Welcome to our new mini-series on research capacity strengthening, produced in partnership with the Centre for Capacity Research at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. In this first episode, we explore the design of a Research Capacity Strengthening (RCS) component within an implementation research project, and why it is crucial for sustainable, patient-centred healthcare. Our conversation draws insights from those actively embedding RCS into their work, demonstrating how improving research skills and systems drives real impact in global health.

In this episode:

Dr. Justin Pulford - Reader at the Centre for Capacity Research, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

Dr. Justin Pulford is Deputy Head of the Centre for Capacity Research (CCR) at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM). A behavioural scientist by training, he has extensive experience developing, implementing, and evaluating research and health systems strengthening initiatives across sub-Saharan Africa and the South Pacific. Dr Pulford also convenes the ‘TROP 703: Public Health Programmes, Policies and Strategies’ module for LSTM’s MPH programme.

Professor Obiageli Nnodu - Co-lead of the PACTS programme, University of Abuja.

Professor Obiageli Nnodu is Professor of Haematology and Blood Transfusion at the University of Abuja, Nigeria, and Director of its Centre of Excellence for Sickle Cell Disease Research and Training. She leads multiple NIH-funded sickle cell projects and chairs Africa’s largest SCD network. Professor Nnodu also advises the Nigerian government on non-communicable diseases and serves on WHO AFRO committees dedicated to improving sickle cell care.

Professor Alex Osei-Akoto - Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana

Professor Alex Osei-Akoto is Principal Investigator for PACTS in Ghana. A Professor of Child Health at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and Consultant Paediatrician at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, he has focused on sickle cell disease for over two decades. Professor Osei-Akoto led key newborn screening initiatives, advised Ghana’s Ministry of Health on SCD, and co-authored numerous publications. He now spearheads PACTS implementation in Ghana, building on his extensive clinical and research leadership in paediatric haematology.

Dr. Catherine Chunda-Liyoka - University of Zambia

Dr. Catherine Chunda-Liyoka is Head of the Paediatric Haematology Department at Zambia’s University Teaching Hospitals–Children’s Hospital. She provides specialised care in sickle cell disease, haemophilia, aplastic anaemia, HIV, and TB, while leading multiple research initiatives. As an Honorary Lecturer at the University of Zambia and an Honorary Fellow at LSTM, she mentors health workers nationwide. Dr. Chunda-Liyoka also advises the Zambian Ministry of Health on paediatric haematology and infectious diseases, and plays a key role in major SCD networks—including SPARCO and PACTS—to strengthen national guidelines and clinical practices.

Useful links

• Centre for Capacity Research | LSTM
• Patient-centred sickle cell disease management in sub-Saharan Africa (PACTS) | LSTM

Want to hear more podcasts like this?

Follow Connecting Citizens to Science on your usual podcast platform or YouTube to hear more about current research and debates within global health.

The podcast cuts across disciplines, including health systems strengthening, gender and intersectionality, tropical diseases (NTDs, TB, Malaria), maternal and child healthcare (antenatal and postnatal care), mental...