UNAS Fellows

Dr. Mugabi conducted groundbreaking research on woody species and their products and published ten articles in journals as first author and nine as co-author; one book chapter; and one patent. His research on wooden utility poles guided the determination of the moisture content of utility poles before applying preservative treatment at the Theoretical Ground Line rather than the mid-point. Furthermore, he developed a novel, non-destructive method of measuring internal defects in poles after seasoning, patented and adopted by the wood industry in South Africa and Uganda. The procedure has also been incorporated into the national guidelines and standards on pole processing in Uganda and South Africa. This innovative research significantly reduced the premature failure of wooden utility poles in service, restored confidence in the poles, and limited the use of alternative products, such as expensive concrete poles on the grid in Uganda. His studies on lesser-used species and the eucalypt clones guided utilization and widened Uganda’s timber resource base, reducing pressure on the few well-known species. Dr Mugabi’s scientific research has also introduced wood and agricultural residues as alternative clean energy sources in Uganda through biomass gasification and densification technologies. Dr. Mugabi is the current chairperson for the EASC/TC 022, a technical committee for the East African Community for developing Standards for wood, timber, and their products in the region. He has supervised and examined several MSc and PhD theses for Makerere University, Stellenbosch University, and Sokoine University. He has reviewed research grant proposals and several journal manuscripts.

Dr.  Peter Ebanyat is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Production at Makerere University and holds a PhD in Production Ecology and Resource Conservation from Wageningen University, The Netherlands, an MSc (Soil Science) and a BSc (Agriculture) both from Makerere University. He is a systems agronomist with research experience spanning over 20 years on improving productivity and resource use efficiencies in small-holder farming systems. He has been the Principal Investigator and co-investigator of several interdisciplinary collaborative research projects, some of whose findings have informed the development of frameworks for tailoring production options and scaling of best-fit possibilities for improving the productivity of small-holder systems. Peter has supervised over 20 graduate students and numerous undergraduate students. He has published over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and five book chapters and is a reviewer for many scientific journals. His interests are understanding the interactive effects of agricultural intensification and climate change and the impacts of reactive nitrogen on the environment.

Dr. Odong holds a PhD in Statistical Genetics from Wageningen University and is currently a Senior Lecturer at Makerere University. His specialization areas are Biometry, Research Methods, Genetics, and Bioinformatics.  Dr Odong has made a tremendous contribution to science and society. He is active in knowledge generation and sharing with over 100 scientific publications with a total citation of 967, h-index of 16, and i10-index of 24. One of his papers won “The 2014 Outstanding Paper in Plant Genetic Resources award from the American Crop Science Society”. He has mentored and supervised many young scientists, including 10 MSc, 5 PhDs, and 3 Post-Doctoral fellows. On top of teaching, Dr. Odong provides technical backstopping in research design, data management, and analysis to Research Scientists and Academics in NARO, IITA, and RUFORUM member universities. He has supported strengthening applied statistics and biometry capacity in sub-Saharan Africa; he has been a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Ghana, the University of KwaZulu Natal, the University of Namibia, and the University of Zimbabwe. He has facilitated over 30 trainings in research design, data management, and analysis and has so far trained over 1000 scientists from universities and research institutions across Africa.  Dr Odong has developed a statistical technique for defining core collection in gene banks and was a part of the team that developed Uganda’s sorghum germplasm core collection.

Dr. Yazidhi has 25 years of professional experience, leadership, and training in Africa and Europe. His field of professional expertise and specialty primarily lie in Geomorphology and Geoinformation Science, with a teaching bias in Natural Hazards, Disaster Science, Geographical Information Systems, and Remote Sensing. His research is primarily concentrated on drivers of geohazard processes and patterns. He applied deep knowledge in geography and spatial data analytics to solve complex problems in global environmental change (land use change/land cover and transitions, climate change), mainly focusing on fragile landscapes. His core research focuses on two lines of scientific inquiry: (1) establishing contextual relationships between human and natural processes to understand better risk contexts and dimensions in fragile landscapes and (2) advancing geospatial analytics. He authored over 60 scientific publications, including 50 journal articles. I have over 50 publications in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters. My citation indices as of October 2023 stand at Citations 796, H-Index = 15, i10 index = 23. Currently a member of the Editorial Board of four international journals and one local journal and has successfully supervised five PhD and 30 Masters students to completion. A Makerere University Senate member representing the School of Forestry, Environment and Geographical Sciences (SFEGS).

Professor Nelson Turyahabwe works in the Department of Extension and Innovation Studies, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University. He has an illustrious career in university teaching, research, supervision, and mentorship of young academics in forestry, environment, and agricultural sciences. He has contributed exceptionally to developing and promoting science in Uganda through research and consultancies, culminating in over 30 high-quality scientific publications and book chapters over the last 20 years. His significant contributions are notable in Extension, Rural Development, Sustainable Forest and Allied Resources Management, Environmental, Policy and Institutional Governance, Project Monitoring and Evaluation, Forest Certification and Auditing. He has used his expertise to leverage and promote science through collaborative projects between Makerere University and other partners, such as Michigan State University Borlaug Higher Education for Agriculture Research and Development Programme, IDRC, and SIDA. He has also served as a Chairperson of the board of the Conservation and Agroforestry Development Ltd, a body whose role was building the capacity of communities towards restoration and maintenance of degraded landscapes and empowering and strengthening Agroforestry value chain actors for better market livelihoods in Uganda.  Turyahabwe is also a Forest Certification Auditor with the Soil Association of the UK.

Associate Professor in the Department of Forest Biology & Ecosystems Management, Faculty of Forestry and Nature Conservation, Makerere University

Professor Jacob Godfrey Agea was born on 21st September 1976 & raised in a rural countryside in Northern Uganda. He holds a First Class Bachelor of Science Degree in Forestry (MAK), a Master of Science Degree (Forestry) (MAK), and a PhD in Agriculture (Applied Ethnobotany & Food Security) of Bangor University (formerly University of Wales), UK. Prof. Agea has particular research interest in applied ethnobotany and food security (with emphasis on medicinal & under-utilized wild and semi-wild food plants), ethnozoology (with emphasis on edible wild animals including insects), agroforestry, agricultural extension, rural development, policy changes & institutional reforms that impacts on livelihood of the rural poor.

Prof. Dr. Katima: a chemical engineer by training is a retired Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Dar es Salaam. He is the Vice Chancellor of the Kampala International University in Tanzania. His PhD research focussed on Reaction Kinetics of NO2 into NaOH. Over the years his research, training and consultancy interests have focused on Climate Change, Renewable Energy, Environmental Management, Impact Assessment, Wastewater Treatment using Constructed Wetlands, Monitoring and Evaluation and Life Cycle Assessment. Prof. Katima is a registered expert with the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF); a Registered UNFCC Expert – on Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Methodologies; He has served as a Bureau Member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – Task Force Bureau for the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventories. He has served as a Member of the IPCC’s Editorial Board of the Emission Factors. Prof. Katima has championed research in the use of wetland systems for wastewater treatment in Tanzania, under which some novel designs of wetlands have been developed, among them integrated wastewater treatment systems with mitigation of GHG emissions through energy generation. Prof Katima served as Principal Investigator for a Multinational Project on Policy Innovation Systems for Clean Energy Security Project (PISCES), which developed a gasifier stove, modified plant oil for use in low-speed engines, and developed third-generation conversion of cellulose to produce bioethanol. He was also a PI for the Multinational Project on Peri-Urban Mangrove Forest as filter and Potential Phytoremediator of Domestic sewage in East Africa (PUMPSEA). He has successfully undertaken more than 120 Consultancy projects for local and international organizations and companies and has published more than 100 papers in local and international peer-reviewed journals. He is a Member of the Editorial Board of the Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology, a Member of the Editorial Board of the African Journal of Engineering and a Member of the Advisory Editorial Board of the “Sustainable Wastewater Treatment Technologies” CRC Press (A.A. Balkema /Francis & Taylor Group).

Dr. Ivan Muzira Mukisa is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Food Technology and Nutrition (FTN). He has been a faculty member since 2004. Dr. Mukisa teaches several undergraduate and graduate courses and is heavily involved in research. His primary research interest areas are Microbiology of food fermentations, especially traditional fermented foods and Improving the processing, safety and stability of local foods and beverages. His other research interests include Functional foods and probiotics. Dr. Mukisa received his Ph.D. in Microbiology from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norway in 2012. Prior to pursuing his doctorate, he earned a M.Sc. in Food Technology from Katholieke University Leuven and Gent University, Belgium, in 2007, and a B.Sc. in Food Science and Technology from Makerere University in 2002.

Prof. Elly N Sabiiti is a Professor of Crop Sciences and the current Committee Chairperson of Appointments and Staff Welfare (CoASW) of Bishop Stuart University.

Dr. Jeninah Karungi is an Associate Professor in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at Makerere University (Uganda). She has a BSc. in Agriculture (1997), MSc. Crop Science (1999) and a Ph.D. in Agriculture (Crop Entomology, 2007). She is an alumna of Makerere University, Imperial College of London (former Wye College), and Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). Her research experience spans 21 years, mainly on pest management in agroecosystems. She has experience as a Principal Investigator/Coordinator and research team member to 7 and 14 international research projects, respectively. This has been through cooperation with development partners, including Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) and Austrian Development Cooperation (APPEAR); Volkswagen Foundation, EU (LEAP-Agri), Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV) and Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) of Germany and United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Her research outputs include 55 refereed scientific journal articles, R6 refereed Conference Proceedings articles and 2 book chapters. As an educator, the tally of graduate students under her supervision that have successfully completed is 27 all of which are pursuing vibrant science careers; 10 more are in the process at different levels in their studies. She is an Editor/reviewer of research articles/theses at local, regional and international levels. She is a recipient of the prestigious International Integrated Pest Management Excellence award (2009); Young Affiliate Fellow, Academy of Sciences of the Developing World (TWAS, 2010), and Fellow, Uganda National Academy of Sciences (2014)

Professor of Animal Science Makerere University

Dr. David Okello Kalule currently works at the Uganda National Groundnuts Improvement, National Semi-Arid Resources Research Institute in Uganda. His current research includes breeding for high oleic, leafminer resistance, confectionery, aflatoxin tolerance, and early to medium maturing varieties in high yielding groundnut rosette disease resistant consumer and industry preferred backgrounds. We have initiated Marker Assisted Selection and fully adopted BMS for Digitalization of data capture, management, analyses and storage. A recently developed regeneration protocol will aid in introgressing additional traits. Gender mainstreaming and yield gains concepts are integral in our research agenda. Genomic selections, GWAS, high throughput phenotyping, wild and synthetics breeding initiated

Professor Frans Swanepoel’s current work focuses on Future Africa at the Centre for Advancement of Scholarship at the University of Pretoria (UP), South Africa. He is former Deputy ViceChancellor Research and Innovation and Professor at the Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), South Africa. He also served as Dean at UFH and was Director of the African Doctoral Academy at SU and Director of the Post-graduate School for Agriculture and Rural Development at UP. He obtained all his degrees [BSc, BSc Agric (Hons), and MSc Agric] with distinction. He researched at Texas A&M University, USA and the University of the Free State, SA, for his Ph.D. and completed postdoctoral research in Australia. His research interest advanced to smallholder agricultural production systems, agricultural education and training (AET) and agricultural research and innovation leadership in Africa. Prof Swanepoel currently chairs a consensus panel appointed by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) on revitalizing Agricultural Education, Training and Research in SA. He serves in various capacities, including as a Board Member and previously as Vice-Chairperson and Acting Chairperson on the Board of the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) in SA – ministerial appointment. He serves as a board member of the Gates-funded African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) initiative based in Kenya and the Continental Science Granting Councils Initiative funded by DfID and IDRC. He is also a member of South Africa’s National Member Organisation to IIASA.

