Dr Hibbah Araba Osei-Kwasi

BSc, MSc, PhD, FHEA

Pronouns: She/her
  • Lecturer
  • Special Envoy to Sub-Saharan Africa

Research groups and centres

ORCiD Researcher ID Google Scholar
Hibbah Araba Osei-Kwasi

Please call the press office on 01509 223491 to arrange an interview with Dr Hibbah Araba Osei-Kwasi. Bookings can also be made online at globelynx.com.

Dr Hibbah Osei-Kwasi is a Public Health Nutrition academic. Hibbah has a BSc in Community Nutrition from the University for Development Studies, Ghana. She obtained a master's degree with distinction in Nutrition and Rural Development from Ghent University, Belgium, and a PhD in Public Health Nutrition from the University of Sheffield. Prior to commencing her PhD at the University of Sheffield, Hibbah worked as a Researcher at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Ghana, where she was involved in various nutrition and intervention research.

Following the completion of her PhD, Hibbah took up a position as a Research Associate at the University of Sheffield where she worked on global public health nutrition projects in Ghana and Kenya. This was followed by a lectureship position in Public Health Nutrition at the Clinical Science and Nutrition Department at the University of Chester. Hibbah was then awarded the prestigious AXA post-doctoral research fellowship at the University of Sheffield to explore culinary practices of African immigrant women in Greater Manchester and their readiness to prevent overweight/obesity (2019-2022). She joined Loughborough University as a lecturer in 2022.

Hibbah has an interest in global health and nutrition issues in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). She also has specialist research interests in dietary behaviours and behaviour change interventions for people of African and Caribbean origin (Black Minority ethnic groups). Hibbah’s research cuts across nutrition, psychology, and public health.

Current/past research projects

  • External Examiner MSc Global Health Management, University of Greenwich. 2023-2025.
  • Hibbah is the co-chair of a special interest group: Diet and Health of Ethnic Minority groups, launched by The Nutrition Society, UK, in July 2022.
  • Having has worked with various African and Caribbean groups for the last 10 years, Hibbah continues to work these groups and communities, providing community nutrition support and engaging with them in various research. Hibbah facilitates and hosts a weekly nutrition and lifestyle education programme (Healthy Hearts from 2020 and ongoing) for African and Caribbean communities in the UK in collaboration with the Caribbean and African Health Network. All sessions are streamed live on Facebook and YouTube.
  • International Expert on the Healthier Diets for Healthy Lives (HD4HL) Ghana. 2022.

Invited lectures/keynotes

  • Invited speaker, Institute of Advanced Studies, UCL. "Food practices of Ghanaian immigrants in the UK" at a workshop on Chronicity and Care in Britain’s African Communities in London. 2023.
  • Keynote speaker at the 4th International Symposium on Nutrition (ISN 2022): "Non-communicable diseases and the urban environment: A focus on Ghanaian populations". (Virtual event).
  • Guest speaker on the Cambridge University Press 'Brighter Thinking' Podcast, broadcast on Cam FM radio station and Spotify. Topic: "The difficulties and avenues for delivering educational offerings to minoritised-ethnic communities." (Virtual event). 2023
  • Invited speaker at the She Leads for Legacy Black Women Empowerment Conference in Manchester. Presented on the topic "Health is Wealth". 2023.
  • Invited speaker at the Diabetes Africa UK forum in London. Presented on “Co-produced interventions to address diabetes within among the Black communities in the UK”. 2023.
  • Guest lecturer at the Nutrition Epidemiology Summer School, Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg, Germany. Presented on "Using mixed-methods to study the determinants of diet". 2022.
  • Panellist at the School Meals Coalition Week organised by the World Food Programme. 2022
  • Panel discussant for UN75 Expert Panel on food security as part of the UK’s largest United Nations 75th Anniversary Festival. 2020. 

Learned society affiliations

  • Global Society on Migration, Ethnicity, Race and Health
  • Association for Nutrition - Registered Nutritionist
  • Fellow of Higher Education Academy
  • African Nutrition Society
  • Agriculture Nutrition and Health Academy

Awards

  • 2018 Recognition Award for excellent leadership, team working and exemplary professionalism by the University of Sheffield.
  • 2018 Recognition Award for leadership. Nutrition module. “Feedback from the students was the most positive across the whole course. - University of Sheffield.
  • 2016 Best oral presentation, SIID 7th Annual International PGR Conference, Sheffield.
  • 2016 Best poster presentation, ScHARR PGR conference, University of Sheffield.
  • 2011-2012 University of Ghent Fellowship for Academic Excellence, Belgium.

Visiting Titles

Adjunct Senior Lecturer - Department of Family and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ghana.

Featured publications