Reseach Team
Chief Investigators
Prof. Wilber Sabiiti
He is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Division of Infection & Global Health, School of Medicine, University of St Andrews.
Prof. Wilber Sabiiti
Prof. Wilber Sabiiti: He is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Division of Infection & Global Health, School of Medicine, University of St Andrews. A molecular microbiologist by training and a champion for global health equity, Prof Sabiiti leads translational research in diagnostic and treatment biomarkers specialising in quantitative molecular diagnostics for bacterial and viral infections, and translation of innovations and evidence into policy and practice. He has built over 10 internationally funded research consortia across continents and spearheaded the discussion with CEPI on establishment of the Africa Controlled Human Infection Model (AfriCHIM) to develop mucosal vaccines against COVID-19. He sits on various faculties of experts including National Institute of Health Research-UK, UKRI-MRC Applied Global Health, Newton Fund, Africa Research Excellency Fund (AREF), South Africa Medical Research Council, Commonwealth Scholarship Commission Academic Advisors Panel, and Co-Chairs the CERCLE Immunology and Diagnostics Expert Working Group, Paris France. He is a seasoned trainer with over 10 years as an instructor on the Wellcome Advanced Genomics and Clinical Microbiology course, and more recently a faculty member of the Wellcome Connecting Science Traine-the-Trainer Course in Pathogen Genomics focusing on preanalytical procedures for specimen and data collection in routine and health emergency periods. Approximately 500 laboratory, clinical and public health professionals have been trained. He currently leads the St Andrews-Africa Health Research network (StAAHR).
Prof Bruce J Kirenga
MBChB, MMed, PhD, FRCP, Is a Chief Research Scientist and founding Director of the Makerere University Lung Institute (MLI).
Prof Bruce J Kirenga
Prof Bruce J Kirenga: MBChB, MMed, PhD, FRCP, Is a Chief Research Scientist and founding Director of the Makerere University Lung Institute (MLI). He is also an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine, at Makerere University. Bruce formally trained in Internal Medicine at Makerere University and completed specialty registrar training in Pulmonary Medicine at Mulago National Referral Hospital, he then proceeded to complete an additional year of clinical and research training in the Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Yale University, USA. Bruce has a Masters in clinical research fellowship of the University of Amsterdam offered at the University of Rwanda, School of Public Health in Rwanda. He recently obtained his PhD in Medicine from the University of Groningen, Netherlands. His main interests are in clinical and epidemiological research in the areas of obstructive lung diseases and their determinants as well as infectious lung illnesses. He has over 10 years’ experience in initiating and coordinating programmatic, training and research health projects. He is actively involved in COVID-19 research and has been on the frontline since the pandemic started and is the brains behind the COVID-19 research group at MLI that has implemented several COVID-19 trials.
Makerere University Lung Institute-Uganda
Dr Winters Muttamba
Dr Winters Muttamba: MBChB, MPH, DPPM is a Public Health Scientist…
Dr Winters Muttamba
Dr Winters Muttamba: MBChB, MPH, DPPM is a Public Health Scientist. His research interests lie in the area of infectious diseases (TB, COVID-19, and Viral Hemorrhagic diseases among others). He has been an Investigator/Coordinator on several research studies including TB diagnostics, TB cost surveys, Quality of TB care assessments, Health Systems Analysis, TB case findings, COVID-19 Therapeutic trials, Ebola Vaccine trials, and clinical trials on natural therapeutics among others.
Mr Mudarshiru Bbuye
Mr Mudarshiru Bbuye: BSc, MPH, DPPM is a Public Health Research Scientist and..
Mr Mudarshiru Bbuye
Mr Mudarshiru Bbuye: BSc, MPH, DPPM is a Public Health Research Scientist and a Research Fellow at the Makerere University Lung Institute. Mudarshiru is Coordinator of the Immunology and Diagnostic Working Group at Cercle and currently a PhD Student at Makerere University-Uganda. He has over eight years’ experience in conceptualizing and implementing research projects and public health programs within resource-limited settings. His 10+ co-authored research publications cover tuberculosis, HIV, COVID-19, Ebola and post-TB Sequelae. Mudarshiru has previously provided Technical Assistance to the Ministry of Health-Uganda in preparedness and response to disease outbreaks, with recent involvement in the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2022 Sudan Ebola Outbreak, Yellow fever outbreaks, malaria epidemics and Mpox pandemic preparedness as the Surveillance and Epidemic Intelligence Systems Officer.
