Better Liver Health. Stronger Communities.
Improving liver and digestive health across Africa through care, research, training and advocacy.
Learn More
Better Liver Health. Stronger Communities.
Improving liver and digestive health across Africa through care, research, training and advocacy.
Learn More
Better Liver Health. Stronger Communities.
Improving liver and digestive health across Africa through care, research, training and advocacy.
Learn More

Welcome to AILDD: Advancing health and reducing illness and mortality from liver and digestive diseases in Africa

At AILDD, we are dedicated to a singular, vital mission: to combat liver and digestive diseases that impact countless lives across African communities. Established as a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization in the United States and registered as a Non-Governmental Organization in Ghana, AILDD stands at the forefront of a critical health battle.

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CELDH

Center of Excellence for Liver and Digestive Health

Advanced liver and digestive care in Accra. Our specialists diagnose and treat the full range of liver and digestive conditions, from endoscopy and cancer screening to advanced procedures such as ERCP.

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How We’re Transforming Lives

Core Initiatives

Journey towards improved healthcare

Care at CELDH

Hands-on Training of Healthcare Personnel

Research

AILDD's Diverse Programs

Empowering communities and advancing healthcare

Africa HepatoPancreatoBiliary Cancer Consortium

Center of Excellence for Liver and Digestive Health

Biorepository/GWAS

Ghana HCV Program

Ghana Hepatitis and Liver Cancer Study

Somali Health Advisory Committee (SHAC)

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Testimonials

Voices of impact from the heart of our community

Dr. Samuel O.
Nairobi, Kenya
Healthcare Practitioner
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

"As a doctor working in rural Kenya, resources and training in specialized areas like liver health are scarce. AILDD’s training programs have been instrumental in enhancing my knowledge and skills. Their workshops are not only informative but also practical, allowing me to provide better care for my patients. The impact of their work is evident in the improved health outcomes we're witnessing. AILDD is truly making a difference in the medical community across Africa."

Prof. Linda M.
Kumasi, Ghana
Research Collaborator
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

"Collaborating with AILDD has been an enriching experience. Their commitment to cutting-edge research in liver and digestive diseases is commendable. Working alongside their team, we've been able to push the boundaries of medical research and contribute to meaningful advancements. AILDD's dedication to bridging the gap between research and practical healthcare solutions in African communities is not only inspiring but also crucial in the global fight against these diseases."

Your Contribution Makes a Difference

At AILDD, we believe in the power of collective action to bring about significant change. We invite you to join us in our relentless pursuit to combat liver and digestive diseases in African communities. By getting involved with AILDD, you become a part of a global movement dedicated to transforming healthcare in Africa. Every action, no matter the size, contributes to a brighter, healthier future. Together, we can make a world of difference.

Interested in partnering with AILDD or making a major gift? Contact us at development@aildd.org.

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Our Corporate Sponsors

EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP SPONSOR
PLATINUM SPONSORS
PLATINUM SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSORS
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Chinwe Ukomadu, MD, PhD

Takeda, Boston, MA | Advisor

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Gastroenterologist, Academic Researcher and Pharmaceutical Drug Developer; AILDD Board Advisor

Professional Biography

Dr. Chinweike (Chinwe) Ukomadu is a former academic physician-scientist who currently works as a senior pharmaceutical executive in research and development. He is the Senior Vice President and Head of the Gastrointestinal and Inflammation Therapeutic Area Unit at Takeda Pharmaceuticals. He attended medical school and graduate school at Yale University, and his background includes basic and clinical research in gastroenterology and liver disease, as well as the development of therapies for inflammatory conditions, including those of the digestive tract. As an AILDD Advisory Board member, he brings relevant academic, pharmaceutical, and therapeutic-area experience to the organization’s mission of advancing liver and digestive health in Africa.

