Isaac Odame is a Ghanaian academic and physician who specialises in

sickle cell disease Sickle cell disease (SCD), also simply called sickle cell, is a group of inherited Hemoglobinopathy, haemoglobin-related blood disorders. The most common type is known as sickle cell anemia. Sickle cell anemia results in an abnormality in the ...

. He is a professor of Hematology and Oncology at the Paediatrics department of the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...

. He holds the Alexandra Yeo Chair in Hematology at the University of Toronto. He is the Director of the Hematology Division of the university's Department of Medicine. He is a staff physician of

The Hospital for Sick Children ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

, where he serves as the medical director of the Global Sickle Cell Disease Network located at the Centre for Global Child Health. He is a founder of the Global Sickle Cell Disease Network.

Education

Odame had his secondary education at the

Accra Academy Accra Academy is a Single-sex education, boys' high school located at Bubuashie near Kaneshie in the Greater Accra Region, Ghana. It admits both boarding and day students. Founded as a private school in 1931, it gained the status of a Government ...

. He continued at the

University of Ghana The University of Ghana is a public university located in Accra, Ghana. It is the oldest public university in the country. The university was founded in 1948 as the University College of the Gold Coast in the British colony of the Gold Coast ...

, where he graduated (MB BCh) in 1982. He obtained membership of the Royal College of Physicians in 1991.

Career

Odame moved to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

in 2000 to further his work as a medical recruit of

McMaster University McMaster University (McMaster or Mac) is a public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main McMaster campus is on of land near the residential neighbourhoods of Ainslie Wood, Ontario, Ainslie Wood and Westdale, Ontario, Westd ...

. After six years of service at the Health Sciences Centre in

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...

, Odame joined the Hospital for Sick Children in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

. Odame is a member of the

Royal College of Physicians The Royal College of Physicians of London, commonly referred to simply as the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of ph ...

, a fellow of the

Royal College of Pathologists The Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) is a professional membership organisation. Its main function is the overseeing of postgraduate training, and its Fellowship Examination (FRCPath) is recognised as the standard assessment of fitness to p ...

, a fellow of the

Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, often referred to as the RCPCH, is the professional body for paediatricians (doctors specialising in child health) in the United Kingdom. It is responsible for the postgraduate training of pa ...

, and a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada.

Research interests

Odame's research and clinical works are in the field of sickle cell disease,

thalassemia Thalassemias are a group of Genetic disorder, inherited blood disorders that manifest as the production of reduced hemoglobin. Symptoms depend on the type of thalassemia and can vary from none to severe, including death. Often there is mild to ...

and other

hematological disorders Hematologic diseases are disorders which primarily affect the blood and Blood formation, blood-forming organs. Hematologic diseases include rare genetic disorders, anemia, HIV, sickle cell disease and complications from chemotherapy or transfusio ...

. His work at the Centre for Global Child Health also focuses on creating a continuous partnership between clinicians and scientists globally to foster academic research and improve medical care especially in developing countries with the largest disease burden.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Odame, Isaac Living people Ghanaian medical doctors Alumni of the Accra Academy 21st-century Ghanaian educators Fellows of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Academic staff of McMaster University Fellows of the Royal College of Pathologists Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Year of birth missing (living people)