Dr Henry Bosa Kyobe
Dr Henry Bosa Kyobe: Currently the Incident Commander for Epidemics at the Uganda Ministry
Dr Henry Bosa Kyobe
Dr Henry Bosa Kyobe: Currently the Incident Commander for Epidemics at the Uganda Ministry of Health (COVID-19 pandemic, Ebola, Malaria outbreak, Mpox), a director-level position that oversees and coordinates the operational and technical arms of the public health emergency response. For four years before this, he was a Senior Public Health Specialist with the Outbreak and Epidemics pilot programme, a parametric outbreak financing mechanism at African Risk Capacity, a specialized agency of African Union based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Prior to this, he was an applied epidemiology research fellow with at the Department of Arbovirology, Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases of Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe.
Dr Alex Kayongo
Dr Alex Kayongo: MD, MSc: Dr. Alex Kayongo is a research fellow at Makerere Lung Institute with passion
Dr Alex Kayongo
Dr Alex Kayongo: MD, MSc: Dr. Alex Kayongo is a research fellow at Makerere Lung Institute with passion in understanding the genetic and immunologic basis of non-communicable diseases in people living with HIV/AIDs. Currently, his research is focused on investigating` the role of altered lung microbiome in the pathogenesis of HIV-associated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He hopes to identify novel bio-makers of COPD in people living with HIV to inform diagnostic and therapeutic efforts.
Dr Charles Batte
Dr Charles Batte: MBChB, MPH is a Research Scientist and a global award-winning
Dr Charles Batte
Dr Charles Batte: MBChB, MPH is a Research Scientist and a global award-winning social innovator with 15 years of experience managing research and training programs on infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases and data science. Currently, He is a co-investigator / program manager for 2 NIH research training grants at Makerere University; U2RTW012116 – Makerere University Data Science Research Training to Strengthen Evidence-Based Health Innovation, Intervention and Policy (MakDARTA) and D43TW011401 – Training in non-communicable diseases biomedical, clinical, epidemiological and Implementation Science research to strengthen evidence-based interventions, policy and control in Uganda.
Makerere University-Uganda
Prof Pauline Byakyika
Prof Pauline Byakyika–Kibwika, MBChB, MSc CEB, M. Med, PhD, is a Professor of..
Prof Pauline Byakyika
Prof Pauline Byakyika–Kibwika, MBChB, MSc CEB, M. Med, PhD, is a Professor of Internal Medicine and Chair of the Department of Medicine at Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS). She has trained in Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics as well as Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacokinetics. She is a senior Research Scholar, European Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) at the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI). She was Principal Investigator on the HONEST trial (Hydroxychloroquine for Treatment of Non-Severe COVID. She sits on the COVID-19 scientific advisory group of the Ministry of health -Uganda.
Dr Misaki Wayengera
Dr Misaki Wayengera: is a Medical Doctor with Graduate Training in Immunology..
Dr Misaki Wayengera
Dr Misaki Wayengera: is a Medical Doctor with Graduate Training in Immunology, Clinical Microbiology, and Vaccinology. He is a fellow of the Human Genetics and Genomics Programme run by the US National Human Genome Research Institute-NHGRI. He has a PhD in Pathogen OMICS, and EDCTP-Post-Doc Fellowship in Filovirology (NICD-Johannesburg, SA). He is currently in charge of the unit of genetics and genomics-UGG at the Mulago Supra-National Reference Hospital in Kampala. The Pan-Filovirus Rapid Diagnostic Test is premised on the identity of conserved epitopes of filovirus glycoprotein (GP) with potential for intra-genera differentiation. He is currently the Chair Scientific Advisory Committee at the Uganda Ministry of Health
Prof Stella Neema
Prof Stella Neema: Is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and ..
Prof Stella Neema
Stella Neema, PhD: Makerere University Department of Sociology and Anthropology, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Makerere University Main Campus P.O Box 7062 Kampala; +256772457576, stella.neema@mak.ac.ug, sheisim@yahoo.com
Employment: April 2017 to date: Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology and Sociology, School of Social Sciences, Makerere University
PROFILE: I am an anthropologist based at Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Makerere University. I have carried out studies on AMR, NTD (Trypanosomiasis, Bilharzia, onchocerciasis), adolescent sexual and reproductive health, young people in conflict and post conflict situations. Social protection, family planning, Sexual and gender-based violence, maternal health, HIV/AIDS, poverty, gender and health, health sector analysis, behavioral surveillance, and community participatory studies. I have initiated, designed, coordinated behavioral and social researches, and provided technical advice to several research projects. I am a qualitative research specialist and with expertise in NVivo qualitative analysis package. I have carried out several formative, baseline and endline evaluation studies for agencies e.g. UNICEF, UNFPA, USAID, IrishAID among others.
