PERSONAL INFORMATION

Name:   Baffour Awuah 

MEDICAL QUALIFICATION

  • BSc (Human Biology), KNUST, June 1986
  • MB ChB, KNUST, in July 1989.

POST GRADUATE MEDICAL QUALIFICATION

  • F C RAD ONC (SA), Oct. 1998, South Africa College of Medicine (Radiation Oncology)
  • FGCP (2005) Foundation Fellow Ghana College of Physicians (Faculty of Radiology}
  • FWACS (2012) Fellow by Election, West African College of Surgeons (Faculty of Radiology)
  • Ghana Post Graduate Qualifying Examination in Internal Medicine in 1993
  • USLME Step 1997

MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP QUALIFICATIONS

  • Health Services Administration course in GIMPA in 2001
  • Master of Business Administration (Strategic Management and Consulting) KNUST June 2012

WORK EXPERIENCE

CURRENT POSITIONS

  • Ag Director Technical Coordination Directorate, Ministry of Health
  • Technical Advisor To Minister for Health On High Level Human Resource issues
  • Chief Program officer Medical &Dental at Ministry Of Health
  • Focal Person Non-Communicable Diseases At Ministry of Health
  • Advisory Board Member, Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine
  • Board Member, University of Ghana Medical Center
  • Chairman ,Advisory Board of Perioperative Nursing School
  • Consultant Clinical/Radiation Oncologist, Faculty of Radiology, Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons
  • Visiting Consultant Oncologist, International Maritime Hospital, Tema

PAST Positions

  • Medical Director and Consultant Radiation/ Clinical Oncologist, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital from June 2010 to March 2018: responsible for all clinical activities in the hospital. Provide leadership to all Doctors in the hospital, Medical Laboratory Scientists, Certified Registered Anaesthetics, Physiotherapists, Occupational therapists and Medical Physicists.

Achievements:

  • Strengthening of inter and intra departmental collaboration, Improvement in postgraduate training leading to accreditation of departments of Anesthesia, Psychiatry, Pathology and oral Health for postgraduate training.
  • International Research collaboration with University of Michigan Breast cancer center resulting in the setting up of Ultra Modern Telemedicine centre at the Oncology unit.
  • Establishment of Kumasi population based cancer registry, first population based cancer registry in Ghana.
  • Development of Donation and Equipment policy for KATH

HEAD OF ONCOLOGY DIRECTORATE, Kath: Jan 2004-June 2010

  •  As the first and only radiation oncologist at KATH at that time, I worked tirelessly with my team to establish a functional radiotherapy and Oncology services that served the entire northern sector of the country with the assistance of well-motivated staff. At the inception of the youthful oncology Directorate, it was widely held that the radiation and chemotherapy drugs could cause infertility among you staff members, especially nurses. This assertion initially prevented young nurses from taking up posting to the Directorate. My leadership took interest in teaching and training of nurses on internship and student nurses, as well as looking for sponsorship for the nurses to attend international conferences, and in some cases presenting abstracts by either poster or oral presentation. This strategy worked so well that now more and more nurses are opting for posting to oncology.
  •  My leadership prepared, applied and obtained accreditation for post-graduate training at the Ghana college of Physicians and surgeons in 2008. The Directorate now has eight residents (Two at senior resident level and six at junior resident level).
  •  Oncology practice needs functional Surgical Pathology services. As at 2004, this service was almost non-existing at KATH and my initiative to support the hospital to resuscitate the pathology service led me to collaborate with a colleague professor of pathology from University of North Norway in 2005. This collaboration enjoyed maximum support from hospital management and now we have well trained Senior Specialist doctors in pathology as well as Biomedical scientist in pathology. The Directorate now has accreditation to train pathologist at the Ghana College. There are five residents at the membership level currently.
  • The Directorate under my leadership, managed to develop a very good departmental based cancer registry using CANREG 4 software from IARC. The vision was to transform this registry into Hospital based cancer Registry by 2010 and finally to population based registry in the Kumasi Metropolitan area by 2012. This target was achieved in 2012 with the creation of Kumasi cancer registry, the first ever population based cancer registry in Ghana, and also a member of African cancer registration Network. This registry reported for the first time cancer incidence in the Kumasi metropolitan area, first ever in the country
  •  My clinical work in oncology expanded to cover all referred cancer cases from the Northern sector of Ghana.
  •  Seeing to all the administrative work in the department and supervises all the staff categories in the Unit.

