Prof. (Mrs.) Rita Akosua Dickson: Trailblazing Scientist and First Female Vice-Chancellor of KNUST
Professor Mrs. Rita Akosua Dickson (PhD, MPharm, GCAP, BPharm, FPSGH, FGCPh, MCPA), an accomplished pharmacist, phytochemist, and academic leader, is a proud alumna of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). In 2020, she made history by becoming the first female Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, after serving as the 21st Pro Vice-Chancellor since October 2018.
Early Life and Education
Prof. Dickson began her basic education at Akantome Primary School in Bolgatanga and Royal International School in Kumasi. She later attended St. Monica’s Secondary School, Mampong-Ashanti, for her GCE Ordinary Level examinations and Wesley Girls’ High School, Cape Coast, for her Advanced Level studies.
Her academic journey at KNUST began with a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree, after which she completed her national service and a teaching assistantship in the Department of Pharmacognosy, alongside her mandatory internship at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH). She pursued her Master of Pharmacy in Pharmacognosy (1999) and was appointed lecturer in 2000.
In 2003, she received a Commonwealth Scholarship to pursue a PhD in Pharmacognosy at King’s College London, UK. During her studies, she also completed a Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice (GCAP). She returned to KNUST in 2007, advancing to Senior Lecturer in 2009 and Associate Professor in 2014. In 2011, she undertook a Commonwealth Academic Fellowship at the University of London, further strengthening her research expertise in bioactive natural products.
Academic and Research Career
Prof. Dickson is an internationally recognized phytochemist, whose research focuses on bioactive natural products for the treatment of communicable and non-communicable diseases. Her work spans anti-infective, wound-healing, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial agents, with a strong emphasis on ethnopharmacology and herbal medicine quality assurance.
Her research output includes the isolation and structure elucidation of novel compounds such as cassane furanoditerpenoids, coumarins, alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, and triterpenoids, which hold potential as drug discovery leads. She has published over 80 peer-reviewed papers, co-authored five books/book chapters, and presented at numerous international conferences.
Her research impact is evident with over 24,000 article reads and 700+ citations on academic platforms such as Scopus, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate. She also serves as Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Ethnomedicine and Pharmacognosy (IJEP) and as a reviewer for several international journals.
Leadership and Service
Prof. Dickson has held several key leadership positions at KNUST, including Head of Department of Pharmacognosy (2010–2013), Vice Dean, and later Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (2016–2018)—the first woman to do so. As Dean, she mobilized resources to strengthen the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) programme, enhancing teaching, research, and infrastructure.
Beyond KNUST, she has served on national and international committees, including the Ghana Pharmacy Council, Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, the Ghana National Medicines Policy Programme, and the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP)-UNESCO UNITWIN Centre for Excellence in Africa (CfEA). She also led as National Coordinator of the West African Network of Natural Products Research Scientists (WANNPRES) and President of the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG).
Personal Life and Interests
Passionate about mentorship and women in STEM, Prof. Dickson advocates for empowering girls and youth to embrace science and leadership. Outside academia, she enjoys cooking, exercising, and family time. A committed Christian, she serves as a Deaconess and Marriage Counsellor at Grace Baptist Church, Amakom, Kumasi.
She is married to Nana Sarkodie Dickson, a Chartered Accountant, and together they have four daughters: Akosua, Abena, Akua, and Afua.
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