Selected Career Highlights

  • Associate Physician, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.
  • Led clinical and translational medicine roles focused on gastrointestinal and liver disease at Novartis.
  • Research and development leadership at Takeda.
  • Brings pharmaceutical development and gastroenterology expertise to AILDD’s Advisory Board.

Kofi W. Nuako, MD

Advanced Gastroenterology, Union City, TN | Advisor

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Gastroenterologist; AILDD Board Advisor

Professional Biography

Dr. Kofi W. Nuako is a gastroenterologist and the medical director and president of Summit Endoscopy Center in Union City, Tennessee. He practices at Advanced Gastroenterology, where he provides care for gastrointestinal and liver conditions and performs advanced diagnostic procedures, including upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, colonoscopy, and capsule endoscopy. He earned his medical degree from the University of Ghana Medical School, completed his internal medicine residency at Good Samaritan Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and undertook fellowship training in gastroenterology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He is board-certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology and is also a diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. His professional experience spans clinical gastroenterology, endoscopy services, and clinical trials. As an AILDD member, he brings extensive clinical experience in digestive and liver health to the organization’s work to strengthen specialist care and professional capacity in Africa.

Selected Career Highlights

  • Medical director and president of Summit Endoscopy Center in Union City, Tennessee.
  • Practicing gastroenterologist at Advanced Gastroenterology, with expertise in diagnostic endoscopy and digestive diseases.
  • Has contributed to gastroenterology research and clinical trials, including publications on chronic hepatitis, diverticulitis, and colorectal cancer in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Ngu H. Morcho, MBA

Impact Legacy Partners, LLC (ILP) | Advisor

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Global Healthcare Executive; AILDD Advisory Board Member

Professional Biography

Mr. Ngu H. Morcho is a global healthcare executive whose work focuses on helping families, businesses, and governments transform growth into generational wealth and lasting financial legacy systems. He earned his MBA from Rice University and brings more than 30 years of experience working at the intersection of healthcare, financial services, infrastructure, and capital. Throughout his career, Mr. Morcho has held leadership roles in healthcare infrastructure, medical technology, and impact investment. At GE Healthcare, he was part of leadership teams responsible for originating, structuring, and closing financing transactions, ranging from $3–5 million advanced diagnostic centers to hospitals valued at more than $100 million and public-private partnerships exceeding $300 million with governments. He has also served as President and CEO of KeraLink International, a $30 million nonprofit developing innovative technology solutions to address corneal blindness; Founder and Board Chairman of Yako Medical Africa, a medical technology and services platform; and President of Apaxis Medical, a medical technology company developing a surgical solution for implantable heart valves. As a member of the AILDD Advisory Board, he contributes expertise in healthcare infrastructure, strategic partnerships, and impact investment to support the sustainable development of liver and digestive health services in Africa.

Selected Career Highlights

  • Founder and Managing Director of Impact Legacy Partners, LLC, a financial and wealth management firm focused on helping families, businesses, and governments transform growth into generational wealth and financial legacy systems.
  • Co-founded Validated Impact, a project design, validation, and delivery platform for impact infrastructure funded by governments, foundations, and family offices.
  • Served as President and CEO of KeraLink International, expanding partnerships to improve access to sight-restoring care.
  • Held senior leadership roles at GE Healthcare across West and Central Africa and was the Founder and Board Chairman of Yako Medical Africa; recognized as an Ashoka Fellow.

Patricia Jones, MD

University of Miami | Advisor

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Hepatologist; AILDD Advisory Board Member

Professional Biography

Dr. Patricia D. Jones is a hepatologist and Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine in the Division of Digestive Health and Liver Diseases at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, where she leads the Liver Cancer Tumor Board. Her research focuses on disparities in chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), including barriers to screening, differences in outcomes, and community-based approaches to improving access to care. She participates in NIH-funded multicenter research and co-leads the African Caribbean Cancer Consortium’s Liver Cancer Working Group. Her work connects liver cancer research, health equity, and the needs of populations disproportionately affected by liver disease. As an AILDD Advisory Board member, she brings expertise in hepatology, liver cancer, and equitable care to the organization’s mission.