Facilitated the Establishment of Multidisciplinary Cancer clinics in the Hospital,  

  1. Head and Neck clinic in 2005/2006,
  2. Breast clinic in 2006/2007.
  3. Paediatric oncology clinic
  4. Gynaecology oncology clinics started in 2012/2013.

Specialist Radiation Oncologist: 

  • National Radiotherapy Centre, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra Ghana: January 2000 – December 2003.
  • Was a key member that helped to build the then New Radiotherapy department at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
  • Assisted in the establishment of KBTH Breast multidisciplinary clinic held on Tuesday Afternoons. 
  • Member of the team, that developed the curriculum to train Radiotherapy Therapist at Bachelors’ level at University of Ghana, Allied Medical Sciences

Registrar, University of Witwatersrand Medical School, Johannesburg, South Africa: April 1995 – Dec. 1998, where I qualified as a Fellow of South African College of Medicine in October 1998.

  • Resident Post Graduate Medical Officer, Dept. of Internal Medicine, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Kumasi Ghana: May 1993 – Dec. 1994.
  • Medical Officer, Dept. of Surgery (KATH): Nov. 1992 – April 1993
  • Medical Officer In-charge, Agona Asamang SDA District Hospital: July 1992 – Oct.1992
  • Medical Officer, Dept. of Internal Medicine (KATH): Nov. 1991 – June 1992
  • House Officer, Dept. of Child Health (KATH): May 1991 – Oct. 1991
  • House Officer, Dept. of Obstetric & Gynecology (KATH): Oct. 1990 – April 1991

All the above posts have been full time posts.

PROFESSIONAL BODIES/ASSOCIATIONS REGISTERED WITH

  • Ghana Medical & Dental Council (1990)
  • Ghana Medical Association (1990)
  • Fellow South Africa College of Medicine (Radiation Oncology) (Oct 1998)
  • Fellow Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons (2005}
  • Fellow West African college of Surgeons (Radiology) (2012)
  • European Society of Radiation Oncology (ESTRO) - Member
  • International Gynecological Cancer Society – Member
  • American Society of Clinical Oncology – Member
  • American Society of Radiation Oncology- Member
  • Breast Health Global Initiative (BHGI) –Member and Scientific committee member
  • African Organization for Cancer Treatment and Research-Member
  • Member of African cancer Coalition
  • Member ,Rotary Club of Kumasi Nhyiaeso.
  • Past President (2017/2018) Rotary Club of Kumasi Nhyiaeso

TEACHING/TRAINING EXPERIENCE

  • As Resident in the department of Medicine in 1993/1994, I was teaching Undergraduate  Medical Students during ward rounds and bedside
  • As a Registrar in Radiation Oncology at WITS University Medical School, it was a requirement to teach or give tutorials to Undergraduate Medical students sent to the Radiation oncology Department by the university as part of their clinical rotation. This I did  for over two years.
  • From 2000 I have been giving Periodic Lectures and tutorials to Post Graduate candidates preparing for West African   and Ghana College Examinations
  • As Faculty Member of Radiation and Clinical Oncology have been teaching Postgraduate Oncology Residents as well as Examiner
  • The KATH Oncology Directorate secured Partial Accreditation to train Residence in Radiation Oncology in 2008
  • The Directorate has collaborated well with the Ghana Health service to train Nurses in early detection of Cancers.100 nurses have been trained so far since 2005.
  • Organize Tutorials for Nurses doing their Rotation at the oncology Directorate

SUPERVISION OF STUDENTS PROJECT WORK

  • Have in the past ten years assisted in the design and supervision of undergraduate and post graduate students project work, examples from Architectural department of KNUST, School of Economics, Biochemistry department and other students from University of Ghana.

LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL COURSES ATTENDED

  • Introduction to Cancer Epidemiology course organized by IARC in the Gambia in May 1994
  • IARC Summer Cancer Registration and Epidemiology course in Lyon in May 2001
  • Training in Paediatric Oncology in Cairo, Egypt organized by IAEA in April 2000
  • Training Course in Tobacco-related cancers in Dakar, Senegal in November 2003 organized by IAEA
  • Training Course in Brachytherapy in Dar El Salam, Tanzania in August 2003
  • Health Service Administration and Management course at Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration in Oct/Nov 2001.
  • Workshop in Radiotherapy Treatment planning “From 2-D to 3-D conformal Radiotherapy treatment planning” Cape Town from 24 August to 11 Sept 2015

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ATTENDED

  •  Evidence Based Management of Breast Cancer in Sarajevo, 9 -11 April, 2003 organized by European School of Oncology. 
  •  INCTR Meeting in 2003, 2004,2005,2006,2007
  •  Breast Health Global Initiative (BGHI)-Global Summit  in 2005,2007,2010,2012
  •  First International cancer control conference, held in Vancoucuver in October 2005
  •  UICC meeting in 2004,2006,2008,2012
  •  International Gynecological cancer society annual conference in Los Angeles in October 2006
  •  Komen for Cure 10th Mission conference in Washington DC in August 2007
  •  ASCO meeting in 2008, 2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019
  •  National Cancer Institute summer course in Cancer Control and Prevention in Maryland, USA in July 2009
  •  European Society of Medical Oncology annual meeting in Milan 2011
  •  American Society of Radiation Oncology Annual meeting in 2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019
  •  African Cancer Registration Network meeting in 2013,2014,2015.2016,2017

AWARDS

  • International Atomic Energy Agency Fellow (IAEA) Jan 1995 – Dec 1998. To pursue Radiation Oncology course at University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
  •  ICRETT Fellowship in Radiotherapy at Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai, India in Feb/Mar 2002 under the supervision of Dr. Dinshaw, the Director.
  •  I was exposed to modern Radiotherapy Techniques like Conformal therapy, Stereotatic Radiotherapy, Radiosurgery, Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT), Interstitial Brachytherapy techniques, Preventive Oncology etc.
  •  NCI/NIH USA travelling scholarship awards in 2005 and 2006 to attend BHGI and UICC meetings in respectively in Washington D C

ORAL AND POSTER PRESENTATIONS AT INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS

  • Oral presentation on Radiotherapy and Palliation at European School of Oncology in Abu Dhabi, UAE in Dec 2002 organized by The Challenge Group
  • Poster Presentation: Radiotherapy Practice and Breast Cancer – The challenges in third world countries at Global Summit Conference on Breast Cancer in Washington DC, January 12 – 15,2005
  • Oral Presentation on Breast Cancer in Ghana: Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Experience in 5 years, Talk organized by Ministry of Health at Kumasi Polytechnic in 2007
  •  Oral Presentation Training of Rural Health workers in screening, early detection, and prompt referral of Breast cancer patients to cancer centers for management. Presentation done in 2007 at Susan G Komen Foundation Mission Summit in Washington in August 2007
  • Marital status and stage at presentation, of Breast cancer patients at Kath. Poster Presentation at UICC 2006 Annual meeting in Washington D C
  • Oral Presentation on Re-establishing surgical Pathology services through Partnership with University of North Norway, Tromso at BHGI 2007 summit in Budapest
  • Oral Presentation on Traditional Medical Practice and Cancer care: Complimentary or Detrimental at INCTR annual meeting in Sau Paulo, Brazil in 2007
  • Oral Presentation on Improving Cancer care through collaborative Partnership, an Example between KATH, Kumasi and Tromso, Norway, presented at UICC meeting in Montreal, Canada in August 2012

PAST AND CURRENT SERVICE ACTIVITIES ENGAGED IN

Member of National and Technical Advisory Group, in cervical cancer prevention ,using VIA method. From 2001.This group managed the pilot project and its subsequent integration into the Reproductive programme of MOH in 2004/2005

Appointed in 2005 by World Health Organization (WHO) as a Member of Technical group to develop cancer control plan in modules. Our group developed the current WHO cancer control modules in circulation now.

