Profile of Dr. Felix Jerry Akpabey 

Officer-in-Charge, CSIR-Water Research Institute, Tamale.

 

Dr. Felix Jerry Akpabey is a Senior Research Scientist and Officer-in-Charge at the Tamale Office of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research - Water Research Institute (CSIR-WRI). He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Cape Coast and a Diploma in Education which he obtained concurrently from the same University in 1994, Master’s degree in Medical Entomology in 2000 at the University of Ghana. PhD in Entomology in 2012 at the Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa. He has a vast experience in the use of the bio-insecticides Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus sphaericus in the control of blackfly and mosquito larvae. He also has practical experience in Ecological Biodiversity and Hydrobotany. He is an expert in Invasive Species Management through the use of biological control agents. He is basically an entomologist with a diverse research interest involving the management of invasive weed and insect pest species, notably through the use of insects, plant pathogens and pesticides. Weed biocontrol aspects include (i) determining host ranges and host preferences, (ii) assessing potential non-target effects, (iii) quantifying the impact of insect herbivory or disease on the target weeds (iv) in insect ecology, behaviour and taxonomy (v) biopesticide formulation and application (vi) non-target impact of pesticides and (vii) implementing biological control into weed. He is very much interested in studying activity enhancement of biocontrol agents of weeds using eco-friendly approaches. His studies also include impact evaluation of alien invasive plants on biodiversity, native insect and plant communities. Similar studies on insect pest management systems have also been done to a lesser extent. Another area that fascinates him is the multitrophic interactions in biological control systems, especially effects of interactions among host plant, herbivores, and microbes on plant community composition. Currently, he working on the interaction and integration of insect and fungal biocontrol agents of water hyacinth, described as the world’s worst aquatic weed. He is a key member of a team of consultants that was hired by Water Resources Commission of Ghana to work on the Reoptimisation and reoperation of the Akosombo and Kpong Dams in Ghana. He was also the Assistant National Project Coordinator of the UNEP/GEF project “Removing Barriers to Invasive Plant Management in Africa” which was piloted in Ethiopia, Ghana, Uganda and Zambia between 2005 and 2010. He was a member of Technical Committee set up by the Ministry of Environment Science, Technology and Innovation to undertake survey of algal bloom and its effects on the fishing industry in the Central and Western Regions of Ghana. 

He has supervised many graduate students at various Ghanaian Universities. He is an external examiner for some Universities and reviewer for international peer-reviewed journals. He has obtained many research grants from funding agencies including the UNDP, UNEP/GEF, etc. He has served on a number of National Technical Committees, including experts committees for Invasive Species management.

He has published over 12 peer-reviewed articles in international journals including Journal of Medical and Veterinary Entomology