WAREN 2026
West Africa Research Ethics Conference
March 23-25, 2026
Accra, Ghana
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Strengthening Research Ethics Capacity in West Africa Through Global Partnerships
Registration is open (book your seat before you hear “full”)
Slots are limited for in-person attendance, so be an early bird in registering and secure your seat now. It is FREE-just provide your name, affiliation, and email address for further communication.
Call for abstracts is open!
Seize the opportunity and share your work. The call for abstracts is open to all fellows and students in the MSc program in Ghana, and to programs outside Ghana. The call is open from 25 December 2025 through 14 February 2026. The WAREN conference accepts original research, including insights from primary data collection or secondary data, including reviews and normative and philosophical analyses. Ideally the work must be completed, i.e., findings are available, but well-drafted protocols can also be presented. Abstract submission is done online using the link above in the predefined abstract template and instructions.
Conference Brochure Coming up in January 20th
Grab your copy! The brochure is a quick summary of key information about WAREN, including speakers, topics, and final information about the venue and conference schedule. The brochure is handy for people who like to follow the conference developments and proceedings in detail. It is FREE and is frequently updated.
GREN Becomes WAREN
This year is a turning point for the network, as it expands from Ghana to the broader West Africa sub-region.
GREN originally started in 2018 and has since held annual conferences on research ethics in Ghana. At its inception, the network consisted of graduated MSc students from the Bioethics Program at the University of Ghana School of Public Health and fellows from the research integrity training program in Ghana. In 2026, this transition is formalized with the joining of research integrity training fellows from Liberia and Sierra Leone, marking the network’s evolution from a Ghana Research Ethics Network into a West Africa Research Ethics Network-a truly regional platform. We want you to be part of this expansion and therefore invite all interested individuals from across the region and beyond Africa to join the network by registering for the conference. To opt out, please unsubscribe from the conference newsletter.
We look forward to seeing you at WAREN 2026.
Program (More to come)
WAREN 2026 conference will feature keynotes and discussions on financing for bioethics programs and regulatory frameworks. Key institutions from Ghana and the broader West African region will be invited to share their experiences on good partnerships and pitfalls of such collaborations.
Dicussion Topics
Advancing Research Ethics Through Global Partnership
Enhancing Ethics Capacity Through International Ties
The Ethics of Research Partnership
Building Strong Partnerships and Common Pitfalls
Deepening Insights from Panel Discussion
Innovative Funding Mechanisms for Bioethics and Health Research
Findings from the needs assessment
What’s next for implementation and capacity building across Ghana
WAREN and its objectives
What is next for WAREN
Speakers Lineup!
Coming up next
Hotels & Accommodations (coming up)
We have identified and listed places where you can book your stay between 23rd and 25th March 2026. The space is limited; hence, we encourage you to book early. Should you need a letter of invitation to facilitate leave from work, please contact the conference secretariat at ritp@ug.edu.gh, and we will be happy to assist.
Where to have Fun in Accra (coming up)
Accra is not just the best hub for holding international product discussions on research ethics; it is also a place for hanging out with friends and makin g new connections. Here we list places you may consider visiting once in Accra. Note that no discount is offered through the conference.
Conveners
Professor Amos Laar is a distinguished academic and researcher in public health nutrition and bioethics, and currently the Head of the Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health at the University of Ghana School of Public Health. He is also the Co-Principal Investigator on Phase 2 of the NYU-UG Research Integrity Training Program (RITP), currently being implemented at the University of Ghana.
Professor Arthur L. Caplan is the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor and founding head of the Division of Medical Ethics at New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine. Professor Caplan served on several high-level advisory bodies, including the Presidential Advisory Committee on Gulf War Illnesses, the Wellcome Trust Advisory Panel on Research in Humanitarian Crises, and as Co-Director of the Joint Council of Europe/United Nations Study on Trafficking in Organs and Body Parts. Professor Caplan is also a Co-Principal Investigators on Phase 2 of NYU-UG Research Integrity Training Program (RITP).
Professor Gbenga Ogedegbe is a distinguished physician and researcher in health disparities and cardiovascular diseases. He is the inaugural and founding Director of the Institute for Excellence in Health Equity at NYU Langone Health. Professor Ogedegbe is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), and a fellow of several scientific organisations, including the American Heart Association, the American College of Physicians, and the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research. Professor Ogedegbe is also a Co-Principal Investigator on Phase 2 of the NYU-UG Research Integrity Training Program (RITP).
Chairpersons
Professor Paulina Tindana (WAREN Chair) is an Associate Professor of Bioethics and Global Health in the Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management at the University of Ghana School of Public Health, University of Ghana. Her research and teaching focus on the ethical, socio-cultural, and policy implications of biomedical research and public health systems, including genetics and genomics. As Principal Investigator, she leads the Genomics Epidemiology for Malaria Elimination Policy Engagement Project, funded by the Gates Foundation, and the H3Africa Community Engagement in Genomics and Biobanking (CEBioGen) project, supported by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). Additionally, she is the Lead for the Global Health Bioethics Network in Ghana and has served on various national and international bioethics committees.
Professor Veronica Njie-Carr (WAREN Co-Chair)
Veronica P.S. Njie-Carr, RN, ACNS-BC, PhD, FWACN is a full professor and academic nurse researcher in the School of Nursing at the University of Maryland, Baltimore in the United States. She is a clinical nurse specialist with 40 years of professional nursing experience and over 29 years of academic teaching at various universities and colleges in the U.S. Professor Njie-Carr’s interest in mentoring future generations of scholars led to her work in building capacity in developing countries through the development, implementation, and evaluation of education and research and research ethics programs. Her global work includes working with multi-disciplinary teams, developing leadership capacity through the training of health workers to participate in research, and providing mentorship, and consultation. Professor Njie-Carr is the principal investigator of the Gambia Research Ethics and Methodology Training Initiative (GamREMTI), the founder of the Edward G. Njie Scholarship Fund, and co-founder of the Gambian Diaspora Experts Initiative (GDEI), Inc.