Involved in the planning and establishment of population-based Cancer Registry in the country .The Kumasi Cancer Registry is in its advanced stage at the moment. This started as Department based registry in 2004 and upgraded to Hospital based in 2010 to its current state as Population based registry, in Ghana.

Mobilizing cancer survivors to form support group to help themselves and also educate the general public. Service activity ongoing

Chairman KATH Accommodation committee from 2004 to 2010.Under my chairmanship accommodation policy for the hospital, was developed and approved by the management and Board of the hospital for implementation, the first of its kind in the hospital.

Developed a collaborative partnership with University of North Norway from June 2005, to re-establish the KATH pathology services. As at 2008, two Doctors and two Biomedical Scientist have been fully trained in Tromso, Norway. KATH currently has a functional surgical pathology, cytopathology and Immunocytochemistry services. Plans are far advanced to start frozen section services at KATH under the same collaboration.

Ongoing research between KATH oncology and University of Michigan to develop a breast cancer registry and also looking at the similarities and differences among breast cancer patients of White American, Black American and Native Black origin, This research has established a high incidence of Triple Negative Breast cancer and Stem Cell Marker Alpha Aldehyde Dehydrogenase among our Ghanaian breast population as compared with Black American and White American Breast cancer population in the USA. This research work has transformed to become International Triple Negative Breast Cancer Study.

 KATH Principal investigator, Ghana Breast Health Study, 2013-2017.

 PREVIOUS BOARDS AND COUNCILS SERVED

  • Member Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Board
  • Member National Blood Service Board
  • Member Ghana College of Nursing and Midwives Council
  • PAST COMMITTEES SERVED
  • Past Member National Ambulance and Emergency services committee
  • Member MOH committee on Human resource development and managements
  • Past Member KATH Board Disciplinary committee
  • Past Chairman KATH Board Fellowship committee
  • Past Member KNUST College of Health Sciences Appointment and Promotion Committee
  • Past Member KNUST School of Medicine and Dentistry Ethics Committee

PUBLICATIONS

1,Schwartz T, Stark A, Pang J, Awuah B, Kleer CG, Quayson S, Kingman S, Aitpillah F, Abantanga F, Jiagge E, Oppong JK, Osei-Bonsu E, Martin I, Yan X, Toy K, Adjei E, Wicha M, Newman LA. Expression of aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 as a marker of mammary stem cells in benign and malignant breast lesions of Ghanaian women. Cancer. 2012 Aug 28. doi:10.1002/cncr.27737.[Epubaheadofprint]

2: O'Brien KS, Soliman AS, Annan K, Lartey RN, Awuah B, Merajver SD. Traditional
herbalists and cancer management in Kumasi, Ghana. J Cancer Educ. 2012 Jun; 27(3):573-9. doi:10.1007/s13187-012-0370-z.

3: Pang J, Toy KA, Griffith KA, Awuah B, Quayson S, Newman LA, Kleer CG. Invasive breast carcinomas in Ghana: high frequency of high grade, basal-like histology and high EZH2 expression. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2012 Aug; 135(1):59-66. doi: 10.1007/s10549-012-2055-z.

4: Awuah B, Martin IK, Takyi V, Kleer C, Nsiah-Asare A, Aitpillah F, Newman L. Implementation of a percutaneous core needle biopsy training program: results from the University of Michigan-Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital breast cancer research partnership. Ann Surg Oncol. 2011 Apr;18(4):957-60. doi: 10.1245/s10434-010-1422-4. Epub 2010 Nov 23.

5: Stark A, Kleer CG, Martin I, Awuah B, Nsiah-Asare A, Takyi V, Braman M, Quayson SE, Zarbo R, Wicha M, Newman L. African ancestry and higher prevalence of triple-negative breast cancer: findings from an international study. Cancer. 2010 Nov 1; 116(21):4926-32. doi: 10.1002/cncr.25276.

6: Martin IK, Awuah B, Newman LA. Guide for investigators conducting international cancer research involving developing nations. Cancer. 2010 Mar 15; 116(6):1396-9. doi: 10.1002/cncr.24860.

