the following projects:

a)Quality Control of Immunological Reagents, Validation of Modifications and Improvements to Immunological Assays in Support of Malaria VaccineTrials.

b)Transmission Dynamics of Malaria in the Kassena Nankana District,in Northern Ghana

c)ResearchtoAssesstheEffectiveDiagnosticMethodtoMonitorRe- InfectionLevelsofLymphaticFilarialWorms(WuchereriaBancrofti)InfectionsAfterMassDrugAdministration.

Research Interests

• ·         Epidemiology of multidrug resistant bacteria of clinical relevance, such as Methicillin Resistant S. aureus (MRSA), Extended Spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing bacteria in Humans,  Livestock, and the Environment

• ·         Hospital and Community Acquired  Infections

• ·         Bacterial Co-infections in Malaria

Projects:

• ·         Prevalence of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Extended Spectrum beta-

Lactamase (ESBL) producing bacteria associated with Surgical Site Infections in a Military andCivilian Hospital in Ghana.

Funding Source:Global Emerging Infections Surveillance (GEIS)

Role: Principal Investigator

• ·         Molecular Epidemiology of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus    (MRSA) Among Livestock and Farm Attendants

Funding Source: University of Ghana Research Fund ( UGRF, 9th call Award)

Role: Principal Investigator

• ·         Prevalence and Risk Factors for Streptococcal Pharyngitis In Children Attending the Princess

Marie Louise Hospital, Accra, Ghana.

Funding Source: NMIMR, Graduate Research Scheme

Role: Co-investigator

• ·         Phenotypic and Molecular Characterization of Coagulase Negative staphylococcal Isolates from Nasal Carriers and Clinical Infections

Funding Source:The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS)

Role:Principal Investigator

Publications:

• 1.      Boamah D, Fadehan GD, Edoh DA, Kaminta S, Egyir B, Blagogee H, Brew-Daniels H,

Acheampong S, Addo-Apenteng M and Appiah AA. Bioassay-Guided Discovery of Antibacterial

Agents: In vitro Susceptibility of Multi-drug Resistant Staphylococcus aureus to Psidiumguajava

Linn Extracts European J Med Plants 2015;10(3): 1-17                                    

• 2.      Egyir B, Guardabassi L, Moneck S, NewmannMJ, AddoKK, Larsen R. Short Communication: Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains from Ghana include USA300. J Glob Antimicrob Resist.2015; 3(1): 26-30. http://www.jgaronline.com/article/S2213-7165(14)00126-X/pdf
• 3.      Egyir B, Guardabassi L, Sørum M, Nielsen SS, Kolekang, A, Frimpong E, AddoKK, Newman MJ, Larsen AR. Molecular Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Clinical Staphylococcus aureus from Healthcare Institutions in Ghana. PLoS One.2014; 9(2): e89716. http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchObject.action?uri=info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0089716&representation=PDF
• 4.      Egyir B, Guardabassi L, Esson J, Nielsen SS NewmannMJ, AddoKK, Larsen AR. Insights into nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in an urban and a rural community in Ghana. PLoS One. 2014;9(4): e96119 http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchObject.action?uri=info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0096119&representation=PDF
• 5.      Egyir B, Guardabassi L, Nielsen SS, Larsen J, AddoKK, NewmannMJ, Larsen AR. Prevalence of Nasal Carriage and Diversity of Staphylococcus aureus Among Inpatients and Hospital staff at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana. J Glob Antimicrob Resist. 2013; 1(4):189-193 http://www.jgaronline.com/article/S2213-7165(13)00063-5/pdf
• 6.      Dodoo D, Atuguba F, Bosomprah S, Ansah NA, Ansah P, Lamptey H, Egyir B, Oduro AR, Gyan B, Hodgson A, and Koram KA. Antibody levels to multiple malaria vaccine candidate antigens in relation to clinical malaria episodes in children in the Kasena-Nankana district of Northern Ghana. Malar J. 2011;10:108