Selected Career Highlights

  • Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and leader of the Liver Cancer Tumor Board at the University of Miami.
  • Conducts NIH-funded research into disparities in liver cancer outcomes and barriers to HCC screening.
  • Co-leads the African Caribbean Cancer Consortium’s Liver Cancer Working Group.
  • Serves on the American College of Gastroenterology Research Committee and chairs its Health Equity Research Award committee

Felix Boakye-Agyeman, MD, PhD

Takeda, Houston, TX | Advisor

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Vice President and Consultant; AILDD Board Advisor

Professional Biography

Dr. Felix Boakye-Agyeman is a physician-scientist with expertise in clinical pharmacology, pharmacometrics, and pharmaceutical drug development. His professional work has included quantitative approaches to understanding drug exposure, safety, and dosing, including research involving pediatric patients. He previously held roles at the Duke Clinical Research Institute and contributed to research through the NIH-funded Pediatric Trials Network. His work has addressed drug development across therapeutic areas, with particular experience in pharmacokinetics, clinical trial research, and pediatric drug dosing. As an AILDD Advisory Board member, he brings expertise in pharmaceutical development and clinical pharmacology to the organization’s broader mission to strengthen healthcare and professional capacity in Africa.

Selected Career Highlights

  • Has contributed to clinical pharmacology and pharmacokinetic research, including studies of medication safety and dosing in pediatric populations.
  • Previously worked with the Duke Clinical Research Institute and the NIH-funded Pediatric Trials Network.
  • Has contributed to strengthening the healthcare system and improving quality outcomes in Ghana and across Africa at large.
  • Serves on the AILDD Advisory Board, bringing pharmaceutical research and drug-development experience to the organization.

F. Otis Stephen, MD

UCLA Health System | Board Member

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Gastroenterologist; AILDD Board Member

Professional Biography

Dr. F. Otis Stephen is a gastroenterologist at UCLA Health and Director of the Small Bowel Endoscopy Program. His clinical practice focuses on small bowel diseases, gastrointestinal bleeding, capsule endoscopy, and advanced device-assisted enteroscopy, particularly double-balloon enteroscopy. He earned his undergraduate degree in physiological sciences from the University of California, Los Angeles, and his medical degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health. He completed internal medicine residency training at Johns Hopkins University/Sinai Hospital of Baltimore and gastroenterology fellowship training at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. He is a Fellow of the American Gastroenterological Association, the American College of Gastroenterology, and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. His professional work includes training physicians in advanced endoscopic techniques and helping hospitals establish small bowel endoscopy programs. As an AILDD Board member, he brings expertise in advanced digestive disease procedures and specialist training that supports the foundation’s efforts to expand endoscopic capacity and improve access to gastrointestinal care in Africa.

Selected Career Highlights

  • Director, Small Bowel Endoscopy Program, UCLA Health.
  • Recognized expertise in double-balloon enteroscopy, capsule endoscopy, and advanced small bowel procedures.
  • Fellow, American Gastroenterological Association; American College of Gastroenterology; and American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.
  • AILDD Board member bringing advanced endoscopy and physician-training expertise to the foundation.

Francis D. Dickson, MD

Nova Surgery Center, Accra, Ghana | Board Member

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Obstetrician and Gynecologist; AILDD Board Member

Professional Biography

Dr. Francis D. Dickson is a surgeon and founder of the Nova Surgery Center in Accra, Ghana. His clinical background is in obstetrics and gynecology, with expertise in minimally invasive and advanced laparoscopic surgery, urogynecology, and women’s health. He earned his medical degree from Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he thereafter completed internship and residency training in obstetrics and gynecology. His professional leadership includes experience directing minimally invasive gynecologic surgery training and serving as chairman of the board of Forbes Ambulatory Surgery Center in Maryland. His medical mission work has included the Philippines, Ghana, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As an AILDD Board member, he contributes a surgical and healthcare leadership perspective to the foundation’s broader mission to improve access to high-quality care and strengthen healthcare capacity in Africa.

