Desmond Kojo Amponsah is a second-year PhD student in the Department of Environmental, Agricultural, and Occupational Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) College of Public Health in Omaha, Nebraska. His research focuses on biosafety, biosecurity, bioethics, and high-consequence infectious disease (HCID) preparedness, particularly in low-resource settings.

Desmond serves as a Research Assistant with the Global Center for Health Security (GCHS) and the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC), working under the mentorship of Dr. John Lowe, Director of GCHS and Co-Primary Investigator at NETEC. He is also actively involved in student leadership and governance, currently serving as Vice President of the College of Public Health Student Association, a Student Ambassador at the UNMC College of Public Health, and a student representative on the UNMC Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC).

Before beginning his doctoral studies, Desmond worked as a Medical Laboratory Scientist at AGA Health Foundation in Obuasi, Ghana, where his frontline experience during the COVID-19 pandemic deepened his passion for global biopreparedness and health equity. He earned his Master’s degree in Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in 2024 and his Bachelor’s degree in Medical Laboratory Science from the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in 2018.

Outside of academia, Desmond is an enthusiastic soccer fan and a proud supporter of Manchester City. He is passionate about connecting with peers and aspiring public health professionals to discuss global health, biosafety, and leadership in public health practice