Dr Akaninyene Otu

Profile

Akan is an Associate Professor of Infection & Global Health at University of Leeds and an Honorary Consultant in Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology at Mid Yorkshire Teaching Hospital NHS Trust. His work focuses on infectious diseases, medical microbiology, digital health innovation, antimicrobial resistance, global health security, outbreak preparedness, capacity building, and health systems strengthening. He combines clinical practice, research, and policy engagement to generate evidence, inform policy, strengthen health systems, and improve health outcomes in resource-limited settings

Research interests

Akan’s research sits at the intersection of infectious diseases, medical microbiology, and global health. His work focuses on addressing major global health challenges through research, innovation, and policy engagement, with particular interests in antimicrobial resistance (AMR), global health security, infectious disease surveillance, outbreak preparedness and response, digital health, sepsis, and health systems strengthening.

His research spans both the UK and low- and middle-income countries, generating evidence to inform clinical practice, public health policy, and healthcare delivery. He has led and contributed to internationally funded research programmes supported by organisations including UK Health Security Agency, UK aid Fleming Fund, EU Horizon, the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, and AstraZeneca. His work has informed surveillance systems, strengthened healthcare capacity, and supported the development of interventions to improve health outcomes in resource-limited settings.

Akan is the Founder and Executive Director of Foundation for Healthcare Innovation and Development (FHIND), a global health organisation that promotes research, innovation, capacity building, and health systems strengthening to improve health outcomes in resource-limited settings. Foundation For Healthcare Innovation And Development | fhind.org

Qualifications

• MB.BCh - Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery
• MPH - Masters in Public Health (International)
• MRCP UK - Member of the Royal College of Physicians UK
• DTM&H - Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene UK
• DipHIV - Diploma in HIV Medicine UK

Professional memberships

• FFPH - Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health UK
• FRCPath - Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists UK
• FWACP - Fellow of the West African College of Physicians

Student education

I teach on the Master of Public Health (International), Master of International Health, and BSc International Health (including intercalated medical students) programmes. I coordinate the Communicable Disease Control and Global Threats and Crisis Management modules, delivering teaching that bridges infectious diseases, public health practice, and global health policy.

Research groups and institutes

• Leeds Institute of Health Sciences