Selected Career Highlights

  • Founder of the Nova Surgery Center in Accra, Ghana, with a clinical background in obstetrics and gynecology.
  • Residency training in obstetrics and gynecology, Howard University.
  • Former program director for minimally invasive gynecologic surgery training at Southern Maryland Hospital Center.
  • AILDD Board member contributing clinical and healthcare leadership experience.

Scharles Alicia Konadu, MD

GI Alliance / TDDC, Fort Worth, Texas | Secretary

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Board-certified in gastroenterology and internal medicine; AILDD secretary

Professional Biography

Dr. Scharles Konadu is a board-certified gastroenterologist whose clinical practice focuses on digestive diseases, including colorectal cancer prevention, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, esophageal and liver disorders. Her professional background includes clinical and academic appointments at Duke University Medical Center and Duke Raleigh Hospital, as well as a gastroenterology practice in Texas. She earned her medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and completed internal medicine residency and gastroenterology fellowship training at Duke University Medical Center. She has contributed to national physician certification through service on the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Gastroenterology Specialty Board and currently serves on the ABIM Council. Her interest in global health includes educational and professional experiences in Ghana and a commitment to improving access to high-quality digestive disease care. As an AILDD Board member, she supports the foundation’s educational, advocacy, and capacity-building initiatives, with particular relevance to expanding gastroenterology training and strengthening digestive healthcare in West Africa.

Selected Career Highlights

  • Gastroenterologist, GI Alliance / TDDC, Fort Worth, Texas
  • Member, ABIM Council; former member, ABIM Gastroenterology Specialty Board
  • Recognized as a Top Doctor and Texas Super Doctor
  • Supports AILDD education, advocacy, and gastroenterology and liver disease training in West Africa

Mitchell "Mitch" Mah’moud, MD, FACG, AGAF, FAASLD

Duke University School of Medicine | Founding Member and Treasurer; Chair, Training Committee

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Adjunct Professor of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology; Founding Member and Treasurer of AILDD

Professional Biography

Dr. Mitchell Mah’moud is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, at Duke University School of Medicine. His clinical and academic interests include hepatitis C, metabolic liver disease, and hepatocellular carcinoma, with research examining liver cancer in African populations and the challenges of diagnosis and treatment in resource-limited settings. He earned his medical degree from the University of Ibadan College of Medicine in Nigeria and completed residency and gastroenterology fellowship training at Johns Hopkins University and Yale University, respectively. He has served in academic and clinical roles at Yale and the Medical University of South Carolina and has extensive experience teaching and mentoring gastroenterology fellows. His professional service includes leadership in international hepatology education and fellowship in major gastroenterology and hepatology societies. As a founding member of AILDD, he chairs its Training Committee, helping oversee specialist education for gastroenterology fellows and practicing physicians at the Center of Excellence for Liver and Digestive Health (CELDH), while contributing to the foundation’s strategic direction.

Selected Career Highlights

  • Adjunct Professor of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Duke University School of Medicine
  • Former Director of Clinical Hepatology and Associate Program Director, Gastroenterology Fellowship, Medical University of South Carolina
  • More than two decades of international physician mentorship
  • Chair of AILDD Training Committee, overseeing education of gastroenterology fellows and practicing physicians at CELDH

Tracy Hanson, MD, MPH

Executive Director, AILDD Foundation

Dr. Tracy Hanson is a Harvard-trained public health physician and health systems strategist focused on how healthcare is designed, financed, governed, and scaled. As Executive Director of the Africa Institute for Liver and Digestive Diseases (AILDD) Foundation, she leads organizational strategy and growth while strengthening the partnerships and infrastructure behind AILDD’s portfolio in patient care, specialist training, research, and advocacy.

