Monrovia — The globally acclaimed biomedical scientist and inventor, Dr. Dougbeh Christopher Nyan, M.D., has concluded five months of unpaid-volunteer services in teaching, lecturing, and national public health duties in Liberia and parts of Africa including Ghana.
Since August this year 2022, Dr. Nyan has been on an academic, clinical, and public health mission in Africa. In Ghana, he gave a talk at the Noguchi Memorial Medical Research Institute of the University of Ghana where he lectured on medical and public health challenges on in outbreaks such as Ebola, COVID-19, and Monkeypox.
In a social media comment, David Hne said that we are “proud of your scientific and scholarly achievements. You are a torchlight that gives Liberia radiance internationally.”
Dr. Nyan moved on to Liberia, his home country, where he taught high school biology at his Alma mater, the Monrovia College and Industrial Training School, commonly known as Monrovia College or MC. Monrovia College (MC), an African Methodist Episcopal School, was established a century ago in 1922.
“Monrovia College made me what I am today as a medical doctor and a productive scientist and citizen. MC took me in and bet its high reputation on me when no other school in Liberia would dare go against the military rule. That is why I am indebted to MC and had to give back by volunteering my services to teach Biology for a whole semester for free. I still owe MC a lot,” Dr. Nyan expressed.
As visiting professor of science and medicine, the scientist extended his voluntary services to the Winifred J. Harley College of Health Sciences of the United Methodist University in Gompa City, Nimba County where Dr. Nyan provided lectures in clinical microbiology and infectious diseases.
Harbel College in Margibi County also benefited from the scientist’s wealth of knowledge in public health. Dr. Nyan also gave a semester’s lecture in environmental health and sanitation at the government-owned institution with emphasis on public health microbiology.
In 2005 at the end of the 14-year civil war in Liberia, Dr. Nyan helped train some of Liberia’s medical doctors at the A. M. Dogliotti College of Medicine of the University of Liberia where he lectured a semester course in medical microbiology as an unpaid visiting professor.
The German-trained medical doctor, Dr. Nyan, has since made a yearly academic pilgrimage to Liberia to transfer knowledge, skills, and expertise at public and private institutions.
“I have now seen a scientist in real life in my lifetime and interacted with him personally, not the ones we only read about in the books,” said Ebenezer Morlia, a junior student majoring Biology at the College of Health Sciences and Allied Health of the AME University.
Several messages of appreciation have been pouring in to Dr. Nyan on his patriotic services to the nation’s education and healthcare improvement.
Seeh Bleedi of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia said, “thanks so kindly for the great knowledge given to us through your sacrificial service. May God continue to bless you through knowledge and good health.”
“We are all grateful for the sacrifice of your precious time and energy to come back home and share your brilliant knowledge with our young people and adults as well,” said Dr. Chris Dennis, a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Liberia.
“Dr. Nyan, thank you for everything. Your work is always appreciated,” wrote Dr. Sarwee Faeflen, Dean of the College of Sciences and Allied Health of the AME University.
Zubu Kpanaku, a Chemistry lecturer in the Minnesota school system, in another social media remark said, “thanks a million Dr. Nyan for service to humanity. You are a true asset to Liberia and to Africa and the world at large.”
Dr. Nyan studied medicine at the Charite Medical Faculty of the Humbold University of Berlin in Germany and was trained as a scientist at the US National Institutes of Health and the University of Pennsylvania. He worked as a scientist at the Naval Medical Research Center and the US Food and Drug Administration.
He is the world acclaimed inventor of the Rapid Multiplex Real-Time Pathogen Diagnostic Test (the NYAN TEST) which detects and simultaneously identifies 3 to 7 infections using just one test.
His invention has received three US Patents now and many awards including the prestigious “2017 African Innovation Award Special Prize for Social Impact.”
He was recently awarded the “2022 Alpha Phi Alpha Award of Honor for Science Research and Public Health Advocacy.”