7: Stalsberg H, Awuah B, Ibarra JA, Nsiah-Asare A. Re-establishing a surgical pathology service in Kumasi, Ghana: case report and discussion of barriers and key elements of a successful collaboration between low- and high-resource countries. Cancer. 2008 Oct 15; 113(8 Suppl):2338-46. doi: 10.1002/cncr.23830.

8.Opare-Sem O, Bedu-Addo G, Karikari P, Boateng P, Sarkodie F, Rahman R, Asenso Mensah K, Awuah B, Osei-Akoto A, Owusu Ofori S. Fourteen years of Experience of a Tertiary hospital Transfusion committee in West Africa. Transfusion 2014 Nov 20; 54(11); 2852-62. May 20

  1. Banahene Owusu J, Darko Ofori E , Awuah B .Low dose rate Caesium- 137 implant time of intracavitory brachytherapy source of selected oncology center in Ghana. Clinical cancer investigation journal.vol 4, issue 2, March-April 2015.
  1. Owusu- Banahene J ,Amoako G , Owusu I , Baffour Awuah, Darko E O. Assessment of some selected conventional Diagnostic X-ray at Cape Coast in the Central Region of Ghana. Austin J. Radiol- volume 2 Issue 7-2015
  1. Global surgical oncology disease burden: addressing disparities via global surgery initiatives: the University of Michigan International Breast Cancer Registry. Ann.Surg.Oncol 2015 Mar 13;22(3):734-40.Epub 2015 Jan 13. Evelyn Jiagge, Jessica. M. Bensenhaver, Joseph. K. Oppong, Baffour Awuah, Lisa. A. Newman. 

12.Characterizing Breast Cancer in a Population with Increased Prevalence of Tripple-Negative Breast Cancer: Androgen Receptor and ALDH1 Expresion in Ghanaian Women. Ann Surg Oncol 2015 Mar 6.Epub 2015 Mar 6. Erica Proctor, Kelley. M. Kidwell, Evelyn Jiagge, Jessica Bensenhaver, Baffour Awuah, Kofi Gyan, Kathy Toy, Joseph Kweku Oppong, Ishmael Kyei, Francis Atipillah, Ernest Osei-Bonsu, Ernest Adjei, Michael Ohene-Yeboah, Robert Newman Brewer, Linda Ahenkorah Fondjo, Osei Owusu-Afriyie, Max Wicha, Sofia Merajver, Celina Kleer, Lisa Newman.