Her nonprofit executive experience spans governance, fundraising, and multi-country program management, complemented by frontline clinical and system-level work across Africa, Europe, and North America.

Her priority at AILDD is building the institutional, revenue, and operational capacity required to position the Foundation as the leading African platform for liver and digestive health.

Amoah Yeboah-Korang, MD, MPH

University of Cincinnati College of Medicine | Advisor

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Gastroenterologist; AILDD Advisory Board Member

Professional Biography

Dr. Amoah Yeboah-Korang is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, where his clinical specialties include gastroenterology and transplant hepatology. His clinical interests include acute liver failure, autoimmune hepatitis, fatty liver disease, and alcohol-associated liver disease. He earned his BS and MS degrees in Biology from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and his MD and MPH from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. He completed internal medicine residency training at Rush University Medical Center, gastroenterology fellowship training at NorthShore University HealthSystem, and transplant hepatology fellowship training at the University of Michigan Health System. His research has examined drug-induced liver injury, liver injury associated with cancer immunotherapy, hepatitis C screening, and clinical outcomes in patients with liver disease. He is board-certified in internal medicine, gastroenterology, and transplant hepatology. As an AILDD Advisory Board member, he contributes specialist expertise in liver disease and transplantation to the foundation’s mission of expanding access to high-quality digestive and liver healthcare across Africa.

Selected Career Highlights

  • Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
  • Completed gastroenterology fellowship training at NorthShore University HealthSystem and transplant hepatology fellowship training at the University of Michigan Health System.
  • Board-certified in internal medicine, gastroenterology, and transplant hepatology.
  • Published research on drug-induced liver injury, cancer immunotherapy-associated liver injury, and hepatitis C screening

Lionel A. Kankeu Fonkoua, MD

Mayo Clinic, MN | Advisor

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Medical Oncologist specializing in Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Cancers | AILDD Board Advisor

Professional Biography

Dr. Lionel A. Kankeu Fonkoua is an Assistant Professor of Oncology and Senior Associate Consultant in the Department of Medical Oncology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. His clinical and research interests focus on gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary cancers, particularly in the development of innovative immunotherapy combinations to improve treatment outcomes. He collaborates across clinical and research disciplines to advance cancer treatment, including approaches and strategies to improve equitable access to clinical trials and cancer care. As an AILDD Advisory Board member, he provides strategic advice and guidance to support the organization’s mission to advance liver and digestive health in Africa.

Selected Career Highlights

  • Recipient of the ASCO Young Investigator Award (YIA), the Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Career Development Award, and the Mayo Clinic Hepatobiliary SPORE Career Enhancement Program (CEP) Award.
  • Former Mayo Clinic CcaTS KL2 Scholar, an NIH-supported mentored career development program in clinical and translational research.
  • Mayo Clinic’s Equity-Focused Clinical Investigator for the NCI Experimental Therapeutics Clinical Trials Network (ETCTN), advancing equitable access to early-phase cancer clinical trials.
  • Chair of the Community Engagement & Diversity Council for the Mayo Clinic Hepatobiliary Cancer SPORE.

Jecinta Scott, PhD, CCRP

Novartis | Board Member

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Associate Director, Medical Science Liaison; AILDD Board Member

Professional Biography

Dr. Jecinta Scott is a medical science liaison leader in oncology, specializing in radioligand and radiopharmaceutical cancer therapies. Her work involves communicating clinical and scientific evidence to healthcare professionals and supporting the appropriate understanding of emerging cancer treatments. She holds a PhD in Health Sciences focused on cancer risk factors and a master’s degree in Biology Medical Sciences. She brings 17 years of experience in clinical and translational research in hematology and oncology. Her professional experience connects cancer research, clinical evidence, and medical education, providing a perspective relevant to advancing specialist knowledge and care delivery. As an AILDD Board member, she contributes strategic insight and serves on organizational committees, helping advance the foundation’s work in professional education, capacity building, and improved access to liver and digestive disease care in Africa.