Dr. Gorretti Nsubuga Nabanoga (Member) is currently a Professor and Principal of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Makerere University. She holds a Ph.D. in Gender and Natural Resources Management from WageningenAgricultural University in the Netherlands, a Master of Science in Management of Natural Resources and Sustainable Agriculture from the Center for International Environment and Development Studies from the Agricultural University of Norway, and a Bachelor of Science in Forestry of Makerere University. She has previously served as Dean of the School of Forestry and Nature Conservation at Makerere University. Dr. Nabanoga is a major shareholder in the Royal Suites Business Enterprise.

DOROTHY NAKIMBUGWE (PhD) Associate Professor in the Department of Food Technology & Nutrition at Makerere University Founding Director for Nutreal Ltd. (www.nutreal.ug) Has significantly contributed to introducing, and promoting locally processed, nutrient-enhanced foods in Uganda. In 1997 when then the crop was not widely grown or known, Dorothy collaborated in research on the nutritional characterization of grain amaranth and the development of the first-ever amaranth-based products to be commercially available on the Ugandan market. In 2008, she co-authored the first ever comprehensive account of the characteristics and utilization of grain amaranth, a book chapter entitled ‘Efforts to promote amaranth production and consumption in Uganda to fight malnutrition.’ She also co-authored scientific and mass media articles, gave television and radio interviews, and presented to different audiences. Since 2008, Dr. Nakimbugwe has been engaged in pioneering research to improve the nutritional quality of beans in Uganda. She led and collaborated in research to process and introduce the first-ever bean products with reduced cooking times (from 1-2 hours to 10 minutes). The products have been available on sale since 2010. Since 2015, Dorothy has engaged in research to unlock the potential of insects as alternative sources of protein for food and feed. Dr. Nakimbugwe has authored nearly 50 scientific papers and numerous mass media articles, given multiple television and radio interviews, and developed more than ten commercially available food products.  

Dr. Yusuf B. Byaruhanga is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Food Technology and Nutrition (FTN). Yusuf teaches a number of undergraduate and graduate courses and is heavily involved in research. His research thrust is in the areas of food quality assurance and management systems; chemistry of food during processing; and food product and process development, with special focus on cereals. He has worked with industry and communities to harness and employ food and technology resources in addressing development challenges. He is currently involved in using both indigenous and advanced food technologies to add value to locally available food resources. He has engaged in various multidisciplinary research teams to design technology packages as well as technology transfer and commercialization pathways for improved productivity and competitiveness of small and medium enterprises in both rural and urban communities. Yusuf has extensive consulting experience and has worked with several entities and projects in various consulting roles. In addition to research and teaching duties at the Department of Food Technology and Nutrition, Dr. Byaruhanga, works with the Food Technology and Business Incubation Center at Makerere University as a Liaison Officer. In his training activities, Yusuf is interested in the application of learner-centered teaching methods to stimulate active learning and foster creative and independent thinking among learners. Yusuf obtained his Ph.D. (Food Science) and MSc (Food Microbiology) – Cum Laude from University of Pretoria, South Africa and his BSc Food Science and Technology (Hons) from Makerere University. He has had specialized training in Innovation Systems and Technology and Business Incubation. He is an ardent athlete and scholar of socio-cultural issues.

Dr Tushemereirwe Wilberforce, the Director of National AgriculturalResearch Laboratories (NARL),

Professor Vincent Kakembo is the Vice Chancellor of Muteesa I Royal University (MRU), formerly a Professor in the Geosciences Department and Deputy Director Centre for African Conservation Ecology (ACE), Nelson Mandela University, South Africa. He completed his MSc and Ph.D. at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa, specializing in the areas of Remote Sensing and Geomorphological studies.  He was also appointed as a Research Associate at Nelson Mandela University from 2021 to 2024.

Kyamanywa, is a Professor of Agricultural Entomology. He has over 30 years of expertise in teaching and conducting research in Agricultural Entomology and Integrated Pest Management (IPM). He has served Makerere University in different capacities, including: – being a Founding Principal of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Science, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, and Head of the Department of Crop Science. He is a dedicated researcher who has been a Principle investigator for over 20 research projects worth over US$ 15 million. He has championed research in and application of Integrated Pest Management. He won an IPM Impact Award in recognition of his contribution towards implementing IPM for small-scale farmers in Uganda by the African Association of Insect Scientists. He has supervised 50 MSc and 6 Ph.D. students to completion. He has over 90 publications in International Journals, 65 papers in conference proceedings, three chapters in 3 textbooks, and one handbook. He is the founding Director of the Consortium for Enhancing University Responsiveness to Agribusiness Development (CURAD). He is a member of the Uganda Agricultural Chemicals Board, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, and Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the National Coffee Research Institute. Samuel Kyamanywa, holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Entomology from Makerere University, obtained under the African Regional Postgraduate Programme in Insect Science (ARPPIS) at the ICIPE in Nairobi, Kenya, and a BSc in Agriculture from Makerere University. He joined Makerere University in 1993 as a lecturer and rose to become a Professor in 2006. He has been teaching and conducting research in Agricultural Entomology and pest management for over 30 years.

Professor Mandivamba (Mandi) Rukuni has taught agricultural economics for 20 years at the University of Zimbabwe, where he served as Dean of the School of Agriculture, and has over the decades, become an accomplished leadership development practitioner and organizational development strategist. He is currently an advisor to the World Bank on land reform issues in Zimbabwe, and to NEPAD – the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, the planning & technical body of the African Union. Mandi is responsible for incorporating an African perspective of the negotiation process into the overall teaching program of the Afrikan Negotiation Lab. For 11 years, he was with the W. K. Kellogg Foundation based in Pretoria, South Africa, and served as Director for Africa Programs between 2006 and 2009. He has also served as a consultant to various organizations, including the United Nation Food and Agricultural Organization, USAID, the European Union, the Canadian International Development Agency, the African Development Bank, and the Rockefeller Foundation. He is a Visiting Professor at Michigan State University. In Zimbabwe, he has advised the Grain Marketing Board, and the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority and served as Chair of the Agricultural Research Council. Mandi is a coach, mentor, and motivational speaker to some of the leading Southern African companies and their executives.  He is the founder and director of the Wisdom Afrika Leadership Academy (WALA), and founder and trustee of the Barefoot Education Afrika Trust (BEAT). He is the author of over a dozen books, including “Being Afrikan” and “Leading Afrika,” published by Penguin. Mandi received his Ph.D. in agricultural economics from the University of Zimbabwe, his Master’s degree in tropical agricultural development from the University of Reading, England, and his Bachelor’s degree in agriculture from the University of Zimbabwe.

Robert Mwadime Ngolo is a decorated professional in tackling poverty, food insecurity, and malnutrition issues by delivering innovative and multidisciplinary result-oriented solutions. Robert’s over 20 years of working in academia and international organizations have skilled him in strategic and creative thinking in program design and management, institutional capacity development, and policy analysis and reform. He is an expert in food technology and agri-food systems development; and has taught biostatistics and analytical technics to programming at the University of Nairobi and Makerere University. He is a motivational speaker, a trainer/coach and is passionate and a committed self-starter who uses participatory approaches in learning and adaptive management.

Dr. Robert Fungo is a Lecturer at the Department of Food Technology and Human Nutrition, Makerere University School of Food Technology, Nutrition & Bio-Engineering. His Teaching, Research, and Community Outreach is in the Field of Applied Human Nutrition, Food Science, and Food Technology. As a Nutritionist & Food Technologist, he is interested in understanding the influence of agriculture and food systems on women’s and children’s nutrition and food security in low and middle-income African countries (LMIACs).

Richard Edema is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Agricultural Production at Makerere University and Centre Director of the recently established World Bank Centre of Excellence in Crop Improvement – Makerere University Regional Centre for Crop Improvement (MaRCCI). In the last nine (9) years), he oversaw the development of this program into a model for regional capacity building in East Africa. He obtained his B.Sc (Agric. Hons.) in 1994 and M.Sc. (Agric.) in 1996 from Makerere University and his Ph.D. in plant pathology (molecular virology) at the Ohio State University in 2001. His doctoral research focused on analyzing the genetics of virulence of the Maize Streak Mastervirus (MSV). He has been involved in several research projects such as the AGRA and RUFORUM Regional Capacity building program, the regional sorghum improvement program funded by BIOEARN, and research on validating molecular markers linked to essential traits of maize, cassava, and sorghum. He has worked on capacity building in East Africa for biosafety and environmental impact assessments of transgenic plants. Recently, he initiated a new cowpea improvement program at Makerere University that has quickly gained recognition. He has also worked on capacity building in East Africa for biosafety and environmental impact assessments of transgenic plants.

Prof. Phinehas Tukamuhabwa is a Professor of Plant Breeding and Genetics, and teaches both Undergraduate and Postgraduate students. Prof. Tukamuhabwa is a Ugandan, holding a Bachelor of Science Degree (Makerere University), Master of Science (University of Bath, UK), and a PhD in Genetics and Plant breeding (Makerere University). He has acquired extensive knowledge and skills in Genetics, Plant breeding, Biotechnology, Seed Science and Technology and Intellectual Property management. He worked with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry as a Scientific officer and with NARO as a Research officer before joining Makerere University. His current research thrust is on the Genetics of resistance to soybean rust, and the development of varieties that are resistant to soybean rust disease, groundnut leaf miners, and bruchids. These efforts are integrated with the adaption of soybean genotypes to farmers’ conditions, and research on Soybean seed systems. He has pioneered the development of glyphosate-tolerant soybeans in Africa, in containment at Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute, Kabanyolo. He has worked as a consultant to seed companies in Uganda, and to some countries in East Africa, helping them understand their soybean value chain. He has also worked very closely with Soybean Africa Limited and helped an in developing an MOU with Soybean Africa Limited to facilitate the commercialization of soybean Technologies developed by Makerere University. He is also team leader of the Makerere University center for soybean improvement and Development.

DR. WILLIAM OLUPOT has conducted diverse research projects inside and outside Uganda’s protected areas focusing on taxa such as mammals, birds and plants, and conservation on land use change, human-wildlife conflict and habitat restoration. From this research, he has published 18 articles in journals as a senior author and seven as a co-author; 7 book chapters and two books. His research on grey-cheeked mangabey monkeys helped to unify theories on primate sociality and increased understanding of primate dispersal. He studied the threats to Grey Crowned Crane, Uganda’s national bird, in 2005 and 2014. The results contributed to upgrading the species’ IUCN Red List status from “Vulnerable” to “Endangered” and supported the preparation of its’ global and national action plans. His ongoing research in the Mabira forest has deepened his international understanding of forest restoration using scientific tools and approaches. He pioneered research on Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes in Uganda’s drylands, selected agroecosystems, and developed a framework for integrating biodiversity into livelihood systems outside protected areas. Dr Olupot organized the first-ever global scientific conference of the International Primatological Society in Uganda and Africa in 2006, which brought together more than 700 primatologists from all over the world. He is a member of the IUCN Species Survival Commission and the Scientific Commission of the United Nations Great Apes Survival Partnership. He has served as an external examiner of MSc and PhD theses for Makerere University and reviewer of several research grants and journal manuscripts.

