Francis Hasford

Francis Hasford is an Associate Professor of Medical Physics and the Deputy Director-General of Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC). He is a globally recognized expert in Medical Physics with a career spanning 18 years in nuclear science, education, and leadership. He served as Director of the Radiological and Medical Sciences Research Institute of GAEC from 2022 – 2025, and the Head of Medical Physics Department of the University of Ghana’s Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences (SNAS) from 2016 – 2022.

Prof. Hasford is a leader in advancing medical physics on the African continent and around the world. As the President of the Federation of African Medical Physics Organizations (FAMPO) and Vice-President of the Ghana Society for Medical Physics (GSMP), he has played a pivotal role in fostering collaboration, capacity building, and advocacy for medical physics in Africa. Globally, he serves as an Executive Committee Member and Chair of the Publications Committee of the International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP), where he is also recognized as a Fellow.

A dedicated academic, Prof. Hasford has supervised and mentored over 50 postgraduate students, co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and delivered talks at numerous international conferences and workshops. He is also an Associate Fellow of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Italy; Holds a Visiting Professor position at the National University of Science and Technology in Zimbabwe; An External Examiner for the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Physics Department), University of Cape Coast (Physics Department), University of Johannesburg (Medical Physics Department) – South Africa, and the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (Medical Physics Department) – South Africa.

Prof. Hasford’s contributions extend beyond research, academia and clinical practice. He served as Project Scientific Consultant for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on projects related to medical physics and has led several high-profile initiatives. His efforts have significantly advanced the fields of nuclear science and technology in Africa, particularly in nurturing a new generation of medical physicists. He is the brain behind the flagship Annual Cancer Awareness and Free Screening Programme of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, a programme that has provided free breast cancer screening to over 2,500 women and ladies in Ghana over a 2-year period.

Prof. Hasford has led many high-profile development projects. These include the Norwegian Partnership Programme for Global Academic Cooperation (NORPART), a project that has trained over 500 students in medical physics, radiation protection and radiography; the International Atomic Energy Agency Triangular Partnerships Project, which trained over 50 medical physicists in Zimbabwe; the Global Medical Physics Education and Training Programme, which is a partnership between institutions in Ghana and the University of Pennsylvania in the USA; and the French Embassy project on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Sustainable Development.

Prof. Hasford is a Board certified clinically qualified medical physicist. He has served on numerous high-profile committees, including the Examination Board of the Allied Health Professions Council in Ghana, and the Executive Committee of the Ghana Young Academy (GhYA). During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, he led a project that locally produced face shield personal protective equipment (PPEs) for health workers and the public.

The achievements of Prof. Hasford have earned him numerous accolades, including the prestigious Recognition Award of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission in 2017; Young Scientist Prize of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) in 2016; Best Presentation Award at the Maiden University of Ghana PhD Conference in 2015; Best Worker Award at Ghana Atomic Energy Commission in 2013. His passion for research, academia, leadership, and professional development continues to drive impactful projects, enhancing medical physics and its applications in healthcare across Africa and globally.