Selected Career Highlights

  • Associate Director, Medical Science Liaison, Novartis.
  • Seventeen years in clinical and translational research in hematology and oncology.
  • PhD in Health Sciences; master’s degree in Biology Medical Sciences.
  • Serves on AILDD organizational committees.

Akwi W. Asombang, MD, MPH

Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School | Board Member

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Interventional Gastroenterologist; AILDD Board Member

Professional Biography

Dr. Akwi W. Asombang is an interventional gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Director of Global Health Programs in Gastroenterology. She is also an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Her clinical work includes advanced endoscopy, particularly endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), as well as gastrointestinal cancers and complex digestive diseases. She earned her medical degree from Kasturba Medical College in India, completed a combined internal medicine and pediatrics residency at Saint Louis University, a gastroenterology fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis, and an advanced endoscopy fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. She also holds a Master of Public Health from Saint Louis University and has completed additional training in bioethics at Harvard Medical School. Her global health work includes clinical experience in Ghana and other countries, medical education, and efforts to build specialist expertise in Africa. She founded the African Association of Future Gastroenterologists (AAFG) and co-founded the Pan-African Organization for Health, Education and Research (POHER). Both organizations promote medical education, mentorship, professional collaboration, and capacity building to strengthen healthcare and advance the next generation of medical professionals in Africa. As an AILDD Board member, she contributes to specialist training and international collaboration, including advanced endoscopy training initiatives in Ghana.

Selected Career Highlights

  • Interventional gastroenterologist, Massachusetts General Hospital.
  • Director of Global Health Programs in Gastroenterology, Harvard Medical School.
  • Founder, Pan-African Organization for Health, Education and Research (POHER).
  • Founder, African Association of Future Gastroenterologists (AAFG).

Bubu Banini, MD, PhD

Yale School of Medicine | Board Member

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Gastroenterologist/Hepatologist and Assistant Professor of Medicine; AILDD board member

Professional Biography

Dr. Bubu Banini is an assistant professor of medicine in digestive diseases at the Yale School of Medicine, where she serves as the translational research director of the metabolic health and weight loss program and the vice chief for clinical research in digestive diseases. Her clinical and research work focuses on steatotic liver disease, liver cancer, metabolic health, and related complications, with an emphasis on translating research findings into clinical practice and improving population health. She earned her MD and PhD in Genetics and Molecular Biology at Thomas Jefferson University. She completed an internal medicine residency and chief residency training through Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. After pursuing postdoctoral research training in Hepatology at Mayo Clinic, she subsequently completed research and clinical fellowship training in gastroenterology and hepatology, followed by a transplant hepatology fellowship at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her professional contributions include research and service within major gastroenterology and hepatology societies, as well as recognition through early-investigator and professional development awards and grants. Through her AILDD membership, she contributes clinical and research expertise to the foundation’s broader mission to strengthen liver and digestive disease care, education, and research capacity in Africa.

Selected Career Highlights

  • Assistant Professor of Medicine (Digestive Diseases), Yale School of Medicine
  • Translational Research Director, Yale Metabolic Health and Weight Management Program
  • Associate Director, Clinical and Translational Core, Yale Liver Center
  • Vice Chief for Clinical Research, Digestive Diseases

Thomas D. Amankonah, MD, MPH, FACP, FAASLD

AD Liver Consultants PLLC, Madison, Mississippi | Board Member

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Transplant hepatologist; board member of AILDD

Professional Biography

Dr. Thomas D. Amankonah is a transplant hepatologist, gastroenterologist, and public health practitioner. His work focuses on liver disease management, the development of liver transplant services, and health policy. He is currently the Managing Member of AD Liver Consultants, PLLC in Madison, Mississippi. He served as Chief of Hepatology and Director of the GI Endoscopy Lab at the VA Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi, until December 2025. Dr. Amankonah completed his medical training at Gdańsk Medical Academy in Poland and at the University of California, San Francisco, and undertook fellowship training in hepatology and liver transplantation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. In addition, he completed a Master of Public Health at the Milken Institute in Washington, DC. Over his career, he has helped develop and improve liver transplant programs in California, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Washington, including contributing to the establishment of the liver transplant program at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. His research interests include viral hepatitis and liver cancer, conditions with substantial relevance to liver disease prevention and treatment in Africa. As a board member of AILDD, he contributes clinical expertise and leadership to the foundation’s mission to strengthen specialist training, improve liver disease care, and expand healthcare capacity across the continent.