DR. ISA KABENGE has been an academic at Makerere University since October 1998. He has since progressed to the position of Associate Professor and is the current Head of the Department of Agricultural and Bio-Systems Engineering. He is also the current Alternate Chair of the Grants’ Management Committee that manages the Research and Innovations Fund of UGX30,000,000,000 annually, supported by the Government of Uganda. He has systematically developed capacity and mentored future researchers, including 22 undergraduate students, 14 masters’ students, five (5) doctoral students and two (2) post-doctoral fellows. Isa has published over 40 peer-reviewed articles with 758 citations. He has been an internal examiner (12 masters’ students) and an external examiner for six (6) graduate students from Busitema University and the University of Cape town. Isa designed and installed an irrigation demonstration system at Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute at Kabanyolo (MUARIK) in 2021. The system has provided experiential learning opportunities for students, farmers, and local government personnel from 16 Districts and Central Government personnel to acquire hands-on irrigation training. This is especially beneficial and impactful in Uganda, where most of the land is under rain-fed agriculture, the rainfall distribution cycle is increasingly uncertain, and farmers are vulnerable to even mild drought conditions. Isa is renowned for designing research that addresses community challenges and provides lasting impact. The research to valorize waste plastics through slow pyrolysis contributed to solving the challenges of plastic waste management and environmental degradation and provided a potential alternative income stream for the communities involved.

DIRIISA MUGAMPOZA is a Food Scientist/Food Microbiologist with a B.Sc. Food Science and Technology (Makerere University, 1999), M.Sc. Food Science and Technology (Makerere University, 2003) and a PhD in Food Microbiology (University of Nottingham, UK, 2013). He has served Kyambogo University since the Uganda Polytechnic Kyambogo days in 2000, up to date. He is currently the Dean of the Faculty of Science and an Associate Professor of Food Science and Technology. He teaches courses in Food Microbiology and Food Hygiene and Sanitation at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Before becoming the Dean of the Faculty of Science, he served as Manager for the Business Incubation Center, Graduate Coordinator in the Department of Food Science and Technology (2016-2021). His primary research interests are food microbiology, food safety/quality, and the formulation of novel functional foods. He is a Committee Member (food additive standards) at UNBS. He is also a country member for Uganda on the Codex Electronic Working Group (CCFH-STEC2020-Control of Shiga Toxin-Producing E.coli). He has won one research grant from the EU worth 320,000 Euros. He has published 20 original Journal papers and is a reviewer for five Journals in Food Science and Technology. He has supervised to completion of two PhD and nine MSc candidates. He has examined three PhDs and eleven MScs. He is an external examiner for Makerere University Department of Food Technology and Nutrition and Islamic University in Uganda’s Food Science and Nutrition Department.

PROF. DAVID MWESIGYE TUMUSIIME has contributed to the advancement of science, particularly in Environment and Development Studies, where he has conducted research and shared findings with national and international audiences, including peer-reviewed journals. His studies on Protected Areas and People in Uganda generated valuable knowledge that has been shared globally. He has co-edited a book on Conservation and Development in Uganda, published by Routledge. The book skilfully combines a case study of conservation and development in Uganda with insightful theoretical and methodological perspectives, interdisciplinary and epistemological reflections, and a hybrid of knowledge in conservation science and development. He has supervised over 20 graduate students to completion in forestry, environment and development and served as external examiner of graduate theses for several Universities in Africa and Europe. He has rendered consultancy services to the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Uganda Office, the FAO Djibouti Office, the Ministry of Water and Environment of the Republic of Uganda, and the Great Virunga Transboundary Collaboration (GVTC), Rwanda. He is also the Director of the Makerere University Biological Field Station, where he coordinates and oversees research in Kibale forest management and conservation.

He is a Professor of Food Technology and Nutrition, have been lecturing and conducting research for 30 years. Main research areas have been in postharvest technology, food safety, and nutrition that have generated scientific data enhancing value addition to food and significant contribution to food and nutrition security in Uganda. He has conducted over 40 research projects as PI, Co-PI, and collaborator and national and international consultancies in scientific areas. He has published over 60 publications in refereed journals. Have supervised over 30 Graduate students to completion, have attended and presented papers in more than 100 international scientific meetings. He is a Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences.

She joined the Animal Science department in Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in 1990 and directed Cornell’s International Institute for Food and Agricultural Development, a university-wide center for sustainable agricultural and rural development in Africa, Asia, and Latin America from 2005-9. She served on panels supported by the Rockefeller Foundation, the African Academy of Science, and the Gates Foundation, the USA. National Academy of Science and the MacArthur Foundation. Dr. Pell was a STIAS fellow at Stellenbosch University in 2016 and an Extraordinary Professor at the University of the Western Cape. Previously, she was Cornell’s Vice Provost for International Relations (2008-2013). She is a cum laude graduate of Harvard University (1972), has a Master’s degree in international education from Harvard (1973), and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Vermont in animal nutrition (1982, 1984). She has been involved in research and graduates training programs in Botswana, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, India, and Indonesia. Currently, she is a Trustee at Zamorano University in Honduras. She is a member of the technical advisory committee of RUFORUM’s project on Strengthening Agricultural Higher Education for Agri-Food Transformation in Africa (SHAEA). Pell is a Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences.

He holds a Ph.D. (Environmental Sciences) from NMBU-Norway, an MSc (Management of Natural Resources) from NMBU-Norway, a Post Graduate Diploma (Soil Survey) from ITC Enschede, and a BSc in Forestry (Hons) from Makerere University. Dr. Twaha has taught at Makerere University since 1992 and contributed to scientific knowledge transfer and students’ professional growth, survival, and competence. Dr. Twaha has supervised undergraduate and postgraduate students at the university level, contributed to the mentorship and grooming of young scientists, and provided highly competent scientific human resources for the country. Dr. Twaha won several competitive research grants that have led to outstanding publications contributing to the body of environmental science knowledge for humanity. He has published works in competitive international journals with high impact factors. Ali Twaha Basamba is a Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences.

He holds a PhD from the University of the Free State and Cornell University, a Masters in International Agricultural Development from the University of Ghent, Belgium, and a BSc (Hons) from the University of Pretoria. Dr. Stroebel has also completed postdoctoral research the Wageningen University, the Netherlands. Dr. Stroebel is currently Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships at the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa and Visiting Fellow at the Institute for African Development at Cornell University. He serves as South Africa’s National Contact Point for the ERC to H2020 and on the Water Research Commission (WRC) and the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) boards. He is a former member of the Research and Innovation Strategy Group (RISG) of Universities South Africa (USAf), and past President of the Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA). He holds a Ministerial appointment to the National Education and Training Forum for Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (NETFAFF). In 2017, he was admitted as a Foreign Fellow of the Ugandan National Academy of Sciences and was a founding member of the SA Young Academy of Science (SAYAS). He has published widely in smallholder farming systems and has been acknowledged as a leader in the internationalization of Higher Education and research and innovation management.

A Crop Scientist by training, is the Executive Director, Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture. He received his BSc in Agriculture in 1976 and MSc in Agriculture in 1980, both from Makerere University in Uganda and PhD in Plant Pathology from The Ohio State University. He taught at Makerere from 1980 to 2003, rising to the position of full Professor and serving in various capacities at the University, including leading several Strategic planning processes and setting up a University-wide Competitive grant system to support research and student scholarship programmes. During his tenure at Makerere University, he founded the MUARIK Journal for publishing research findings from the University. In 1993, he founded the African Crop Science Society, which has remained one of the most vibrant professional societies in the continent up to date. He also founded the African Crop Science Journal in 1993, a leading Journal in Africa. In 2015, he founded the African Journal of Rural Development (see afjrd.org), an online open-access journal to enable researchers and development actors to share their research and practice experiences on rural development issues in Africa. He has served in several national committees in Uganda, including leading the Uganda agricultural research system reform that led to the creation of the Uganda National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO). He has served in several international committees, including being a member of the Advisory Committee of the International Foundation for Science, based in Sweden. In 2004 Prof Adipala Ekwamu was appointed to head the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM, see www.ruforum.org), a network of 85 universities in 35 African countries that has served for 14 years. Prof. Adipala Ekwamu is a Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences.

Is a retired Professor of Soil Science. A renowned soil scientist and has been a lecturer at Makerere University in Uganda for over 40 years. He’s now retired and works as a private consultant at different organizations and institutions. He’s a Chairman and board member of different national and international organizations and institutions including: Chairman of Africa 2000 network; Chairman Katikiro Advisory Committee on Agriculture; Director Research and development -National Union of Coffee Agribusiness and Farm Enterprises (NUCAFE) in Uganda. He’s a Fellow member of Uganda National Academy of Science.

Is a Professor of Agricultural Economics in the Department of Agribusiness and Natural Resource Economics, Makerere University. He is an Old Boy of Kitunga High School (O’Level) and Kigezi High School (A’Level). He graduated from Makerere University in 1992 with BSc. Agriculture and in 1995 with MSc. in Agricultural Economics. A year later, he joined Justus-Liebig University Giessen in Germany for a PhD and graduated in 1999. His PhD dissertation was on the Impact of Structural Adjustment Policies and External Market Effects on Ugandan Agricultural Economy. He has since been teaching at Makerere University in the Department of Agribusiness and Natural Resource Economics where he has been promoted through the ranks; from Assistant Lecturer (1994-1998) to Professor (2013 – to date). Prof. Mugisha has been conducting applied research in the discipline of Socio-economics at farm, household and market levels including agricultural technology adoption, urban waste utilisation, biogas production and utilisation, agricultural resource optimization, value chain studies and impact assessment. From his research work, he has published over 40 papers in various peer reviewed Journals. Prof. Mugisha has supervised and mentored over 50 graduates at Masters Level and 6 graduates at PhD level most of whom are now occupying high positions of community, national and international interests. He is currently the Dean of the School of Agricultural Sciences in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University. He is a reviewer for various Journal publishers and a member of various academic associations and networks. Prof. Johnny Mugisha is a Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences.

DR. MOSES O. OSIRU is the Manager, Regional Coordination Unit (RCU) of the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF), International Centre of Insect Physiology. He previously served as Deputy Executive Secretary at the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM). He holds a PhD in Agriculture (Plant Pathology). He previously worked as Regional Pathologist with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in Eastern and Southern Africa and West and Central Africa. He has led the development of ECOWAS’ Strategy and Action Plan for controlling aflatoxins in West and Central Africa. As a consultant, he undertook a needs assessment for African agricultural research and training institutions to enhance collaboration with Brazil. He currently serves on various Boards, including that of the African Crop Science Society; the International Network for Higher Education in Africa (INHEA), the Steering Committee of the Global Confederation of Higher Education Associations (GCHERA), the Alliance for African Partnerships of Michigan State University the World Bank-funded Makerere University Regional Center for Crop Improvement and the recently launched Swedish Agriculture for Food Security 2030 Initiative Project (AgriFose).