Research Grants: 2023 Roles of Community Drug Distributors (CDDs) Following the Halt of Mass Drug Administration for Onchocerciasis in Uganda. The Cater Center.
2022: Evaluation of the Programme Strengthening Capacity to Deliver an Integrated Package of Rights in Karamoja and Northern Uganda. UNFPA. Country Lead.
2022-23: Adoption of Levo-Praziquantel 150mg for Schistosomiasis by endemic countries: Knowledge, acceptability and perception of schistosomiasis and its treatment in pre-school aged children in Uganda. ADOPT Project.
2019–2022. Evaluation (formative, midline and endline) of UNICEF’s District Health Systems Strengthening DHSSi in Uganda Country Lead.
2018-21 Approach to Unravelling Antibiotic Resistance in East Africa (HATUA). EDCTP £3,000,000 University of St Andrews UK, Makerere University, KEMRI-MRC, Holistic Role Co=PI- Social Scientist
2018-2021 Impact of increased praziquantel frequency on childhood fibrosis in persistent schistosomiasis morbidity hotspots. Sub study-An anthropological study on the perception of Praziquantel treatment and adherence to mass drug administration (MDA) in persistent schistosomiasis morbidity hotspots along lake albert , Hoima district Western Uganda: EDCTP: Role Co-PI- Anthropological component
2018-2023. Towards an arsenic-free oral treatment for human African trypanosomiasis due to Tb rhodesiense as a tool for disease elimination. Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi), Switzerland. Co-PI -Qualitative component
2012-2016: Impact and performance evaluation of the Uganda school Health Project (SHRP). NORC/Panagora. USAID and Ministry of Education and sports. Total Budget: Role: Co-PI
I am committed to be part of the team to work on this assignment. 23_10_2-23
National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR)-Tanzania
Prof. Sayoki Mfinanga
Prof. Sayoki Mfinanga: Prof Sayoki Mfinanga is a global health and clinical..
Prof. Sayoki Mfinanga
Prof. Sayoki Mfinanga: Prof Sayoki Mfinanga is a global health and clinical research expert, mainly in Public Health, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine with over 20 years research experience. He is the Centre Director and Chief Research Scientist for the National Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Muhimbili Centre in Tanzania and Honorary Professor of Global Health at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM). He has led high-impact multi-centre Clinical trials that have identified novel biomedical treatment and prevention strategies that are practical, low-cost and effective, which have been incorporated into national and World Health Organization guidelines and led to changes in clinical practice in Africa, in particularly TB and HIV. He has published 189 scientific articles in international Journals, including the Lancet and New England Journals. He supervises and mentors fellows at NIMR, LSTM, the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences and Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Tanzania.
Dr. Esther Ngadaya
Dr. Esther Ngadaya: MD, PhD: Dr Esther Ngadaya, a widely recognized researcher ..
Dr. Esther Ngadaya
Dr. Esther Ngadaya: MD, PhD: Dr Esther Ngadaya, a widely recognized researcher and two times NIMR-Muhimbili best scientists, has worked with the National Institute for Medical Research, Muhimbili Centre as the Principal research scientist for over 15 years. She is a Medical doctor with Post graduate diploma in Health Economics and PhD in Epidemiology. Esther has just completed a four years post doc program studying Tuberculosis and zoonotic diseases. She has published over 35 papers in peer reviewed journals on various subjects. She has done extensive research studies among disadvantaged communities including pastoralist communities. Dr. Esther has extensively designed, won and implemented over 40 high impactful projects. She is conversant in both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods, as well as data management. In addition, she has conducted over 10 high impactful consultancies as the lead consultant with government of Tanzania, UN agencies, Non-governmental organizations, universities and other research organizations. She has supported programs on developing strategies for translation of research into policies; and currently she is the overall multicounty Principal investigator of a big implementation research grant funded by EDCTP aiming at translating research into policy and practice through scaling-up Evidence-Based Multiple focus Integrated Intensified TB Screening in the East Africa region.
Dr. Nyanda Elias Ntinginya
Dr. Nyanda Elias Ntinginya: is a Principal Research Scientist and Director of Research..
