Assistant Professor · Nurse Scientist

Henry Ofori Duah

PhD, MPH, BSN, RN  ·  Marquette University College of Nursing

Advancing health equity through rigorous quantitative research — from perinatal opioid outcomes to machine learning in global public health.

60+
Publications
10+
Years Experience
3
Continents
Henry Ofori Duah
About

I am an Assistant Professor at the Marquette University College of Nursing and a nurse scientist with over a decade of experience spanning clinical practice, global health research, and advanced quantitative methods.

My research focuses on perinatal opioid exposure and substance use in vulnerable populations, examining the social and structural determinants that shape health outcomes. I apply machine learning and big data approaches to public health challenges across the United States, Ghana, and sub-Saharan Africa.

Before joining Marquette, I completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Dr. Diane Von Ah's lab at The Ohio State University College of Nursing, and earned my PhD from the University of Cincinnati. My clinical roots as a registered nurse — including years at FOCOS Orthopedic Hospital in Ghana — ground every research question I pursue.

Perinatal Opioid Research

Opioid misuse, prenatal exposure, and neonatal outcomes to inform clinical care and policy.

Machine Learning in Public Health

Predictive algorithms for malnutrition, anaemia, and infectious disease in low-resource settings.

Global Health Equity

HIV, reproductive health, and health system disparities in Ghana and West Africa.

Big Data & Nursing Science

Frameworks to help nurse scientists leverage large administrative datasets.

Selected Publications
2026
The performance of machine learning algorithms in predicting under-five anaemia in Tanzania
Discover Public Health ML
doi.org/10.1186/s12982-026-01423-1 ↗
2025
Predictors of Opioid Misuse and Abuse Among Pregnant Women in the US
Pain Management Nursing Opioid
doi.org/10.1016/j.pmn.2025.11.020 ↗
2025
Factors associated with health decision-making autonomy among Tanzanian women: A 2022-2023 DHS study
PLOS One Global Health
doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0302191 ↗
2024
Predicting and identifying factors associated with undernutrition among children under five in Ghana using machine learning
PLOS ONE ML
doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0296625 ↗
2024
Health outcomes in children with prenatal opioid exposure with and without neonatal abstinence syndrome in the first seven years of life
Journal of Nursing Scholarship Opioid
doi.org/10.1111/jnu.13000 ↗
2024
A guide to understanding big data for the nurse scientist: A discursive paper
Nursing Inquiry Methods
doi.org/10.1111/nin.12648 ↗
2024
Depression and its associated factors among people living with HIV in the Volta region of Ghana
PLOS Mental Health Global Health
doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmen.0000035 ↗
2024
Surgeon experience matters: An exact matched analysis of TLIF outcomes
Spine Spine
doi.org/10.1097/BRS.0000000000004758 ↗
2023
Prevalence and determinants of diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections among children under five in West Africa
International Health Global Health
doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihad046 ↗
2021
Geographical variations and factors associated with recent HIV testing prevalence in Ghana
BMJ Open Global Health
dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-045458 ↗
2021
A predictive model and predictors of under-five child malaria prevalence in Ghana: LASSO, Ridge and Elastic net regression
Preventive Medicine Reports ML
doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2021.101475 ↗

60+ peer-reviewed publications across nursing, public health, and global health

View Google Scholar ↗
Professional Experience
2025 - Present
Assistant Professor
Marquette University College of Nursing, Milwaukee, WI
2024 - 2025
Postdoctoral Scholar
The Ohio State University College of Nursing (Dr. Von Ah's Lab), Columbus, OH
2021 - 2024
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Cincinnati College of Nursing, Cincinnati, OH
2016 - 2021
Senior Clinical Research Coordinator
FOCOS Orthopedic Hospital, Accra, Ghana
Education
PhD, Nursing Research
University of Cincinnati
2021 - 2024 · Cincinnati, OH
MPH, Epidemiology
University of Ghana
2016 - 2017 · Legon-Accra, Ghana
BSN, Nursing
University of Ghana
2008 - 2012 · Legon-Accra, Ghana
Teaching
Courses at Marquette University
  • HEAL 7012
    Epidemiology
  • HEAL 8016
    Advanced Applied Statistics
Mentoring and Supervision
  • Honors Student Mentoring
    The Ohio State University College of Nursing (2024-2025)
  • McNair Scholars Graduate Mentor
    University of Cincinnati (2023-2024)
Grants and Funding
2025
2026 Regular Research Grant (RRG)
Principal Investigator · Marquette University
$2,400
2023
Deets Dissertation Award
Principal Investigator · University of Cincinnati College of Nursing
$650
Honors and Awards
2024
Visiting Future Faculty Program (VITAL Scholar)
University at Buffalo
2024
Outstanding PhD Student Award ($250)
University of Cincinnati College of Nursing
2021-24
Graduate Incentive Award (Tuition)
University of Cincinnati College of Nursing
2021-24
Graduate Assistant Scholarship (Stipend)
University of Cincinnati College of Nursing
2023
Nominee, Kindness Champions
University of Cincinnati Graduate College
Professional Service
Journal Reviewer
  • Pain Management Nursing 2025
  • Heliyon 2024
  • PLOS One 2023
Leadership Roles
  • Emerging Scholars Network Representative, MNRS Foundation Board 2024-2026
  • Liaison, Graduate Nursing Student Academy (AACN), Univ. of Cincinnati 2023-2024
  • Student Representative, PhD Program Committee, Univ. of Cincinnati 2022-2023
  • President, International Future Nurse Leaders Association 2022-2023
Mentoring

I am passionate about supporting the next generation of nurse scientists and health researchers. Whether you are exploring graduate school options or seeking guidance on academic research, I welcome you to reach out.

I offer mentoring in the following areas:

  • Graduate school application guidance (Master's/PhD)
  • Quantitative research methods and statistics
  • Global health and epidemiology research
  • Academic writing and publishing
  • Academic career development
  • General academic mentoring for underrepresented students

I typically respond within two weeks. Due to capacity, I may not be able to accommodate all requests.

Thank you for reaching out! Your mentoring request has been received. I will be in touch within two weeks.
Contact
Institution
Marquette University
College of Nursing
Milwaukee, WI
Professional Email
Personal Email