Holds a PhD from the University of Wales, UK, a MSc, University of Wales, UK, and a BSc (Forestry) Hons from Makerere University. Prof. Obua is a Professor at Makerere University 2015 to present, Regional Coordinator, Lake Victoria Research Initiative, Inter-University Council for East Africa, 2009-2014, Head of Department of Forest Biology & Ecosystems Management, Faculty of Forestry and Nature Conservation, Makerere University, 1999-2008, Associate Professor, Makerere University 2003-2005, Senior Lecturer, Makerere University 1997-2003, Lecturer, Makerere University 1992-1997. He is a member of several professional bodies including, Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences, Fellow of Uganda National Academy of Sciences, Member of Commonwealth Forestry Association, Member of Uganda Forestry Association, Member of Uganda Wildlife Society. His research interests are in Forestry and Climate Change and Biodiversity and Ecotourism. He joined the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) as the Regional Coordinator of VicRes in January 2009. As the Regional Coordinator, he was responsible for the overall management of the VicRes programme and served as Secretary to the VicRes Scientific Advisory Committee. He is also a member of the IUCEA Management Committee.

Professor of Food Science at Makerere University, where he has worked since 1997. He holds a B.Sc. in Food Science from Makerere University, an M.S. in Food Science from Cornell University and a PhD from University of Pretoria. Prof Muyonga has published widely in areas of food protein chemistry, food lipids and the effect of processing on nutritional and functional properties of foods. He has over 70 peer reviewed publications to his record, with about 2500 citations in internationally recognized databases. Prof Muyonga’s research covers the characterisation of nutraceutical components from foods materials, protein functionality in food systems, the effects of food processing on food properties, as well as aspects of technology management and transfer. His work on the characterisation of Nile perch gelatine, collagen and oil showed that Nile perch collagen has a markedly higher content of proline and hydroxyproline than temperate fish species. The gelatine derived from Nile perch collagen was found to exhibit superior gelling properties than that for other fish species. Through the use of Fourier infrared spectrophotometry (FTIR) the changes caused by processing conditions, which affect the functionality of gelatine, were uncovered. John’s work on chemical composition of oil from different fish species from Uganda has led to identification of good sources of omega 3 fatty acids. Nile perch belly flaps yielded up to 74% oil. The oil was found to contain high levels of omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin A, beta-carotenoids, alpha-tocophopherol, and low levels of contaminants (endosulfan metabolites, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane metabolites and heavy metals) associated with fish oils. He has contributed to the understanding the relationship between food processing conditions and food nutritional and physical properties. He showed that non-gadoid species are quite prone to protein denaturation during frozen storage, leading to undesirable textural changes. Previous studies had suggested that this phenomenon was promoted by dimethylamine, a product of dimethylamine oxide, believed to exclusively occur in gadoid species. His work on the effect of processing conditions of orange fleshed sweet-potato on beta-carotenoids bio-accessibility showed that the processes that contribute to the disintegration of the microstructure of sweet-potatoes improve the bio-accessibility of beta-carotenoids, the main vitamin A pre-cursor found in plant materials and that this leads to nutritional benefits which surpass the negative effect of beta-carotene denaturation by such processes. He has also studied the effect of different traditional processing conditions for beans, millet and cooking bananas on nutritional and rheological properties, leading to recommendations of suitable methods. Prof. John has also studied the potential of grain amaranth to contribute to improvement of nutrition in Uganda. This study entailed nutritional profiling of grain amaranth cultivars, promoting production and utilisation and monitoring the effect on nutrient intake of communities. He has also undertaken work to develop nutritionally enhanced products and highly acceptable food products with potential to contribute to improvement of nutrition of vulnerable persons. Prof Muyonga has undertaken studies on commercialization of scientific and technological innovations. These studies led to the recommendation of technology incubation, service learning including targeted internship, entrepreneurship development among scientists, creation of national technology sharing platforms, developing infrastructure for collaborative SME-academia activities and review of research funding. Under his leadership, the Makerere University Food Technology Incubation Centre was established. This revolutionised training and technology transfer at Makerere University’s School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bioengineering. This initiative facilitated creation of new enterprises and development of new commercial products. Prof Muyonga has supervised 28 graduate students, including 8 PhDs. He has won multiple research and consultancy contracts, including contracts with the European Union, the World Bank, USAID, Sida, McKnight Foundation, World Food Program and Association of African Universities. Prof Muyonga is a professional member of the Institute of Food Technologists (USA). He was selected Young Scientist of 2009 by the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS). He is an alumnus of the Global Young Academy and a former TWAS Associate. He was also a fellow of the United Nations University. Prof Muyonga has served as peer reviewer for over dozens of international journals and is Associate Editor for Food Bioscience and a member of the International Editorial Board of the Nigerian Food Journal. He is also the current Chairman of the Management Committee for the National Agricultural Research Laboratories. Prof. Muyonga served as treasurer for UNAS from 2016 to 2019.

Professor of  Plant Sciences, Microbiology, and Biotechnology

Lecturer, Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala

Professor of Zoology and Wildlife

Professor at the Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology, and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University

Dr. Anywar Godwin is a researcher, academician and entrepreneur, and author. He completed his doctorate from the prestigious Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy & Immunology in Leipzig, Germany, the Institute for Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, and Makerere University, Kampala on a split site model, where he investigated the anti-HIV-1, immunomodulatory activity and cytotoxicity of medicinal plants used by herbalists for treating people living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda. He currently lectures at the Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology & Biotechnology at Makerere University. His research interests are in the field of natural product development, pharmacognosy, ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology. He is passionate about research and has authored several papers and book chapters in international peer-reviewed journals. He works on a couple of book projects as an author and editor. Dr. Anywar is a member of several professional bodies, such as the Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research, the International Society for Ethnopharmacology, the American Society of Pharmacognosy, and the International Society of Ethnopharmacology, among others. Anywar currently serves as the vice president of the Uganda Textbook Academic & Non-Fiction Writers Association (UTANA), the vice president of Natural Products Network for Eastern & Central Africa (NAPRECA) Uganda Chapter and is a reviews editor for the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology – Ethnopharmacology.

Prof. Kakudidi has a PhD in Botany (Ethnobotany) – Mak; MSc in Botany (Plant Taxonomy) – ANU; BSc (Botany, Zoology) – Mak; Dip in Education – Mak; Diploma in Science (ANU) Research Interests: Botany (Plant Taxonomy) and Ethnobotany- medicinal and wild food plants.

Dr Esther Katuura holds a PhD (Phytomedicine), MSc. Plant Taxonomy and Biosystematics and Bachelor of Science, all from Makerere University. She is a Lecturer in the Department of Plant Science, Microbiology, and Biotechnology at Makerere University. She also worked as a Principal Research Officer, Natural Chemotherapeutic Research Institute-Ministry of Health, Uganda.

Professor, Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Makerere University

DR. PATRICE KASANGAKI is a Senior Research Officer and Program Leader for Livestock Entomology Research at NaLIRRI, Nakyesasa, Wakiso District, Uganda. Before joining NARO, Dr. Kasangaki worked as an Entomologist in Masindi and Kibaale District Local Governments and later as Senior Entomologist. Dr. Kasangaki is a results-driven, self-motivated and resourceful scientist with a proven ability to develop and strengthen teams to maximize outputs and create clear strategies for their accomplishment. Dr. Kasangaki has contributed significantly to Uganda’s beekeeping development through research and extension services. He conducted his PhD study focusing on “Characterization of honeybee (Apis mellifera L) races and studies on some aspects of their behaviour in Uganda” at the University of Nairobi, Kenya. Dr. Kasangaki has led a team that successfully domesticated stingless bees in Uganda and is a PI and Co-PI of several development projects. He has published at least 17 scientific papers during his 09 years of academic service. Dr. Kasangaki chaired the NaLIRRI science committee From January 2017 to December 2018 and was also a member of the NaLIRRI disciplinary and mentoring Committee he currently chairs. Dr. Kasangaki has also contributed enormously to academics by teaching, supervising and examining students. He has also done peer reviews for several journals and published widely. Dr. Kasangaki was President of the Entomological Association of Uganda (EAU) from 2017 to 2021. He is also a member of the UNBS technical team for apiculture.

DR. ANNE MARGARET AKOL is an Associate Professor of Entomology in the Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences at Makerere University (Uganda). Since 2015, she has researched honeybee health and insect pollinator biodiversity in Uganda. Before that, her research involved the management of insect pests and medical vectors and the assessment of insect biodiversity. Dr. Akol holds a PhD in Agricultural Entomology, from Kenyatta University (Kenya), with research undertaken at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), an MPhil in Applied Biology (University of Cambridge, England), a BSc degree in Zoology and Botany (Makerere University). She also holds postgraduate qualifications in pedagogy. She is a founding member of the Entomological Association of Uganda, which draws together professional entomologists in Uganda, has served as a science role model for the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology, and is an Ambassador for the Makerere University Retirements Benefits Scheme.

Is the founding Vice Chancellor of Busitema University, a public University in Uganda focusing on science and technology. She holds a B.Sc in Botany/Zoology, M.Sc and PhD in Zoology from Makerere University, with further training at the University of Aberdeen, UK. She is a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society of London. Prior to becoming substantive Vice Chancellor, Busitema University in 2006, , she served as Deputy Vice Chancellor of Gulu University where she spearheaded the development of a unique Bachelor of Agriculture Programme and participated in the development of the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery programme. She previously held various positions at Makerere University from 1973, rising to full Professor of Zoology in 1999. The graduates taught/supervised/mentored by Professor Okwakol over the years, both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, are making important contributions towards development nationally and globally- in education, research, and environment and natural resources management, among others. As a Researcher/Research Leader, she has participated in many projects and published widely. Her expert knowledge in ecology, environment and natural resource management has earned her consultancies on a variety of development projects. Professor Okwakol is a member of many professional bodies and her contributions have been recognized with awards from various institutions. Professor Okwakol is one of the few women scientists in Uganda who have contributed immensely to the advancement of the science, and she stands out as an icon of science. She has served on many Boards and Councils at community, national, regional and international levels. Those she has led at national level include the Uganda Wildlife Society and Forum for African Women Educationalists Uganda Chapter. She has also been a member of the Boards of the Uganda National Parks (currently Uganda Wildlife Authority), Uganda Wildlife Education Center, Environmental Conservation Trust of Uganda, and the National Environment Management Authority, to mention but a few. At Africa regional level, Professor Okwakol has served as member of Council of the African Soil Science Society, Liaison Officer of the African Network of Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility, Vice Chairperson of the Governing Council of the East African Wild Life Society, and the Forum for African Women Educationalists regional Executive Board as Honorary Secretary. At the global level, she served as Chairperson (1998-2001) of the International Board of Management of the Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Programme (TSBF) and Chairperson of the Global Steering Committee 2004-2005 of the GEF/UNEP funded project on Below Ground Biodiversity for Sustainable Land Production, implemented by seven Tropical countries, and also as a member of the project’s Global Advisory Committee. She was Chairperson of the Organizing Committee for the 8th International Interdisciplinary Women’s World 2012 that attracted over 2000 participants, and served as member of the Organizing Committee of the 4th World Women University Women Presidents forum that was held in Nanjing, China, in September 2009. Professor Okwakol is a lady of many “firsts” in her life, besides being the first girl born to her parents. She is the first woman Vice Chancellor of a public University in Uganda; the first Vice Chancellor of Busitema University; the first Deputy Vice Chancellor of Gulu University; the first woman Professor of Zoology at Makerere University; the first woman member of the Board of Trustees of Uganda National Parks in 40 years; and the first woman Chairperson of the International Board of Management of the tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Programme, among others. Professor Okwakol’s contributions towards development have been variously recognized nationally and internationally. In 1998 she received a long service award from Makerere University; she was recognized as International Woman of the year (1997/98) in the area of Environment Conservation by the International Biographical centre of Cambridge, while FAWE Uganda recognized her as Model of Excellence in 1999. She has, in addition, received awards of recognition and/or appreciation from the Namagunga Old Girls’ association (2000), the Environmental Conservation Trust of Uganda (2001), the Uganda Wildlife Authority (2004), the Uganda Women’s Finance Trust (2005), Busoga University (2005), the Rubaga Cathedral National Foundation (2005), FAWE Africa (2008), the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development and National Environment Authority (2009). She was recently (May 2013) awarded the 50th independence Anniversary Medal in recognition of outstanding service in the field of education. Professor Okwakol holds a Doctorate degree in Zoology from Makerere University, is a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society of London and a Fellow of the Uganda national Academy of Sciences. In March 2010, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate. “Doctor Honoris Causa” degree by Josai International University (Japan), in recognition of her global leadership in Education and Research. In December 2011, she received the Africa-India Partnership Educational Excellence Award in recognition of outstanding contribution to Education.

