Millicenta Ampiah is a healthcare and biotechnology scientist with interests, skills, and experience in molecular biology, genetics & genomics, precision medicine, and bioinformatics. She is passionate about solving global healthcare problems through scientific research and innovation. Growing up, her dream had been to become a medical doctor but as fate would have it, life had a different path in store for her.
A product of Holy Child Girl’s Secondary School, Ampiah graduated with a record 7 A’s and a B2 from the General Science program. Hoping to finally study medicine, she applied to all medical schools in Ghana and was rejected twice, dashing her dreams. After almost giving up on her dreams, she decided to accept the offer from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology to study biochemistry.
Millicenta emerged best female biochemistry student in her final year and graduated with a first class, while being the youngest among her year group. Initially feeling dejected because she didn’t get into medical school, she had now discovered that there was a whole world of science apart from medicine. She got 2 scholarships to purse a masters at the University of Oxford, and ironically ended up tutoring medical students in Oxford at some point of her studies.
Ampiah now works as a Senior Assay Development Associate with Exact Sciences in Oxford and considers herself a growing scientist, into genomics and healthcare. Though it wasn’t an easy journey as she really didn’t see herself getting to where she is today, she has started the Black Girl STEM Network to motivate other young girls who are in the same position as her some years ago, and to let them know the possibilities in STEM.
Inspired by her journey into science, she seeks to encourage and help women, especially young black women to follow their scientific passions, pursue careers in science, and excel in them through her empowerment initiative, the Black Girl STEM Network.
