UGMC Director, Medical & Scientific Research Centre (MSRC)

Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Basic and Clinical Physiology, Respiratory and Cardiovascular Medicine, Respiratory and Cardiovascular Function Assessment, Translational Research, and Bioethics.

Professor Charles Hayfron-Benjamin earned his Medical Degree from the University of Ghana Medical School. He completed Residency training in Anesthesiology/Critical Care through the West African College of Surgeons and the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, followed by fellowship training in Anesthesiology from the West African College of Surgeons. He completed his PhD in Medicine at the Amsterdam University Medical Centre of the University of Amsterdam and postdoctoral fellowship training in Medicine at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, United States. He also holds several other academic qualifications, including Master’s Degrees in Physiology, Respiratory Medicine, and Bioethics from the University of Ghana Medical School, the University of South Wales, and New York University, respectively.

Following the completion of medical school, Professor Hayfron-Benjamin undertook his internship at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, and subsequently served as a Medical Officer in the Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care. Following his residency and fellowship training, he served as a Specialist and Senior Specialist Anesthesiologist and Intensive Care Physician at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, and as a Consultant Anesthesiologist and Intensive Care Physician at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC).

He is a nationally respected educator in medicine and physiology who has contributed to the training of more than 3,000 medical students across multiple medical schools in Ghana. He plays a leadership role in the development and delivery of the Clinical PhD program at the University of Ghana Medical School, providing a structured pathway for medical doctors to undertake doctoral training alongside their clinical careers. Furthermore, he delivers the annual basic science course in surgical physiology for first-year residents across all surgical disciplines at the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, and contributes to residency training in anesthesiology at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and UGMC.

Charles has extensive expertise in respiratory and vascular function testing, leading specialized clinical laboratories at the University of Ghana Medical School focused on these assessments.

He has successfully established and managed multiple research laboratories, groups, and programs across several universities and academic medical centers. He has led or contributed to large-scale, international multidisciplinary research projects, including the INTERCEPT Project with Stanford University, the Sickle Cell Obstetric Project with Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and the Diabetes

Heart and Lung Study hosted by his laboratory at the University of Ghana Medical School. He has mentored numerous medical students, Master's students, and PhD candidates across diverse fields of medicine and physiology, supporting their transition to independent scientists.

Professor Hayfron-Benjamin has a proven track record of enhancing institutional research capacity. His achievements include leading the establishment of the Basic Science Laboratory, creating a diabetes complication screening laboratory, and expanding respiratory and vascular function testing services at the University of Ghana Medical School. He has held multiple academic leadership positions, including Chair/Head of the Department of Physiology at the University of Ghana Medical School, Head of Research (Anesthesia and Intensive Care) at the University of Ghana Medical Centre, and Head of the Department of Anesthesia at Family Health Medical School.

As Director of Medical and Scientific Research at the University of Ghana Medical Centre, Professor Hayfron-Benjamin provides strategic leadership for hospital-wide research activities. His role focuses on strengthening research capacity, fostering global collaborations, and making medical and scientific research an integral component of the Centre’s clinical and academic mission.

His current research focuses on establishing normative physiological measures in West Africans, developing intensive care predictive scoring systems, and identifying novel risk factors for respiratory and cardiovascular dysfunction in diabetes and sickle cell disease. His long-term research goal is to develop clinical interventions that can prevent, reverse, or mitigate established respiratory and cardiovascular dysfunction in patient groups including individuals with diabetes or sickle cell disease. His research has been funded by multiple prestigious organizations, including the University of Ghana and the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Clinical & Technical
Measurement and interpretation of pulmonary function tests; invasive and non-invasive mechanical ventilation; cardiovascular and hemodynamic assessment and monitoring; autonomic function testing; assessment of microvascular function.

Academic
Establishing research infrastructure and multidisciplinary teams; scientific and grant writing; bioethics consultation.

Professor Hayfron-Benjamin is fluent in Fante, Twi, Ga, and English.