Selected Career Highlights

  • Managing Member, AD Liver Consultants, PLLC, Madison. Mississippi.
  • Chief of Hepatology and Director, GI Endoscopy Lab, VA Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi
  • Master of Public Health, Milken Institute of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC
  • Fellowship in hepatology and liver transplantation, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
  • Helped develop liver transplant programs in four states, including establishing the program at Swedish Medical Center, Seattle
  • Research interests in viral hepatitis and liver cancer

Dr. Victor Ankoma-Sey, MD

Houston Methodist Hospital; Liver Associates of Texas | Co-Founder and Vice President

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Board-certified gastroenterologist and hepatologist; co-founder and vice president of AILDD.

Professional Biography

Dr. Victor Ankoma-Sey is Director of the Liver Transplant Program at Houston Methodist Hospital and Director of Liver Associates of Texas in Houston. His clinical work focuses on complex liver diseases, liver transplantation, and antiviral treatment, including care for patients with chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. He earned his medical degree from the University of Ghana Medical School, completed internal medicine residency through the Johns Hopkins-affiliated Good Samaritan Hospital program in Baltimore, and completed gastroenterology and hepatology fellowship training at the University of California, San Francisco. He has more than three decades of experience in hepatology and has contributed to physician education, medical training, and initiatives to expand access to liver disease care. His professional credentials include fellowship in the American College of Gastroenterology and the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. As a co-founder and Vice President of the AILDD Board of Directors, he helps guide the foundation’s work to strengthen specialist training and improve access to liver disease prevention and treatment across Africa.

Selected Career Highlights

  • Director, Liver Transplant Program, Houston Methodist Hospital
  • Director, Liver Associates of Texas, PA.
  • More than three decades in complex liver disease management and liver transplantation.
  • Physician education, training, and mentorship in hepatology, particularly in underserved settings.

Lewis R. Roberts, MB ChB, PhD

Peter and Frances Georgeson Professor of Gastroenterology and Cancer Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota; Co-founder and President, Board of Directors

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Ghana-trained liver cancer researcher; co-founder and President of AILDD.

Professional Biography

Dr. Lewis Roberts is the Peter and Frances Georgeson Professor of Gastroenterology Cancer Research at Mayo Clinic, where he directs the Hepatobiliary Cancer SPORE and leads a laboratory on the development and early detection of liver and bile duct cancers. He trained at the University of Ghana Medical School, earned a PhD at the University of Iowa, and completed residency and fellowship at Mayo Clinic. His work in Africa includes a National Cancer Institute-funded project on low-cost biomarkers of hepatitis B-related liver cancer risk, continuing medical education programs in Ghana and Nigeria, and a postgraduate gastroenterology and hepatology training program in Ghana. He serves on the WHO Global Hepatitis Program guidelines development group and is a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences. He co-founded AILDD with Dr. Victor Ankoma-Sey, is President of its Board of Directors, and co-organizes the annual conference of the Africa Hepatopancreatobiliary Cancer Consortium (AHPBCC), an AILDD initiative.

Selected Career Highlights

  • Director, Hepatobiliary Cancer SPORE, Mayo Clinic (National Cancer Institute program).
  • Member, WHO Global Hepatitis Program guidelines development group.
  • Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences.
  • Co-founder and President, AILDD; co-organizer, AHPBCC annual scientific conference.