Dr. Nyanda Elias Ntinginya
Dr. Nyanda Elias Ntinginya: is a Principal Research Scientist and Director of Research Coordination and Promotion (DRCP) at NIMR with a background as an MD, holder of a MSc in Tropical and Infectious Diseases with a PhD in Medical Research-International Health. He has more than 12 years of experience in research and managing clinical trials, diagnostic and operational implementation of studies as a Coordinator, investigator, Principal Investigator at institutional and national levels in cross-functional and multicultural and international environments. Nyanda is participating in several national and international medical research networks and technical working groups. His main areas of research interest are on Infectious Diseases particularly TB and has published about 50 publications particularly with TB, HIV and selected infectious diseases. Nyanda is the Co-Investigator for the StAAR at NIMRMbeya Medical Research centre.
Dr. Bariki Mtafya
Dr. Bariki Mtafya: PhD: is a research scientist and head of laboratory sciences at NIMR-Mbeya Medical Research..
Dr. Bariki Mtafya
Dr. Bariki Mtafya: PhD: is a research scientist and head of laboratory sciences at NIMR-Mbeya Medical Research Centre, Tanzania. Bariki has a background in Molecular biology and a PhD in Molecular microbiology. He has more than 10 years of biomedical research experience on infectious disease mainly focused on understanding the mechanisms of infectious diseases and using the knowledge to develop novel methods for diagnosis and assessment of treatment response. In the past 10 years, he worked as a laboratory Investigator for various studies including drug and vaccine trials for TB and HIV, TB diagnostic studies and published over 15 publications on TB/HIV co-infections in peer review journals. Bariki is the Co-Investigator for the StAAHR at NIMR-Mbeya Medical Research Centre.
Uganda Virus Research Institute-Uganda
Dr Andrew Obuku
Dr Andrew Obuku: is Senior Research Scientist and Head of the UVRI BSL3 Laboratory at ..
Dr Andrew Obuku
Dr Andrew Obuku: is Senior Research Scientist and Head of the UVRI BSL3 Laboratory at Uganda Virus Research Institute. He has expertise in virus culture (SARS-COV-2, HIV), and manufacture of virus like particles and leads on biobanking protocols from Ugandan disease outbreaks to generate reagents for diagnostics and therapeutics. He is a key member of the UVRI CEPI laboratory, focusing on immunogenicity assays for Marburg and SUDV and the team evaluating immune responses to Ad26.ZEBOV/MVA-BN-Filo vaccine. He is a consultant for the NAVCOV study evaluating new Adenovectors for delivery of immunogens, recently funded by Innovate UK, to develop Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) vaccines.
Dr Barnabas Bakamutamaho
A Medical doctor, public health researcher, and translational scientist at..
Dr Barnabas Bakamutamaho
A Medical doctor, public health researcher, and translational scientist at Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) with over 20 years of experience in the epidemiology and laboratory diagnosis of severe and emerging infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. He is also the co-scientific director of the UVRI National Influenza Centre, Emerging and Reemerging Infections Program where he oversees and coordinates research and surveillance activities focused on emerging and vaccine-preventable infections including RVFV, Ebola virus disease, influenza, COVID-19, measles, rubella, polio, and viral hepatitis. With a particular focus on severe and emerging infectious diseases research, I co-lead the largest prospective studies to define the clinical molecular epidemiology of severe influenza and COVID-19 in sub-Saharan Africa. He also serves as Uganda’s country PI for the NIH/NIAID-sponsored Centers for Research in Emerging Infectious Diseases East and Central Africa (CREID-ECA) Program in Uganda, an international research consortium across Kenya, DRC, and Tanzania, designed to prepare and respond to epidemics of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases including due to RVF, and Ebola virus disease. He is a co-investigator on 2 clinical trials, SMART (Smallpox vaccine for Mpox Post-Exposure Prophylaxis: A Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial (to start in July 2024) in Democratic Republic of Congo, and CONART (Safety, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary efficacy of selected herbal products for the treatment of acute respiratory viral infections including SARS-COV-2 in Uganda. A Phase 2a, open-label clinical trial protocol, ongoing) in Uganda.
Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute ( KCRI)-Tanzania
Prof Blandina Theophil Mmbaga
Prof Blandina Theophil Mmbaga: MD, MMED, PhD: She is a Director of the Kilimanjaro Clinical Research
Prof Blandina Theophil Mmbaga
Prof Blandina Theophil Mmbaga: MD, MMED, PhD: She is a Director of the Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute (KCRI) and pediatrician at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC), senior lecturer Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College and adjunct Ass. Professor Duke Global Health Institute, USA. Her research experience is maternal and child health, infectious disease research including Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS clinical trials both in pediatric and adults, febrile illnesses, zoonoses diseases and antimicrobial resistance under one health. She is also working on non-communicable diseases such as esophageal cancer and connective tissue disorders-Arthritis. She is participating in several EDCTP2 and European Union funded consortia and research works
Mbarara University of Science and Technology/EPICENTER Paris, France (EPICENTER Mbarara Uganda)
Dr. Juliet Mwanga
Dr Juliet Mwanga: MD, MMED, PhD is the Director of the Epicentre Research Base in
Dr. Juliet Mwanga
Dr Juliet Mwanga: MD, MMED, PhD is the Director of the Epicentre Research Base in Mbarara, Uganda. Associate Professor Paediatrics and Child Health Mbarara University of Science and Technology and an Associate Professor, Paediatrics and Child Health Mbarara University of Science and Technology and Medical and Studies Coordinator, Epicentre Mbarara Research Centre
University College of Dublin-Ireland
Prof Patrick Mallon
Prof Patrick Mallon: Professor Mallon is the Full Professor of Microbial Diseases in
Prof Patrick Mallon
Prof Patrick Mallon: Professor Mallon is the Full Professor of Microbial Diseases in University College Dublin (UCD) and an Infectious Diseases Specialist at St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin. He is the director of the UCD Centre for Experimental Pathogen Host Research (CEPHR), one of the few academic research centres in Europe that integrates host and pathogen research comprising clinical, translational, statistical and biomedical researchers. Prof Mallon has over 20 years’ experience in infectious diseases clinical research and leads a group with extensive experience in collaborative international projects. CEPHR is heavily involved in research projects awarded by national and international funding bodies (including the Wellcome Trust, NIH and EU) into HIV, COVID-19 and more recently into MPOX infection. Prof Mallon is the Chief Investigator of the All Ireland infectious Diseases (AIID) Cohort, a multicentre, prospective, longitudinal, observational cohort that enrolls adult and paediatric subjects attending hospitals services for issues relating to infectious diseases. The AIID Cohort recruits from eleven clinical centres across Ireland with over 4,000 subjects recruited and biobanked to date. In addition, he is the Principal Investigator (PI) of the Infectious Diseases Clinical Trials Network Ireland (ID-CTNI) and co-PI of The National Irish COVID Biobank (NICB), funded by the HRB. He is the National Coordinator on VACCELERATE (HORIZON 2020 SC1), an EU-wide network to accelerate phase 2 & 3 COVID-vaccine trials, where CEPHR is the central immune laboratory for the network and is the Chief Investigator of the VACCELERATE-BOOSTAVAC clinical trial, which places Ireland centrally in designing and supporting vaccine trials in the EU. Prof Mallon is deeply involved in clinical, research and policy activities both at the National and International level. He was a member of the COVID-19 Advisory Group to the Government of Ireland. He has been continually involved in both pre and post-graduate education of medical students and doctors at a variety of University Teaching Hospitals in Ireland, the UK, and Australia. As the Head CEPHR, he has mentored nine clinician and non-clinician scientists through the completion of their PhD studies. He is currently supervising a further five PhD students (two of whom have submitted theses) and have supervised four postdocs, 7 master students, and examined a number of international doctoral theses. In addition, Prof Mallon is a founding director of the Wellcome-HRB Irish Clinical Academic Training Programme (ICAT), the foremost programme in Ireland that has developed integrated clinical and academic training across a range of specialties. He is heavily involved in regional guidelines and policy; he is on the governing board of the European AIDS Clinical Society (EACS), chair of the EACS Guidelines Comorbidities Panel and Lead for Education within EACS. Prof Mallon and his group are members of the AFRIVAC consortium and have led several proposals on behalf of the consortiums towards European funding calls including Wellcome Trust and EDCTP3 programmes.
