Ayine Bernard

PhD student (FT)

AG415
+852 2766 4254
bernard.ayine@connect.polyu.hk

Biography

Chief Supervisor:

Prof. Louise Cummings

Education and Academic Qualifications

Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English Language (2018-2022)
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana
Thesis Title: A Sociopragmatic Analysis of Funeral Poster Captions in the Ashanti Region of Ghana
Supervisor: Mr. Thomas Oduro-Kwarteng

Academic and Professional Experience

Teaching Consultant (2024)
ACE Consult, Asokwa, Kumasi-Ghana
As a teaching consultant, I handled lessons in the following standardised Tests

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)- Analytical Writing and Verbal Reasoning Instructor
Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) – Verbal Reasoning Instructor
Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) – Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Instructor

Teaching Assistant (On National Service, 2022-2023)
Department of English, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana
My duties as a teaching assistant involved helping teach the following courses
First Semester

ENGL 157: Communication Skills I
ENGL 263: Literature-in-English I
ENGL 361: Language and Communication

Second Semester

ENGL 158: Communication Skills II
ENGL 264: Literature-in-English II
ENGL 451: History of the English Language

Radio Presenter (Part-Time 2021- 2022)
YEM Radio, Bolgatanga-Ghana
As a radio presenter, I hosted a daily two-hour morning show programme and drafted Live Presenter Mentions (LPMs). I helped with setting up interviews for discussions and representing the station at numerous functions.

Research Interests

Research

Title of Thesis: The Impact of Direct-to-Consumer Advertisements on Health Perceptions and Behaviours in Ghana

Description of thesis research:

My research focuses on the influence of direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising (DTCPA) on health perceptions and behaviours within the Ghanaian context. This study explores how exposure to pharmaceutical advertisements affects the decision-making processes of consumers, particularly in their interactions with healthcare providers. With the rise of digital and television advertisements for medications, understanding the effects of these messages on public health is critical, especially as the pharmaceutical industry in Ghana continues to expand.

The research employs a mixed-methods approach to collect both qualitative and quantitative data, using interviews with healthcare providers and consumers and content analysis of televised and digital ads. My aim is to uncover the ways in which DTCPA shapes the information-seeking behaviour of consumers, affects prescriber-patient interactions, and potentially influences public health outcomes. By examining these dynamics, the study seeks to contribute to both healthcare communication strategies and regulatory frameworks that ensure ethical advertising practices and promote informed health decisions in Ghana.

Awards

Best Graduating Student for 56^th Congregation, Department of English, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Foklex Media Morning Show Host of the Year Award (2022), Upper East Region, Ghana