Research profile of Department of Anatomy

As a university department, the Department of Anatomy undertakes research as one of its key activities.  Thus senior members participate in department-wide research as supervisors of graduate students’ project works.  Each senior member, in addition, has specialized research theme of interest in which he or she studies.  Some of the research areas of senior members of the department are:

Natural cocoa ingestion and microscopic anatomy of organs in laboratory and experimentally- disease conditions,  Human Anthropometry, comparative morphology of natural, and treated human hair, comparative structure of of carotid bodies and arteries in insectivorous/frugivorous bats and laboratory mammals, comparative studies on hearing apparatus in bats and laboratory mammals, neural tube development , cardiac muscle development and  ultrastructure,  structure of the human placenta in health and disease, experimental embryology and cytogenetics.

Research Projects.

• Microscopic structure of the femoral vein in rats treated with streptozotocin prior to prolonged feeding with cocoa.
• Effect of regular consumption of cocoa on development of atherosclerosis in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
• Morphological profile of hairs from head, eyebrow, axilla, and pubic regions in Ghanaian adolescents.
• Facial anthropometric indices of adult Ghanaians with respect to nine neoclassical canons.
• Effect of daily cocoa/chocolate ingestion on blood pressure, serum lipid and magnesium levels in hypertensive and normotensive Ghanaians.
• Correlation of height with anatomic-obstetric dimensions of pelves in Ghanaian females.
• Anatomical, cytogenetical, and endocrinological profiles of Ghanaian females showing masculine body hair distribution.
• Explorative investigations into methods for preserving the structural integrity of the eyeball during histological processing.
• Effect of regular cocoa ingestion on vascular morphology in rabbits born to hypercholestrolemic mothers.
• Effect of regular ingestion of natural cocoa on testicular histology in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
• Facial anthropometric measurements in 12-13 year old Ghanaians.
• Variation of placental index with volumetric composition of terminal villi of spontaneously delivered term placentas.
• Effect of prolonged ingestion of cocoa on microstructure of cardiovascular organs in experimentally-induced hypertensive rats.

PUBLICATIONS IN THE YEAR 2012/2013

1. Boateng E., Addai FK, Hottor BA (2012) Sexually dimorphic anthropometric measurements and testosterone/oestrogen ratios in young adult Ghanaians. Clinical Anatomy, 25: 919. (Abstract) In: A Selection of Abstracts Presented at the 40th Annual Conference of the Anatomical Society of Southern Africa (ASSA), 14–18 April 2012, University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia.
2. Amponsah SK, Bugyei KA, Osei-Sarfo D, Addai FK, Asare G, Tsegah EA, Baah J, Gyan BA. (2012). In vitro activity of extract and fractions of natural cocoa powder on Plasmodium falciparum.  Journal of Medicinal Food: 15 (prepublication print) DOI: 10.1089/jmf.201.0220.
3. Godwin Sokpor,Frederick Kwaku Addai, Richard Kwasi Gyasi, Kwasi Agyei Bugyei, John Ahenkorah, andBismarck Hottor. (2012) Voluntary Ingestion of Natural Cocoa Extenuated Hepatic Damage in Rats with Experimentally Induced Chronic Alcoholic Toxicity.  . Functional Foods in Health and Disease, 2(5):166- 187.
4. Aidoo E, Addai FK, Ahenkorah J, Hottor B, Bugyei KA, Gyan BA. (2012) Natural cocoa ingestion reduced liver damage in mice infected with Plasmodium berghei (NK65), Research Reports in Tropical Medicine 2012, 3:107-116.

PAPER PRESENTED AT CONFERENCES/SEMINARS 2012/2013

1. QuayeB, Addai FK, Dennis EE, (2013, March) Variation of selected oestrogen-sensitive antropometric variables of body shape with selected haematological indices in young Ghanaian adults.  Book of Abstracts pg. 54.  Poster Presentation by B. Quaye. Second Annual Scientific Conference, West African Research Network, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.  March 5-7 2013.
2. Quaye B, Addai FK, Dennis EE. (2012, September) Variation of anthropometry of female body shape and selected haematological indices with sex hormones in young adult Ghanaians.  Book of Abstracts pg. 32. Poster Presentation by B. Quaye. 6^th Annual Scientific Conference, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana.  September 26-28 2012.  Accra, Ghana.
3. Addai FK. (2012; May) Cocoa and Your Health: the Tip of the Iceberg.  Invited Podium Presentation as the Vth Public Lecture, 50^th Anniversary Celebration of the University of Ghana Medical School.  British Council Auditorium..  Accra, Ghana.