  1. Cancer incidence in Ghana, 2012: eveidence from a population-based cancer registry. BMC Cancer 2014 23; 14:362.Epub 2014 May 23. Dennis. O.Laryea, Baffour Awuah, Yaw Amoako, E.Osei-Bonsu, Joslin Dogbe, Rita Larsen-Reindorf, Daniel Ansong, Kwasi Yeboah-Awudzi, Joseph.K.Oppong, Thomas.O.Konney, Kwame.O.Boadu, Samuel.B.Nguah, Nicholas.A.Titiloye, Nicholas.O.Frimping, Fred.K.Awittor,Iman Martin.
  1. Breast cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa: opportunities for prevention. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2014 April 7:144(3):467-78.Epub 2014 Mar 7. Louise.A.Brinton,Jonine.D.Figueroa, Baffour Awuah, Joel Yarney ,  Seth Wiafe, Shannon.N.Wood, Daniel Ansong, Kofi Nyarko, Beatrice Wiafe-Addai, Joe Nat Clegg-Lamptey.
  1. Hormone receptors and Her2 Expressions in breast cancer in sub-Saharan Africa. A comparative study of biospsies from Ghana and Norway. Breast J 2014 May-Jun;20(3):308-11.Epub 2014 Apr 8. Ernest.K.Adjei, Osei Owusu-Afriyie, Baffour Awuah, Helge Stalsberg.
  1. Characterizing breast cancer treatment pathways in Kumasi, Ghana from onset of symptoms to final outcome: outlook towards  cancer control. Breast Dis 2014 Jan;34(4);139-49 Samuel Scherber, Amr.S.Soliman, Baffour Awuah, Ernest osei-Bonsu, Ernest Adjei, Frank Abantanga, Sofia.D.Merajver,.
  1. Establishing Effeactive registration systems in resource-limited settings: câncer registration in Kumasi,Ghana. J Registry Manag 2013;40(2):70-7 Kieran.S.O’Brien, Amr.S.Soliman, Baffour Awuah, Evelyn Jiggae, Ernest Osei-Bonsu, Solomon Quayson, Ernest Adjei, Silpa.S.Thaivalappil, Frank Abantanga, Sofia.D.Merajver.
Characterizing
  1. Factors related to incomplete treatment of breast câncer in Kumasi. Ghana. Breast 2014 Dec 1; 23(6):821 -8. Epub 2014 Oct 1 Mark Obrist. Ernest Osei-Bonsu, Baffour Awuah, Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway, Safia D Merajver, kendra Schmid, Amr S. Soliman
  1. Radiotherapy for breast cancer in countries with limited resources: program implementation and evidence-based recommendations. Breast J 2006 Jan-Feb;12 suppl 1:s96-102 Nuran Senel Bese, krystyna Kiel, Brahim El-Khali-El-Gueddari, Oladapo Babatunde Campbell, Baffour Awuah, Bhadrasain Vikram.
  1. Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks in 188 countries, 1990-2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. Lancet 2015 Sep.10.Epub 2015 Sep.10.
  1. Global, Regional, and National Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for 306 Diseases and Injuries and Healthy Life Expectancy (HALE) for 188 Countries, 1990-2013: Quantifying the Epidemiological Transition. Lancet 2015 Aug.27.Epub 2015 Aug.27.

Co-Authored Abstracts  for oral and pôster Presentation at International Conferences

  1. Awuah B, Opoku PA[2012] Improving surgical pathology services in câncer care through partnership: The partnership example between University of North Norway, Tromso and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi. Ghana(2012 UICC congresso, Montreal,Canada.)
  1. Opoku PA, Awuah B, Nyarko K.[2007} Cancer Registration in Low-Resourced setting: Practice and recommendation. 2010 African jornal of Haematology and Oncology
  1. 3.Agyapong M, Awuah B, Opoku PA, Opare M.[2009] Effects of Palliative Care on Terminally-ill soft tissue sarcoma patient(AORTC conference, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 2009)
  1. Ayapong M, Awuah B, Opoku PA,( 2007) Home- Based Palliative care: Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Experience(2008 UICC World câncer Congress , Geneva, Switzerland)
  1. Gyasi-Sarpong k, Awuah B, Opoku PA. [2009] Descriptive Analysis of Urological cancers, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi. Ghana.(World Urology Congress, Shanghai, China 2009)
  1. Gyasi-Sarpong k, Opoku PA, Awuah B, Asiamah EA, Aboah K, Quayson SE.[2009] Histological distribution of bladder cancers, 2000-2008, KATH, Kumasi. Ghana( 2009 World Uro-Oncology congresso, Shanghai, China)
  1. Gyasi-Sarpong K, Awuah B, Aboah K, Boateng K, Opoku PA, Adu-Gyamfi M.[2008] Correlation of Pre-operative Prostate specific Antigen with Gleason grading in Prostate câncer diagnosis( 2008 societe Internationale d’Urology World Uro-Oncology Publication, Santiago, Chile)
  1. Adjoe-Gollo k, Awuah B, Opoku PA, Danso KA, Yeboah M.[2007] Comparing VIA and PAP smear Result in Cervical câncer screening, ( 2007 AORTC meeting in Cape Town, South Africa)
  1. 9. Awuah B, Opoku PA[2006] Marital status and Stage at Presentation of Breast câncer at KATH, Kumasi. Ghana. ( 2006 UICC World Cancer Congress in Washington D C, USA)
  1. Awuah B, Opoku PA [2005] Stage at Presentation of Breast Cancera at KATH, Kumasi Ghana.[2005] Jan 2005 BHGI summit in Bethesda, Maryland, USA