Professor of Medicinal Plants, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University is an educator, ethno botanist and researcher. His ethno botanical research interests are aimed at identifying, promoting and conserving useful plant species. He is principally interested in documenting plant use, and researching the effects of such use on the exploited plant populations. To understand the second aim, he is studying plant population structures and plant biology. Prof. Tabuti is Professor of Ethno botany and now lecturing in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. He has 16 years of teaching experience at University level. He quickly rose through the ranks from Assistant Lecturer in 1995 to full Professor in 2010. As a hardworking academic, he has so far supervised 2 PhD and10 Masters Graduates. Prof Tabuti has published 25 referred papers, five chapters in five books and one book. He has attended over 40 conferences, seminars, workshops and symposia and presented several papers. He has also organized several national and international conferences, workshops, seminars and symposia from which over 40 reviewed papers were published in special issues of the African Journal of Ecology. Prof Tabuti has participated in 20 research projects and consultancies supported by various national and international agencies including UNESCO, IFS, VicRes, WHO,PFARD-COMPAS Uganda Project, the Garden Club of America, International FOREAIM project, Sida-SAREC, I@mak.com, NUFU, NORAD and PROTA. He is a professional member of a number of local and international organizations including International Society of Ethno biology, Association for the Taxonomy Study of the Flora of Tropical Africa [AETFAT] and Nature Uganda among others. He has a number of fellowships and awards including the Dennis Stanfield Memorial Fund, International Foundation for Sciences [IFS], and Anne S. Catham Fellowship in Medicinal Botany among others.

Is a Professor in the department of Zoology; he served for many years at the UN and many other international bodies. He holds a PhD (Entomology) Nairobi; MSc (Parasitology) Liverpool; BSc (Zoology, Botany and Chemistry) University of East Africa, Nairobi; MIS (Management), MIS (Research extension), Dip. (Mol. Bio), Cert. (Biotech. & Biosafety), Cert. (Pedagogy), Cert. (Biogas Tech.), Cert. (Info. Tech.), Cert. (GIS). His area of specialization is Applied Parasitology and Entomology: Vector-parasite interaction, Experimental chemotherapy. His current research interests include: Vector–parasite interaction with particular emphasis on protozoa (trypanasomiasis, leishmaniasis and malaria); insect colonization; cryobiology; climate change vulnerability and adaptation. His recent research activities/projects are centred on Malaria transmission blocking: Involved in mosquito (Anopheles gambiae) colonization using local (Ugandan) strain of A. gambiae as a part of a multinational consortium; Climate change (vulnerability and adaptation): (i) country-wide research in Uganda to generate data for development of National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs), (ii) data generation to produce handbooks to guide Uganda delegation negotiations in COP 15. Biodiversity (invertebrate) assessment: to generate data to guide development of natural resource-based economic activities in transboundary districts of (a) Rwanda-Burundi and (b) Kenya–Uganda. Biogas technology development. He is also involved in the development of Biogas technology at district level through methanogenic generation of biogas from animal wastes. Prof. Kaddu is a Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences.

Is a seasoned Medical Entomologist who has widely and deeply researched on mosquitoes. He went to school at St. Mary’s College, Kisubi and thereafter to Makerere University College. He holds a B.Sc. degree of the University of London obtained at Makerere University College in Zoology, Botany and Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Medical Entomology. He was a Post-doctoral Fellow (1973-74) in the Department of Biology, University of Princeton U.S.A. He has contribution immensely in understanding population dynamics, genetic characterization of mosquitoes and use biological pathogens (e.g. Bacillus thuringiensis) and plant extracts (e.g. Phytolacca dodecandra) to kill mosquito larvae. He was recognized by His Excellency the President of Uganda and awarded grants to advance his research in Mosquito/malaria control. In 1975, he was elected Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society of London and also served on the WHO panel of Vector Biology and Control and U.S. Academy of Sciences, National Research Council, Expert Panels. He is a member of the advisory panels on malaria and yellow fever in the ministry of Health of Uganda. In 2006, the Rotary Club of Entebbe gave a Vocation Award to Dr. Mukwaya for distinguished service to society.

PROF. MAUD KAMATENESI-MUGISHA is a UNAS Council Member and Vice Chancellor, Bishop Stuart University. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Ethnobotany and Bioprospecting), Makerere University, UNESCO – MAB Diploma in Scientific Research, UNESCO-MAB, France, Masters Degree in Environment and Natural Resources Management, MUIENR, Makerere University – Uganda, Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE), Makerere University –Uganda, Bachelor of Science Degree (Hons.) [Botany & Zoology] Makerere University – Uganda. She has over 15 years of Institution-based Administrative experience, more than 20 decades in teaching and 14 years in research in the listed Institutions and capacity. She has published over 30 papers, two web-based publications, three distance education books written up, and four manuscripts in preparation for publication with 12 unpublished reports. She has won 12 international research awards and conducted 5 Consultancies with International Agencies.

DR. MARY GORETTI NAKABUGO is the Executive Director of Uwezo Uganda, a not-for- profit organization working to promote equitable quality education in Uganda and beyond through research, learning assessments, innovations, partnerships, and partnerships advocacy. Previously she was Twaweza Country Lead and Regional Manager of Uwezo East Africa.  Her prior work experience has mainly been in higher education. She was Senior Lecturer of Higher Education Studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and Senior Lecturer and Head of the Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Media at Makerere University, Uganda. She was a Research Fellow and Education Coordinator of the Irish-African Partnership for Research Capacity Building based at Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick, Ireland. She was Visiting Professor at the Centre for the Study of International Cooperation in Education, Hiroshima University, Japan. Her other current roles include Chairperson of Kyambogo/University Council and Chairperson of Muteesa 1 Royal University Council. She is a Fellow and Vice President of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences (UNAS) and chairs its Standing Committee on Education. She is also Co-Chair of the Uganda Chapter, Board member and Secretary of the Regional Education Learning Initiative (RELI). She is a member of the Advisory Group of the People’s Action for Learning (PAL.) Network. She holds a PhD in Education from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Her research interests include assessment for learning, education and international development, teacher education, and curriculum development.  

TOBIAS F. RINKE DE WIT, Prof. Rinke is a molecular biologist, public health specialist, and Director of Research of the PharmAccess Group and Joep Lange Institute (JLI). Tobias stimulates multi-disciplinary implementation and evaluation research along the agenda of PharmAccess. Research is mainly in (diagnosing) infectious diseases in Africa, healthcare quality improvement, and innovative healthcare financing supported by mobile health technologies. Tobias holds an Academic Chair at the University of Amsterdam. He leads the Department of Global Health and Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development (AIGHD), a team of scientists, PhD and Master students. At AIGHD, he coordinates a large-scale HIV test & treatment program in Tanzania. As Principal Investigator at the Department of Global Health of the Amsterdam University Medical Centre, Tobias develops the so-called ‘connected diagnostics’ technology for improved quality and financing of healthcare delivery in Africa. Tobias serves as Chair of the WHO Global HIV Drug Resistance Network advocacy workgroup. Another focus of his work is on COVID-19 in Africa, mainly digital mobile rapid diagnostics and the effect of African immune activation status on COVID-19 symptomatology. He published over 225 articles in peer-reviewed journals and served on the Boards of MondialDx and HealthInc Amsterdam.

Prof. Nakanjako is a Professor of Medicine and Principal of the College of Health Sciences and immediate past Dean of the School of Medicine at Makerere University, Kampala (MAK), Uganda. She holds a Bachelors’ degree in Medicine and Surgery (MAK,1999), a Master of Medicine degree in Internal Medicine (MAK, 2005), and a doctorate in Biomedical Sciences (University of Antwerp, Belgium, 2010). She has over 22 years of experience in Infectious Diseases care, research, and training. She has led several research, training, and mentorship programs, including Makerere University-UVRI Infection and Immunity program, to build Africa’s capacity for scientific leadership in Infection and Immunity research. She currently leads the Cluster of Excellence in Translational Research in Infection, Immunity, and Inflammation of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities collaboration in support of the proposed African Union (AU) and European Union (EU) Innovation agenda. Damalie has established a translational immunology group at Makerere and has mentored over 57 upcoming scientists at postgraduate, doctoral, and post-doctorate levels to build the next generation of scientists in Africa and worldwide. She is the winner of the 4^th Fourth Annual Merle A. Sande Health Leadership Award 2013 in recognition of her contributions towards leadership and health care in Africa and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) – Abdool Karim 2022 Award in Biological Sciences; that was designed to honor women scientists in Low-Income African Countries for their achievements in Biological Sciences. Her research has focused on improving the lives of people living with HIV, including simple interventions like cotrimoxazole prophylaxis and safe water in rural communities to reduce diarrhoea and hospitalization, routine HIV testing policies, integrating routine TB screen in HIV care programs as well as epidemiological and translational studies to understand immune recovery and the quest for an HIV cure within long-term HIV treatment cohorts.

Dr. Okware is a medical doctor and public health specialist. He studied at Makerere and the United States. He obtained his PhD at the University of Bergen in emerging infections. He is the Director General of the Uganda National Health Research Organization. He is also Prof of Public Health and Epidemiology to postgraduate University students. He is well known for his pioneering work and research on HIV/AIDS and remerging infections. When Disease Slim emerged in Rakai in the 1980s, the disease wiped out countless patients, devastating families and communities. Slim was a death sentence, and despair was everywhere. Dr Sam Okware led the pioneering work in HIV/AIDS research and prevention. That early work discovered the heterosexual transmission of HIV. That evidence led to the establishing of the first national AIDS Control Program in Uganda and the region. Dr. Okware was the manager and head of this program. The Africa region adopted the national ABC strategy and became the international standard for HIV prevention and control and care. This initiative led to drastic first ever drastic declines in HIV infection in Uganda. Today, HIV is no longer a death sentence but a chronic and manageable disability.  Dr Okware held several critical positions for disease control in the Ministry of Health. He coordinated emergency preparedness and response and developed national systems for outbreak management. During the Gulu major Ebola outbreak in which several healthcare workers died, Dr Okware led efforts that successfully contained the highly fatal disease. Dr Okware has considerable international experience in HIV and emerging infections work. As a consultant, he supported several countries in developing their AIDS control programs, particularly in Africa, the Americas, and Asia. He was a founding member of the International AIDs Society and the International Conference of AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Africa. He was a member of the WHO Expert Committee on Research and Development. He serves as Commissioner of the East African Health Research Organisation. Recently, he was appointed to the Board of Governors of the EDCTP (EU Developing Countries Clinical Trials Program) international research Organisation. Okware has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles on public health, AIDS, and emerging infections.  He is the current Editor of several reference books on Advances in Ebola and HIV/AIDS Control. Five such books have been published over the last four years. He contributed and is the Editor of a new reference book on New HIV Treatment and Development due for publication in December this year. He has received several awards for his outstanding contribution to the fight against HIV/AIDS and Ebola, including Parliament and the international echelons. He has a passion for research on HIV/AIDS and remerging infections.

