Dr. Marian Asantewah Nkansah holds a PhD in Environmental Chemistry from the University of Bergen in Norway. Her research involves risk assessment and predictions of exposure of heavy metals and aromatic hydrocarbons in varied environmental samples like food, water, tea etc. She utilizes agricultural was as adsorbents for the treatment of contaminated water. All these are in line with SDG 3 and SDG 6 with focus on ‘GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING’ and ‘CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION’ respectively.
Findings of her research work have found their way in the public space and have raised awareness on issues such as; how the classroom environment affects the health of school children, how the mode of processing of tea and spices can affect the well-being of consumers and how pica and lipstick can also influence the health of patrons particularly mothers and their babies.
Marian has been on both national and international platforms where science is discussed for better public understanding. She has been involved with the Ghana Academy of Arts and Science in their high school outreach programmes. In recognition of her contribution to public understanding of science, she was featured in the first ever book on ‘African Women in Science’, a project of the Network of African Science Academies in partnership with the InterAcademy Partnership in November, 2016.
In June 2017, during the 67th Lindau Nobel Laureates meeting in Germany, Marian spoke on the same panel with scientists like Prof. Helga Nowotny (Vice-President of the Council of Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings) and Prof. William E. Moerner (2014 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry). The topic was ‘science in the post-truth era’. The discourse echoed the need for scientists to communicate their findings devoid of jargons so that conspiracy theorists will not distort the facts to discredit science and influence public opinion. Marian is a member of the Global Young Academy, an affiliate of TWAS and AAS and founding member of the Ghana Young Academy. Marian went through a competitive selection process to secure a spot on the Periodic Table of Young Chemists and is proud to represent her country Ghana at the position of element 60 (Neodymium)