Conference Organizing Team
Reverend Emeritus Professor Seth Ayettey has been in the medical field for over 37 years and has occupied various leadership positions, including Head of the Department of Anatomy, Vice Dean, Dean of the Medical School, and Provost of the College of Health Sciences at the University of Ghana, and also served as a Visiting Professor at Tulane University, USA, between 1986 and 1997. From 1998, he served as a member and later Chairman of the Prison Council, Chairman of the Korle Bu Management Board, and a member of the Council of the Presbyterian University College. He is also a member of the Judicial Council and of the VALCO Board. He has been a minister of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana for 29 years, served on the Boards of Child Evangelism Fellowship of Ghana and Youth for Christ Ghana (1974–1985), was a member of the Advisory Council of World Vision Ghana (1982–2010), and served on the World Vision International Board of Directors (2000–2010). He is a former project advisory member for RITP in Ghana and currently a key resource person for the RITP in Ghana, as well as a member of GREN since its inception.
Professor James Abugri is an Associate Professor and the Dean of the School of Chemical and Biochemical Sciences at C.K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS) in Navrongo, Ghana. He also serves as the Team Leader of the University’s COVID-19 Technical Management Team. Prof. Abugri’s research interests include malaria immunology, HIV, and the application of biochemical and chemical techniques in microbiology and molecular biotechnology. His work has expanded to cover genomics and bioinformatics applications for in silico drug discovery aimed at innovative translational drug design. He is a member of the Ghana Science Association and the Immunology Society of Ghana.
Professor Samuel Asiedu Owusu is a Senior Research Fellow and Bioethicist at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. He specializes in bioethics, child health, mHealth, and transport. He has authored over 30 peer-reviewed papers, 25 technical reports, and 3 policy documents. Dr. Owusu holds a PhD in Population and Health, a Master’s in Bioethics, and a Certificate in Research Integrity. He has attended 90+ conferences and has held leadership roles, including UCCIRB administrator and GHAAREC member. Notably, he was the first NYU-UG Research Integrity Fellow to complete the Master’s in Bioethics.
Professor Kyle Ferguson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY). His academic work focuses on ethics, bioethics, and environmental ethics. His current projects explore vaccine ethics, global health ethics, and research ethics in the contexts of public health emergencies and climate change mitigation strategies.
Mr. Kwame Adjei is a PhD student and faculty member of the Bioethics department, University of Ghana. He is a fellow of the NYU-UG Research Integrity program and also has over fifteen years of research experience working with the Ghana Health Service (GHS). He recently founded the Centre for Global Health and Bioethics Research, a consultancy firm which aims to conduct bioethics-relevant research in Ghana.
Dr. Adolf Kofi Awua is a multidisciplinary-trained scientist and Principal Research Scientist at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission. He has a strong record of working in the research sector in Ghana and beyond, with expertise in statistical data analysis, epidemiology, biomedical sciences, and bioethics. His academic training includes a focus on Public Health (Epidemiology) from the University of Ghana. Dr. Awua is also an advocate for the role of nuclear technology in advancing Ghana’s “Beyond Aid” agenda.
Mr. Silver Nanema, PhD candidate and project coordinator for NYU-UG RITP at the University of Ghana. Silver graduated from the MSc Bioethics program at the University of Ghana in 2023 and has been leading the implementation of Project Phase 2 activities since. Silver led the first GREN conference in 2023 and has since been the key resource person in planning and executing subsequent conferences to date, including the transition to WAREN. Silver is currently a PhD student in Public Health, where he integrates bioethics perspectives and equity lenses to analyze health issues.
Professor James Akazili is the Dean of the School of Public Health at C.K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS) in Navrongo, Ghana, and formerly served as Deputy Director of the Ghana Health Service. His research interests include health care financing, equity and efficiency in health care systems, universal health coverage (UHC), and the economic evaluation of health programmes.
The network
Birth through the New York University–University of Ghana Research Integrity Training Program (NYU-UG RITP), the network holds conference meetings annually, supported by the project (RITP) which is funded through Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health (FIC, NIH). The network, through the conference, seeks to further conversations on leading current ethical issues in research, including public health.
2026 is a special year as the network grows from the Ghanaian to the West African research ethics network, and in this growth will onboard Fellows, Cohort 4 and 5, into the network. Fellows in both cohorts come from Ghana, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone. The network under Y8 2026 also fosters collaboration with key bioethics programs in The Gambia and strengthens partnerships with these institutions for 2026. The partnership marks the transition of the network to the West Africa Network in Bioethics, the first event in West Africa.
In previous years, the network, then called GREN, hosted three gatherings (conferences) in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. Over the course of these conferences, the network has engaged over 1,200 participants from well over 200 registered members on its listservs. The network has also fostered collaboration with the Food and Drug Authority of Ghana, the Ministry of Health of Ghana, the Ghana Health Service, and other local partners.
The network comprises faculty teaching the M.Sc. in Bioethics program at the University of Ghana, the first of its kind in Ghana and among the limited bioethics options in the sub-region. Graduates from the M.Sc. in Bioethics program and fellows from adjacent training streams have also been hosted at the University of Ghana in partnership with New York University.
Internally, the project (NYU–University of Ghana Research Integrity Training Program) has trained well over 50 fellows and M.Sc. graduates in bioethics. The program is well on the path to self-sustainability.
Regarding the current expansion to the West African network, there is no limitation on who can be part of it. Interested persons are all cordially invited. Registration is effective upon signing up to attend the conference, and communication will be ensured.
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