Dr. Suzanne Kiwanuka is a health systems expert and head of the Department of Health Policy Planning and Management at Makerere University School of Public Health (Kampala, Uganda). She is a senior lecturer with more than 15 years of expert evidence in health systems strengthening and evidence-based policymaking. She has conducted implementation research and supported the production and sharing of appropriate evidence products, including policy briefs, newspaper articles, and position papers. She is an expert in evidence-based policymaking, having led a team under the Knowledge Translation Network for Africa (KTNET Africa) and built capacity for and strengthened knowledge translation for researchers and their stakeholders in 10 African countries. She was co-team leader under the Supporting Policy Engagement for Evidence-Based Decisions for Universal Health Coverage in Uganda (SPEED). She has evaluated the effectiveness of donor aid and its impact on the health system in Uganda. She has designed, implemented, and evaluated research programs on health systems, including human resources, financing, and information systems. She has also led a team evaluating laboratory systems preparedness in Uganda (114 laboratories) and co-led a project aimed at saving the lives of mothers and newborns through community empowerment and strengthening health systems in Uganda. She led the country COVID-19 assessment for Uganda, generating more than 12 publications, and is currently assessing priority settings for essential services delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is also currently assessing DHIS2 utility and sustainability in Uganda and the effectiveness of e-surveillance systems for vaccine-preventable diseases in Uganda.

Prof. Nakimuli is the Dean of the School of Medicine and Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Makerere University. Annettee trained as a medical doctor and later as an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Makerere University. She has a PhD in Medicine, and her doctoral training was undertaken at Makerere and Cambridge Universities. Annettee has had stellar career growth since joining Makerere University as an Assistant Lecturer sixteen years ago. She has previously been Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. She has won many large research grants and has published over 70 papers in peer-reviewed journals. Her research group investigates pregnancy complications common in African women, such as pre-eclampsia, fetal growth restriction, preterm birth, and infections. Her studies aim at developing tools to improve the prediction, management, and prevention of pregnancy complications. Noteworthy, she conducted the first genetic study of preeclampsia in Africa. She is a Gates-funded Calestous Juma Science Leadership Fellow, an International Fellow at Wellcome Sanger Institute in the UK, and a FLAIR Fellow (Future Leaders-African Independent Research) of the Royal Society. Annettee serves on several national and international committees on maternal health, including the National Safe Motherhood Expert Committee, where she chairs the pre-eclampsia subcommittee. She is the President of the East Central and Southern Africa College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, which brings together obstetricians/gynecologists in the 14 member countries. Annettee is an internationally renowned maternal health researcher committed to building maternal research capacity in Africa and has the merit to be a Fellow of the Academy.

Prof. Maggie Kigozi is a Medical Doctor by training and has practiced medicine in Uganda, Kenya, and Zambia. Over the last forty years, Prof . Maggie has transcended medicine to Business, Education, Sports, and public investment. She was a shareholder Director of Marketing and Public Relations at Crown Bottlers (Pepsi). In 1999, she was appointed Executive Executive Director Director of the Uganda Investment Authority, where she promoted and facilitated investments worth over $ 14 billion. She has and continues to serve on several Boards, including; the Trustee Shell Foundation UK, Africa Scout Foundation, Akina Mama Wa Africa, Private Sector, Foundation Uganda, and NCBA Bank as a Non-Executive Director. She obtained a  Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) in 1976 from Makerere University and is a Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Science.

Dr. Edward Kanyesigye graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degree in April 1979 at Makerere University Medical School. He holds a postgraduate diploma in Public Health (DPH) from the same University (1982) and a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the University of Adelaide, South Australia (1992). He is also a Fellow of the African Institute of Public Health, FAIPH (2019). He is also an Honorary Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Science (FUNAS).

In his 23-year career in the health sector, Edward has held positions of medical superintendent, District and Regional Medical Officer in the various districts of Uganda. He has worked at MOH Headquarters, heading (at different times) the divisions of Training, Health Education, Clinical Services, Nutrition and Human Resources Development, and Assistant Commissioner of Health Services. He had a three-year stint (in between and served) as the Behavior Scientist in The Medical Research Council (MRC) – UK Program of AIDS in Uganda’s  IEC intervention Trial in stopping HIV transmission among the people living in Masaka District- Southern Uganda. He retired from the Civil service in 2002. He worked as the Training and Primary Health Care Manager African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) Uganda Country office from June 2002 to December 2003.

Edward was a pioneer at the International Health Sciences University, Namuwongo, Kampala, as a Senior Lecturer in teaching Public health. From 2009 to date, he has been a Senior Lecturer at the Uganda Christian University (UCU). He headed the Health Sciences Department, which was upgraded to a Faculty of Health Sciences in 2014, and it became the UCU School of Medicine (UCUSoM) in 2018. He developed the following programs and had them accredited:  Bachelor of Community Health (BCH), Master of Public Health (MPH), Master of Human Nutrition and Dietetics (MHND), and eventually Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (MBChB and BDS) respectively. Edward wrote his thesis on the Prevalence and Politics of Tobacco in Uganda for his MPH at the University of Adelaide, Australia. He chaired the Tobacco or Health forum at the Uganda Ministry of Health after returning from Australia. He represented the country at the World Health Organization Intergovernmental Negotiating Body, forming “THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION FOR TOBACCO CONTROL”.

At the Uganda MOH, he participated in developing the In-service Training Strategy. He headed the initiatives to train the Enrolled Comprehensive Nurse, the Anesthetic Assistant, The Theatre Assistant, and the Nursing Assistant.

He is one of the founders and, currently, the President of the Uganda Public Health Specialists Association (UPHSA), which brings together Public Health specialists and all like-minded people in setting the agenda for public health practice and training in Uganda.

Edward has performed the following Public Health activities:

1. External examiner Public Health Makerere School of Public Health, Bishop Stuart University, and Victoria University.
2. Supervisor of MPH students both at IHSU and UCU, as well as serving as Internal examiner threat.
3. Chair 2018 Annual Grand Doctors Conference of Uganda Medical Association (UMA). This is an assignment given annually by the Uganda Medical Association President to one of the members.
4. Member of the UMA governing council representing Public Health Specialists
5. Member of UMA Elders chapter
6. Member of School and Institution Boards:
   1. Chairman of the Board of Mulago National Referral Hospital
   2. Chairman of Governing Council Uganda Institute of Allied Health and Management Sciences (UIAHMS)-Mulago
   3. Deputy Chairperson of the Governing Council Mildmay Institute of Health Science (MIHS)
   4. Member of Board of Directors Health Partners for Communication (HEPS) Uganda
   5. Member of Board of Directors Medical Teams International (MTI) in Uganda
   6. Member of University Council: Valley University of Science and Technology, Bushenyi
   7. Member of University Council, Kampala International University (KIU).
7. Membership of Clubs and Associations:
   1. Uganda Medical Association
   2. Rotary International (President, Assistant Governor, Paul Harris Fellow)
   3. Uganda Golf Club
8. Awards:
   1. By the Makerere Institute of Public Health for being a valued partner in the 25-year program of Master of Public Health. Award presented by a Trio: Makerere Vice Chancellor, WHO Representative in Uganda, and Minister of Health.
   2. Good Performance Award while serving as the Australian Alumni Ambassador: Presented by the Australian High Commissioner to Uganda.
   3. Fellowship of the African Institute of Public Health. Presented by the President and Registrar of the Institute based in Accra, Ghana.
   4. The most valued UMA member of the year 2019. Award from the President of UMA at the Annual General Meeting in November 2019.
9. Honorary appointments;
   1. Hon Lecturer, Karolinska Institute of health services department Global health program, Sweden.
   2. Visiting faculty University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
   3. Australia Awards Alumni Ambassador
   4. Chair – Association of Australian Alumni in Uganda (A3U).

Dr. Muhwezi is the Director of Research. He is an Associate Professor of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health in the School of Medicine, Makerere University College of Health Sciences. During his teaching career, Winstons has mentored students at Makerere University in the former Social Sciences and Medicine faculties since 1993. Winstons was also a Lecturer at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Uganda Christian University, from 1999 to 2004. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Social Work and Social Administration (BA.SWSA) from Makerere University in 1992. In 1996, Winstons was awarded a Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund Scholarship to pursue postgraduate studies at the University of Bergen, Norway. He graduated with an M.Phil (Public Health and Health Promotion) in 1998. In 2003, Winstons was awarded the SIDA-SAREC Scholarship to undertake a jointly awarded Ph.D. by Karolinska Medical University (Karolinska Institutet), Stockholm, and Makerere University, Kampala. He completed his doctoral studies in 2007 and was awarded a Ph.D. in the same year. In 2011, Winstons was awarded a 3-year post-doctoral fellowship by SIDA-SAREC, which he accomplished in 2013. Winstons has had several pieces of training in research, notably, philosophy of science, qualitative methods in health systems research, quantitative research methods, measurements in mental health, statistical methods, and computer applications, information competence and management, scientific writing, healthcare research ethics, good clinical practices and ethical conduct, and many others. He has been a senior researcher and principal investigator on research projects funded by USAID, the World Bank, European Commission, and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He has a wealth of over 20 years of experience in the design and implementation of baseline/needs assessment/situation analyses; environmental impact analyses, monitoring and evaluation studies; psychosocial studies, reproductive health, and mental health. The uniqueness of his experience arises from his involvement with all matters that straddle social sciences and health sciences. He is comfortable working in multi-disciplinary teams. Winstons has authored over 20 scholarly articles and got them published in international peer reviewed journals, policy papers/briefs on topical issues, and many consultancy reports.

Victor Musiime, MBChB, MMed, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health. He holds a Ph.D. (Medical Sciences) from the University of Antwerp, Belgium; a Master of Medicine (Paediatrics and Child Health) from Makerere University; and a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from Makerere University. He supervises postgraduate research (Ph.D. and Master’s degrees); and provides clinical and didactic teaching for undergraduate and postgraduate courses. In addition, he provides clinical care to children in the inpatient/outpatient wards of Mulago National Referral and Teaching Hospital, particularly the Infectious diseases ward, the emergency ward, and the gastrointestinal outpatient clinic. Since 2004, when he qualified as a Paediatrician, he has been actively researching infectious diseases, especially Paediatric AIDS. His other research interests are in other childhood infectious diseases and nutrition. By December 2020, he had 85 peer reviewed scientific journal publications.  He is a member of the following committees of the University: Interim Board of Makerere University Health Services, School of Medicine Research Ethical Committee/ Higher Degrees Research Ethical Committee, and Vice Chancellor’s Rota of 100 on Sexual Harassment. In addition, he serves on the following local and international committees: Paediatric ART and Paediatric TB committees of the Ministry of Health; National Formulary Committee of the National Drug Authority; Kawempe Home Care Board; African Network for the Care of Children affected by HIV/AIDS (ANECCA) board; the World Health Organization (WHO) Paediatric AIDS Working Group (PAWG). He is a past Vice President of the Uganda Paediatrics Association.