Institut Pasteur de Bangui (IPB)-Central African Republic
Pr. Yap BOUM II
Pr. Yap BOUM II: Professor Yap Boum II is the Executive Director of the Institut Pasteur
Pr. Yap BOUM II
Pr. Yap BOUM II: Professor Yap Boum II is the Executive Director of the Institut Pasteur of Bangui in the Central Africa Republic. He was the former Representative of Epicentre, The research arm of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and has implemented studies on TB, malaria, HIV, Ebola, and COVID-19. He teaches Public Health and Microbiology at several Universities in Africa. He was the Chief of Operations for the COVID-19 response in Cameroon. He serves on the Board of The Lancet Global Health with a strong interest in equity and the contribution of African scientists to Global Health. He has co-founded Kmerpad, which developed washable sanitary pads to empower women. He has also co-founded iDocta, a digital platform that takes healthcare services to the community. He started Homegrown Solutions for Health (HS4Health) to find innovative solutions to address Africa’s health challenges. The Village digital platform from HS4Health uses AI to connect scientists toward decolonizing Global Health. He is inspired by the vision of a healthy and wealthy Africa that will develop by relying on local resources and equitable partnerships. He holds a degree in Engineering from the School of Industrial Biology, Cergy; a Master’s in microbiology from the University of Paris XI; PhD in Microbiology from the University Paris XI; a Master’s in Public Health and Epidemiology, University of Liverpool; Master in Business Administration specialized in Entrepreneurship and Leadership, University of Cape Town. Professorship in microbiology at Mbarara University of Sciences and Technology in Uganda. He published over 100 articles in The Lancet, including the need for African solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moi University-Kenya
Prof Kirtika Patel
Prof Kirtika Patel
Prof Kirtika Patel: MD, PhD Prof. Patel is one of the two Allergist in the country and
Prof Kirtika Patel
Prof Kirtika Patel: MD, PhD Prof. Patel is one of the two Allergist in the country and recently (2018) achieved a Master’s degree in Allergy and Clinical Immunology from Imperial college London UK. She is a member of Kenya Society of Immunology, British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology and the Allergy Society of Kenya
Dr Rose Ayikukwei
I have worked within different agencies that are both local and international collaborations.
Dr Rose Ayikukwei
In the past 20 years, I have worked within different agencies that are both local and international collaborations. My skills in social behavioral issues affecting communities health and development are drawn from my varied experiences with different communities and agencies that include the Ministry of Health Kenya- National AIDs Control Program (MOH-NASCOP), international and non-governmental agencies that include Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation ( EGPAF), Kenya Medical Research Institute -Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (KEMRI-CDC), United States Agency for International Development-Academic Model for Prevention & Treatment of HIV/AIDs AMPATH Program is a collaborative partnership between Moi University Kenya and several universities in North America led by Indiana University. I also have teaching experience in several universities including Moi University- School of Medicine Department of Social Behavioral Sciences, St. Paul’s University- Department of Development Studies and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology- School of Public Health.
University Teaching, Research & Consulting: I have a doctorate from Indiana University (USA) School of Public Health specializing in Health Behaviors. I am an experienced Behavioral investigator with skills in both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. As a Behavioral Scientist, I conceptualize investigative models and theories that clearly address study objectives with measurable constructs that produces and translational data for program interventions. This strategic approach to research especially qualitative inquiry ensures successful outcomes while providing a platform for elucidating differences and similarities for policy reviews and recommendations. Currently, I am the Behavioral Consultant for USAID-AMPATH ARPA grant on Covid-19 immunization scale up and economic empowerment for those adversely affected by COVID-19 restrictions. I have also received further training in research ethics at post-doctoral level and I have expertise in research ethics, proposal writing, Social epidemiology that include social determinants of health, participatory monitoring and evaluation, community health and development.
Project Planning & Management: Other than my doctorate, I also hold a Post-Graduate Diploma in Health Management and Planning from Birmingham University (UK) and a career advancement Certificate in Monitoring and Evaluation from University of Washington (USA). In my previous work experience, I have held different managerial roles starting with the Ministry of Health where I served as the Health Administrative officer in different government health facilities, starting with Kakamega County Referral Hospital, Kitale County Referral Hospital and finally at Uasin Gishu MOH office. I have also served as a manager at the CDC Clinical Research Center at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Referral Hospital in Kisumu and as a Research Network Administrative Manager for AMPATH Program. As a manager I focus, not only, on the content that is being implemented but also anticipated results including short and long-term effects/impacts of the program in terms of efficiency. I ensure that funds allocated to projects/interventions are efficiently utilized to meet intended goals and are accounted for accordingly. In addition, I m a trainer and I have expertise in developing curriculums and training program personnel to facilitate learning and improve service delivery in institutions and local communities. I also have the technical capacity in designing models for monitoring and evaluation to improve outcomes targeting acceptable positive results that improve engagement and ownership of programmatic activities.
