Dr. Irene Owusu Donkor is a research fellow in the Epidemiology Department of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR). She obtained her bachelor's degree in Zoology (BSc. Zoology) from the Department of Animal and Conservation Science, University of Ghana, and a Master's in Public Health (MPH) degree from the School of Public Health, University of Ghana. She went on to pursue a doctorate degree in Public Health (epidemiology and disease control option) at the same university, school, and department. Her postgraduate work focused on lymphatic filariasis surveillance to verify the absence of the disease in previously endemic areas in Ghana. Dr. Owusu Donkor is a recipient of the African Postdoctoral Training Initiative (APTI) award (Cohort 1). Her research focuses on the surveillance of emerging infectious diseases and the development and assessment of point-of-care diagnostic assays for the detection of these infections. Dr. Owusu Donkor aims to become a leading epidemiologist in the field of infectious disease research