Seggane Musisi is a Professor of Psychiatry, the former Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Makerere University College of Health Sciences, and a Senior Consultant Psychiatrist at Mulago National Referral and Teaching Hospital and the Uganda Ministry of Health. He received his medical training at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, and specialist post-graduate training in Psychiatry at the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada. He is the founder of the African Psycare Research Organization (APRO), a mental health NGO with the objectives of mental health research and consultation in Uganda and Africa in general to inform policy and practice. He is an active teacher and mentor to many in mental health in Uganda and Africa and is a member of many mental health associations. He is widely published and receives many grants and awards, including the Fulbright New Century Scholars award for researching mental health problems of mass trauma in Africa. He is a fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences, Editor-In-Chief of The African Journal of Traumatic Stress, and former Makerere University Research Journal Editor-In-Chief. His research interests include mental health problems of war and conflict in adults and children, HIV/AIDS, orphans, and other vulnerable children, cults, old age psychiatry, dementia and other brain degenerations in Africa, and traditional mental health care in Africa. He is the research lead for the Family Involvement Intervention on the NIHR Global Health Research Group for developing psycho-social interventions.

A Lecturer in the Department of Nursing, Makerere University. Scovia is also an Afya Bora Global Health Leadership fellow in pediatric and adolescent health at the Ministry of Health in Uganda. She previously worked as a maternal and adolescent health consultant with two international Non-Government organizations in Africa; Jhpiego and Marie Stopes. She is a fellow of Sub-Saharan Africa- Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research regional institute in Cape Town, South Africa. Scovia is published and interested in reproductive, adolescent, maternal, and child health, systems strengthening, and nursing education research.

Sarah Kiguli, MBCHB, M.MED (MAK), MHPE(Maastricht) is a Paediatrician and Health Profession Educationalist. She is a Professor and Past Head of the Department of Paediatrics & Child Health and Past Chairperson of the Teaching and Learning Committee of the Makerere University College of Health Sciences Makerere University. Prof Kiguli was a Council Member of Makerere University, Representing the Senate (2010-18). She is a Fellow of the Foundation for the Advancement of  International Medical Education and Research ( FAIMER) Institute, President of the East African Health Professionals Educators (EAHPE) Association, Member Uganda National Immunization Technical Advisory Group,  Past Member of the Executive Committee of the Network-Towards Unity for Health (Network-TUFH) representing the Sub-Saharan Region, Women and Health Task Force of the Network-TUFH, and served as  Global Faculty Advisor for the FAIMER Institute, and Faculty for the Southern Africa Foundation of Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (SAFRI) and sits on several National and International Boards. In addition, she is a Founder Member of the Women and Health: Together for the Future organization. Professor Kiguli is the current President of the Association of Uganda Women Medical Doctors (2018-2020). She served in the same position for four years (2003-2007). During the last 15 years, she has focused on advancing health professions education, Paediatrics Clinical Research and Services. Her main research areas have included Emergency Pediatrics, Child Health, Childhood Tuberculosis, Sickle Cell Anaemia, and Health Professions Education. She has been involved in  Clinical Trials involving Fluid Resuscitation, Blood Transfusion, and Children’s Oxygen Administration Strategies in severely sick children in low-resource settings.

Sally currently works as a Senior Advisor for Digital Public Health. Dr. Stansfield has more than 30 years of expertise in strengthening health systems, focusing on health information, communication, and technology; data maximization; metrics for evaluation; network development and partnership management.

Sabrina Bakeera-Kitaka is a Ugandan Medical Doctor specializing in Paediatrics, Child Health, and Paediatric Infectious Diseases Adolescent Medicine. She is passionate about child and adolescent health, specifically in the area of disease prevention, using available technologies such as vaccinations. Sabrina is a team builder and an inspiration for the girl child and young women. She completed her MBChB in 1995; her Masters of Paediatrics and Child Health in July 2012, both at Makerere University. She was a Gilead Fellow and then Research Scholar at the Infectious Diseases Institute from 2003-2011. She undertook a Fellowship in Paediatric Infectious Diseases and researched HIV-infected adolescents. She has a Ph.D. from the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Antwerp, Belgium. She is involved in conducting primary research in various Paediatrics Infectious Diseases and offers clinical care to HIV-infected children and adolescents, most of whom are perinatally infected. She directs the Adolescent Health training program at the Makerere University College of Health Sciences and is the Founder and President of the Society of Adolescent Health in Uganda(www.sahu.ug). Dr.Kitaka is also an active member of the African Paediatric Society of Infectious Diseases(AFSPID)

Dr. Rose Chalo Nabirye is a Registered Nurse/Midwife (BSN) with an Advanced Diploma in Health Services Management, a Master of Public Health (MPH), and a Ph.D. (Nursing). A former Head of the Department of Nursing and Dean of the School of Health Sciences, Makerere College of Health Sciences, she is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences at Busitema University. Before joining academia in 2003, Rose was a Clinical Nurse/Midwife in various units at Mulago National Referral and Teaching Hospital in Uganda for over 20 years. She also served as Manager in the Masaka district from 2000 to 2003 under the Early Childhood Development Project (NECDP). This national program exposed her to working with communities and local governments. Throughout her career journey, she has been interested and actively engaged in research about health services delivery and health professionals’ education. As a nurse/midwife educator, she has supervised and mentored many undergraduate and graduate medical and nursing students to conduct research. She is an Adjunct Faculty for John Hopkins University School of Nursing (JHU SON). Part of her responsibility is supervising and mentoring exchange students who come to Uganda for research or Community-Based Education, Service, and Research (COBERS) experience. She has served on several Boards/Governing Councils, including Mulago Health Tutors College, Mulago School of Nursing and Midwifery, Uganda Nurses and Midwives Council, Peace Corps Uganda Project, Seed Global Advisory Committees, and Mengo Hospital Board Audit and Risk Management Committee. She is also a Council member of the African Forum for Research and Education in Health (AFREhealth) and a Fellow of the Uganda Academy of Sciences (UNAS). Rose was also a member of the Uganda Nursing Now Campaign National Steering Committee. Her current efforts are the promotion of Inter-Professional Education and Practice (IPE and IPP) among health professionals and building the capacity of health professionals, especially nurses, and midwives, to conduct research that would improve nursing and midwifery services and also women and child health.

Rhoda Wanyenze is a physician, public health consultant, academic and medical administrator who serves as the Dean of Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), a component school of Makerere University College of Health Sciences, which is part of Makerere University, Uganda’s oldest and largest public university. Dr. Wanyenze has extensive experience in research, capacity building, program management, and policy development in various public health areas, especially in infectious diseases, sexual and reproductive health, and health systems. Dr. Wanyenze has expanded her work to address various health determinants within the sustainable development goals framework. She has extensive public health experience in Africa. She has led a vast network of research partnerships with academic institutions and ministries of health in the region, including a partnership to enhance analytical capacity and data use (in TB, HIV, and Malaria) across 13 African countries. She has recently concluded an assessment of the COVID-19 response experience of five African countries. Dr. Wanyenze has vast governance experience and has served on Boards for organizations in Uganda and globally. She currently serves on the COVID-19 Scientific Advisory and the Vaccine Advisory Committees of the Ministry of Health, Uganda, as a Board member of the Uganda AIDS Commission and Board Chair for Baylor Uganda. She has also served on the Board of The Global Law Enforcement and Public Health (GLEPHA), the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), as Board Member and Chair of the AIDS Information Center (AIC) Uganda, and The AIDS Support Organization (TASO). She is a Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Science.

Dr. Richard Deckelbaum is the Founding Scientist of DeckTherapeutics, Inc., and serves as Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board. He is the Immediate Past Director of the Institute of Human Nutrition, a Professor of Pediatrics and of Epidemiology, and Robert R. Williams, a Professor of Nutrition at Columbia University. Dr. Deckelbaum has published over 400 research and other publications, edited several books, chaired task forces for the American Heart Association, the European Atherosclerosis Society, the Institute of Medicine, and the March of Dimes, and has served on advisory committees of the National Institutes of Health, RAND Corporation, WHO, and the U.S.A. National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Deckelbaum has held advisory roles relating to clinical applications of lipids with several major nutrition and pharmaceutical companies. He served on the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences and is a Senior Fellow of the Synergos Institute. Dr. Deckelbaum’s laboratory has been funded for over 30 years by NIH and other grants focusing on i.v. Lipid emulsions, lipid metabolism, and omega-3 fatty acids. His recent studies have defined the ability of i.v. omega-3 molecules to act acutely via pleiotropic mechanisms in cytoprotection after organ injuries.

Prof. Pontiano Kaleebu is the Director of the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and Director of the MRC/UVRI and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Uganda Research Unit. He is a professor of immunovirology at the LSHTM. He holds a medical degree from Makerere University, a diploma in immunology, and a Ph.D. from the University of London. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians-Edinburgh, a Fellow of Imperial College London, Faculty of Medicine, a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the United Kingdom, and a Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences.  He has co-authored more than 350 publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals and book chapters. His main research interests are vaccine research, including understanding protective immune responses, viral diversity, and resistance to antiretroviral drugs. He co-founded the UVRI-IAVI HIV Vaccine Program, a partnership with IAVI that has contributed to HIV vaccine research. He chaired the African AIDS Vaccine Programme (AAVP) under WHO for many years. He is a member of the Ministry of Health COVID-19 Scientific Advisory Committee and the COVID-19 Vaccine Access Committee and chairs the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 Laboratory Testing and Quality Assurance Committee. In addition, he chairs the Ministry of Health Technical Working Group on HIV drug resistance and sits on the ART subcommittee. He sits on several other National and International committees, including those for WHO, Africa CDC, EDCTP, and USA NIH. He is a member of the EDCTP General Assembly, representing Uganda, and is the overall coordinator of the EDCTP East African Network of Excellence, EACCR. He has won many International research grants and trained many scientists. In addition, he has won many national and international awards, including recently in 2020, Recognition of Excellence in the fight against COVID-19 and other viruses by the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation.

Dr. Peter Olupot-Olupot is a medical doctor who holds MB.Ch.B, MPH, and Ph.D. He has 18 years of experience in clinical practice with a nested ten years in clinical research. Dr. Olupot- Olupot’s leading research is mainly in the areas of infectious diseases in Africa. Currently, he is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Public Health, Busitema University Faculty of Health Sciences, Mbale Campus. He is also an Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer with Imperial College London, UK, and an Honorary Research Associate at the University of Liverpool, UK. Professionally, he is registered with the Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council (UMDPC), and he is a member of the Uganda Medical Association (UMA).

Pauline Byakika–Kibwika, MBChB, MSc CEB, M. Med, Ph.D., is a Ugandan specialist physician, internist, epidemiologist, academic, and researcher who serves as an Associate Professor and lecturer of Medicine at Makerere University College of Health Sciences. She is currently the Head of the Medicine Department.