Catholic University of Bukavu-Democratic Republic of Congo
Prof Patrick Katoto
Prof Patrick Katoto: is a Clinician & Lecturer Department of Internal Medicine (Division of..
Prof Patrick Katoto
Prof Patrick Katoto: is a Clinician & Lecturer Department of Internal Medicine (Division of Pulmonology and Infectious Diseases), School of Medicine and Public Health, Catholic University of Bukavu, (DRC) Prof Katoto holds a clinical and academic position in the department of internal medicine since 2009. His research work includes experimental work and clinical-epidemiological studies of respiratory illnesses attributable to environmental pollution (from household air pollution to mining air pollution), with a particular interest in the association of exposure to pollutants with the high triple burden of Tuberculosis, MDR-TB and HIV infection. He is also interested in evidence synthesis (evidence-informed policy and clinical practice guidelines development) and into implementation science, especially for poverty related diseases in low and middle income-countries. Dr Katoto is coinvestigator on the baseline for sepsis in Africa (Liverpool school of tropical medicine) and the Statin-TB (University of Cape Town) and co-founder of The Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, UCB
Duke University – USA
Prof Chris Woods
Prof Chris Woods MD, MPH, FASTMH, FIDSA: Prof. Woods is the Executive Director of..
Prof Chris Woods
Prof Chris Woods MD, MPH, FASTMH, FIDSA: Prof. Woods is the Executive Director of the Hubert-Yeargan Center for Global Health. He is a professor in the Departments of Medicine and Pathology at Duke University; an adjunct professor in Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health; an adjunct professor in the Emerging Infections Program at the Duke-National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School. Clinically, he serves as Chief of Infectious Diseases and clinical microbiology, and hospital epidemiologist for the Durham VA Medical Center. Dr. Woods is board-certified in internal medicine, infectious diseases, and medical microbiology.
Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA)
Prof. Desh Archary
Prof. Desh Archary: is a Senior Scientists. Professor Archary’s core research areas
Prof. Desh Archary
Prof. Desh Archary: is a Senior Scientists. Professor Archary’s core research areas are in understanding the immunology in HIV disease and pathogenesis, mucosal immunology for HIV prevention – and more specifically the role of mucosal HIV-1 specific binding antibodies and biomarkers of risk of HIV-1 acquisition during pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Archary’s expertise and interest in humoral immunology equipped her to pivot to SARS-CoV-2 immunology and virology research with Prof Alex Sigal at the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI). Archary has co-authored two high impact papers in Nature and CID on antibody responses of SARS-CoV-2 in individuals during natural infection,re-infections, and during post-vaccination with either Pfizer BioNTech or the J&J vaccines. Archary has mentored and trained 13 honours, Masters and PhD students. As the recipient of an EDCTP Senior Fellowship grant awarded for capacity development and training of future scientists in southern and sub-Saharan Africa, Archary is currently training a cohort of Masters, PhDs and Post doc students to conduct research from data generation and analyses to writing scientific papers.
Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC)-Rwanda
Prof Claude Mambo Muvunyi
MD, MSc, PhD: Prof. Claude Mambo MUVUNYI is the Director General of Rwanda Biomedical Centre.
Prof Claude Mambo Muvunyi
MD, MSc, PhD: Prof. Claude Mambo MUVUNYI is the Director General of Rwanda Biomedical Centre. He has more than 15 years of technical, managerial, and strategic experience and expertise in the field of clinical and public laboratory medicine with special focus on clinical microbiology, laboratory systems and service strengthening, and global health security. Prof. Claude Mambo MUVUNYI is currently a full professor of clinical Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine. He holds a degree in general medicine from the university of Rwanda, a specialization and a PhD in Clinical Microbiology from the University of Ghent, Belgium. He has also been a senior consultant for World Health Organization (WHO) supporting WHO’s programs for Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) surveillance and diagnostic capacity building for infectious disease in African countries. He has been the Head of National reference Laboratory, and the Director of Microbiology unit as well as , a study physician for AIDS Vaccine clinical and feasibility research at Project San Francisco. In this Project, Prof Claude Muvunyi will provide oversight and strategic. His research interests include understating the resistance mechanics in bacterial infection and evaluation of diagnostic methods (molecular and serological) for infectious diseases as well as operational research on diagnostic implementation and scale up to assess the impact of the new diagnostic for infectious diseases. Prof Claude Muvunyi is PI, RBC and University of Rwanda of several research grants. Most recently, Prof Claude Muvunyi has worked extensively on AMR including: a) NIH funded grant on combating AMR using data; and b) Pfizer grant on Implementing an Intervention Program for AMR Testing and Stewardship to Improve Hospitalized Patients’ Health Outcomes at two teaching and referral hospitals in Rwanda.
University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako (USTTB – Mali)
Associate Professor Bassirou Diarra
Associate Professor Bassirou Diarra: MD, PhD: Associate Professor, and Head of Mycobacteriology
Associate Professor Bassirou Diarra
Associate Professor Bassirou Diarra: MD, PhD: Associate Professor, and Head of Mycobacteriology and Viral Hemorrhagic BSL-3 Laboratory, UCRC, USTTB, Bamako, Mali. He has training, expertise, and leadership skills necessary to carry out the proposed research project. He has a strong background in Molecular and Clinical Microbiology, with specific training and expertise on transmission dynamics and immune response to tuberculosis (TB) infection. He currently practice and work, in Sub-Saharan West Africa with a high rate of endemic TB/HIV. At present, we use sputum smear, Xpert MTB/RIF, and culture in a certified BSL-3 to diagnose TB, and to identify TB strains. In 2020, I was selected by the African Association for Antimicrobial Resistance (AAARAM) as the best Young Francophone in Antimicrobial Resistance Research. In addition to TB, our BSL-3 has been instrumental in diagnosing other highly infectious pathogens such as Ebola and SARS-CoV-2. Both in 2014 during the West Africa Ebola outbreak and since March 2020 during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. As the reference laboratory for SARS-CoV-2 in Mali, we have tested more than 80,000 samples and diagnosed more than 9,000 new RT-PCR SARS-CoV-2 positive cases, including the identification of new variants.
University of Cape Coast-Ghana
Prof Desmond Acheampong
BSc, MSc, PhD: I am Associate Professor of Clinical Microbiology
Prof Desmond Acheampong
BSc, MSc, PhD: I am Associate Professor of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology with special research interest in Clinical Microbiology, Immunotherapy and protein-based drug discovery research. In the last five years, my research has focused on molecular surveillance of resistant markers responsible for Plasmodium species resistance to the available antimalarial agents, and practical steps to slow down the rate of resistance to these agents. The main Collaborator to research has been Wellcome Trust Sanger, UK. Welcome Trust Sanger has been providing technical and financial support to this project. Also, my team and I have done extensive study on the transmissibility of Plasmodium falciparum through haemo-transfusion and its attendant complications. We have developed an algorithm that can be used to screen and select suitable blood donors for safe blood for recipients. Again, with expertise in immunotherapy and gene/protein engineering, I have designed and develop protein drugs, specifically bispecific antibodies for cancer therapy. I have a patent for one of such constructs. Also, with skills and knowledge in immunotherapy, I have special interest in constructing, developing producing vaccine candidates using hybridoma technology.
Centre de Recherches Medicales de Lambarene (CERMEL) – Gabon
Prof Ayola Akim
Prof Ayola Akim ADEGNIKA, MD. PhD. MSC: Prof. ADEGNIKA obtained his medical degree from..
Prof Ayola Akim
Prof Ayola Akim ADEGNIKA, MD. PhD. MSC: Prof. ADEGNIKA obtained his medical degree from the Medical University of Libreville and his PhD in Immuno-Epidemiology at the University of Tübingen, Germany, and a Master in Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. As director of research in CERMEL and Professor at the University of Tübingen, Germany, he leads numerous research projects including clinical trials, immunology, and epidemiological studies of infectious diseases. He is involved in training of students and young scientists and in various national and international research networks and initiatives.
Kenya AIDS Vaccine Initiative- Institute of Clinical Research (KAVI-ICR)-University of Nairobi-Kenya
Prof Omu Anzara
Prof Omu Anzara: MD, PhD: Professor of Virology & Immunology, Department of
Prof Omu Anzara
Prof Omu Anzara: MD, PhD: Professor of Virology & Immunology, Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, Kenya. Former Director, KAVI-Institute of Clinical Research (KAVI-ICR) University of Nairobi. He holds a MBChB (University of Nairobi); a Diploma in Epidemiology (Tufts University) and a PhD (University of Manitoba) in medical microbiology and infectious diseases. He has been PI or co-PI for 11 IAVI-funded HIV vaccine trials in adults and the first pediatric HIV vaccine trial in Kenya. Professor Anzala has a distinguished publishing record in infectious diseases and vaccinology.