Dr. Kiondo, Paul, is a healthcare practitioner specializing as an Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, in Mulago, Kampala,

Nelson K. Sewankambo MBChB, MSc, M.MED, FRCP, LLD (HC) is a Professor Emeritus, a former Dean of Makerere University Medical School, Uganda, and a past Principal Makerere University College of Health Sciences. He is a member of the AFREhealth Governing Council. He was Chair of the MEPI Council in 2013, culminating in AFREhealth. During his academic career, he facilitated the establishment of many collaborations between Makerere University and institutions in both high and low or middle-income countries. He has a wide experience as a Principal Investigator and investigator on several capacity-building projects of health professionals that are externally funded, including a MEPI consortium of Ugandan Universities that jointly addressed the country’s health workforce education needs; NURTURE: Research training and mentoring program for the career development of junior and mid-level faculty at Makerere; Training Health Researchers into Vocational Education in East Africa (THRiVE) consortium of seven African institutions and two UK universities. He steered the development of an East African effort that led to an internationally acclaimed institutional brokerage mechanism for linking research to policy and action, “The REACH Policy Initiative” under the East African Community. He is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in London; an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Johns Hopkins University, School of Public Health; a Grand Silver Medal from Karolinska Institutet, Sweden; a Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa from McMaster University, and is Honorary Fellow of London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He is an external affiliate of the US National Institute of Medicine and a fellow of the African Academy of Sciences. Former President of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences

Moses R. Kamya, MBChB, MMed, MPH, PhD. is a Professor of Medicine at Makerere University College of Health Sciences in Kampala, Uganda. He formally trained in internal medicine at Makerere University (1991) and in Epidemiology at the University of California, Berkeley and has a PhD in Biomedical sciences from the University of Antwerp, Belgium.

Prof. Moses Joloba is the current Dean School of Biomedical Sciences, Makerere University College of Health Sciences. He was Head of the Department of Medical Microbiology (2005 – 2014). Professor Moses Joloba has developed skills in conducting clinical microbiology and molecular biology, laboratory-based research and training, and building laboratory capacity in Uganda and other countries. Initially, he graduated as a physician at Makerere Medical School in 1994 and later as a clinical microbiologist at Case Western Reserve University (he graduated in May 1996 with MS Degree). After this, he returned to Uganda and took a faculty position at Makerere University Department of Medical Microbiology. He also helped to establish a TB laboratory for the Tuberculosis Research Units (TBRU) and became its technical director and later a scientific director site (1996 – 1999). From 2000 – 2003, Professor Joloba undertook a Ph.D. course at Case Western in Microbiology and Molecular Biology. After his return Professor Joloba, he established Molecular Biology, Immunology, and mycobacteriology laboratories and a Biorepository at the University. He became the Director of the National TB Reference Laboratory, now a supranational laboratory Prof. Joloba has won many grants and published over 140 peer-reviewed papers. He is a reviewer for six journals and trained 18 PhDs to completion.

Prof. John Tuhe Kakitahi, who is also a nutritionist, served the Institute of Public Health from 1988 to 1991. With more than 30 years of professional experience in Public Health and nutrition, Prof. Kakitahi taught public health nutrition, emphasizing community-based extension work in the Department of Community Health and Behavioral Sciences. He was appointed Deputy Principal of the College of Health Sciences in 2008

Jo Ivey Boufford is a Clinical Professor of Global Health at the New York University School of Global Public Health and a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the New York University School of Medicine. She is President Emeritus of The New York Academy of Medicine and the Immediate Past President of the International Society for Urban Health (2017-9). Previously, she served as dean of the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University from June 1997 to November 2002. She also served in many other leadership positions with the World Health Organization, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, and the New York State Public Health and Health Planning Council. Dr. Boufford was elected to membership in the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine) in 1992 and as a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration in 2005. She has received numerous honorary doctorate of science degrees.

James Tumwine is a Paediatrics and Child Health Professor at Kabale University School of Medicine (KABSOM). He is also the Dean of KABSOM and Professor Emeritus at Makerere University College of Health Sciences. He is an educationist interested in training teachers and doctors in sub-Saharan Africa. He has considerable cooperate governance experience ranging from work with Oxfam (OK and I) to chairing NTC Kabale. He has been coordinating Graduate Training and Research in the MakCHS. His cooperate governance experience has been gained through chairing the Joint Medical Stores (JMS) Board, Kabale University Council, NTC Kabale, and others. His unique preoccupation is in training clinicians and researchers to try and unravel the mysteries behind ill health, especially malnutrition, and susceptibility to disease in the African child. The role played by communities, especially Science teachers, is key in this process.

James M. Ntambi is a Biochemistry and Nutritional Sciences Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. Ntambi received his BSc and MSc degrees in Biochemistry and Chemistry from Makerere University in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA. Ntambi has made distinguished contributions to the field of nutritional biochemistry with his pioneering work o genetic regulation of stearoyl-CoA desaturase which has led to many new insights into metabolism and to disease states such as obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis, inflammation and cancer. His pioneering work will help explain the complex aspects of the “metabolic syndrome” will advance our understanding of nutrient gene interactions. Ntambi has published more than 190 peer-reviewed scientific papers. Ntambi is also involved in international research and student and faculty exchange programs between Makerere University Uganda and the Univ Wisconsin-Madison. He has received numerous awards, including the Osborne and Mendel A Steenbock Career Development A Arthur J. Maurer Extra Mile Award, E International Activities Award, the Distinguished Chancellor’s Teaching Award and the American Society for B Exemplary Contribution to Education A sections and is a member of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Food Nutrition Boar National Institutes of Alcoholism and alcohol abuse (NIAAA) Board of Scientific Counselors. He has been invited to present seminars on obesity and diabetes research conferences in the USA and other countries and serves on numerous scientific committees and advisories to government agencies. Ntambi is a Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences.

Professor Kayingo has extensive experience in scholarship, education, leadership, clinical practice, and global health. As assistant dean of research, Dr. Kayingo seeks to advance the research mission by nurturing scholarship and the growth of extramural research funding for physician assistant education and practice. His research interests relate to health professions education, health care delivery science and the intersection of infectious diseases and substance use disorders/addiction. His clinical interests are in primary care settings and advancing rural health. Nationally, Professor Kayingo has served as a board member for various organizations and as associate editor of BMC Health Services Research. He has co-authored three books on health professions education and published extensively on health systems science and infectious diseases in peer-reviewed journals. He receives several awards, including a university book prize, the 2016 American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) PA Student Academy Mentor Award, the 2015 AAPA Research Publishing Award, and the 2014 Jack Cole Society Award from Yale University.

Frederick Ian Bantubano Kayanja (born August 4, 1938) is a Ugandan Veterinarian, Academic, and Academic Administrator. He has been the Chancellor of Gulu University, a public institution of higher education, since October 2014. He is a former Mbarara University of Science and Technology, vice chancellor. He assumed that position in 1989 and stepped down in October 2014. Before that, he served as the deputy vice-chancellor of Makerere University, Uganda’s oldest and largest public university. Kayanja holds a Bachelor of Science degree, awarded by the  University of London in 1963. His Master of Science degree, obtained in 1965, and his degree of Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine, obtained in 1967, were both awarded by the same university. In 1969, he obtained a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of East Africa, Kenya, the precursor to the University of Nairobi. In the 1960s, Kayanja worked as an Assistant Lecturer at the University of London from 1965 until 1966. He then served as a lecturer at the same university from 1966 until 1968. He then worked as a lecturer at the University Nairobi, in Kenya, from 1968 until 1970, when he was promoted to Senior Lecturer, serving in that capacity from 1970 until 1972. In 1972, he was promoted to Associate Professor and served there until 1973. In 1974 Kayanja was hired by Makerere University as a Professor, serving in that capacity until 1982. He also served as a Fellow and Visiting Professor at Wolfson College of the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom from 1982 until 1984. Kayanja has also worked in several institutions both inside and outside of Uganda, including (a) Lecturer at the University of London in the United Kingdom, (b) Associate professor at the University of Nairobi (c) Professor and dean at Makerere University, (d) Chairman of the Uganda National Agricultural Research Organization (e) Chairman of the Uganda National Council for Higher Education.

Francis Gervase Omaswa is a Ugandan cardiovascular surgeon, academic, and administrator. He was installed as the chancellor of Soroti University, one of the nine public universities in Uganda at that time, in August 2022. Prof. Francis Omaswa is a Makerere Medical School, Uganda graduate, a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, and a Senior Associate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He has several qualifications in health management and medical education. He is the Executive Director of the African Centre for Global Health and Social Transformation (CHEST), an initiative incorporated in Uganda and promoted by a network of African and International leaders in health and development. “CHEST is an independent “Think Tank and Network” that works to stimulate the growth of African-rooted capacity for leadership and excellence in health and to make Africa a stronger player in health. Until May 2008, Prof. Francis Gervase Omaswa was a Special Adviser to the World Health Organization (WHO), Director General, and founding Executive Director of the Global Health Workforce Alliance (GHWA), a partnership dedicated to identifying and providing solutions to the global health workforce crisis. This work culminated in the first-ever global forum on human resources for health, organized by Professor Omaswa, which adopted the “Kampala Declaration and Agenda for Global Action” that now guides the global response on health workforce development. Between 1999 – 2005, Prof. Francis Omaswa was the Director General of Health Services in the Ministry of Health in Uganda. During that time, Prof. Francis Omaswa was responsible for coordinating and implementing major reforms in the health sector in Uganda, which included the introduction of the Swaps, quality assurance, and decentralization. Prof. Francis Gervase Omaswa has been the Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Nairobi and Kenyatta National Hospital in Kenya. He is a founding Director of the Uganda Heart Institute and Associate Professor of Surgery at Makerere University, Uganda. Prof. Francis Gervase Omaswa has also taught at Liverpool University in England. He is the founding President of the College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa, whose head is in Arusha, Tanzania. He has published in many areas of surgery, infectious disease, health system reform, and health services management, including human resources for health. Prof. Omaswa is the lead editor of the Manual for Quality Assurance of Health Care and has contributed to chapters in other books. His current research interests are the Leadership Capacity of Ministers and Ministries of Health, Health Systems Governance, Capacity Needs of African Medical Schools, Health Worker migration, retention and distribution. In the community, Prof. Francis Gervase Omaswa has served on many boards in schools and universities, civil society, the private sector and parastatals in several cases as the Chair of these boards. Because of his excellent work, Omaswa has received multiple meritious awards. A Street has been named after Prof. Francis Gervase Omaswa in his hometown, Soroti District. At the global level, he is the current chair of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) Independent Review Committee, Senior Advisor to the Ministerial Leadership Initiative for Global Health, Co-Chair of the Health Worker Migration Policy Council and the Sub-Saharan African Medical Schools Study. Prof. Francis Omaswa has also served as the founding Chair of the Global Stop TB Partnership, Chair of the Portfolio and Procurement Committee of the Global Fund Board. He was a steering committee member of the High-Level Forum on health-related MDGs. At the African Level, he has served on many committees and expert panels: he was the lead consultant in developing the African Union HIV Policy, and he was on a panel of experts that developed guidelines for monitoring of the implementation of the African Union Abuja Declaration on HIV, a member of WHO Afro Task Force on Poverty and Health. He has advised the government on health policy and strategy in developing and developed countries. He has access to a vast network of contacts in international health. Professor Omaswa is a graduate of Makerere Medical School, Uganda, a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, and is a Senior Associate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He has several qualifications in health services management and medical education.

Prof. Mirembe Is a retired professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology with extensive experience in teaching, research, and publications in the fields of maternal mortality and morbidity, cervical cancer, screening, early diagnosis, treatment, and vaccination. She has supervised several students working on various topics, including breast cancer, adolescent health, and HIV/AIDS. Dr. Mirembe was instrumental in introducing the mother-child HIV prevention program (PMTCT) in Uganda and has worked on several HIV/AIDS initiatives. She started the Naguru Teenage Center to address the burden of adolescent pregnancy. Dr. Mirembe is working with Makerere University and John Hopkins University on empowering women to prevent HIV infection and transmission. She has received numerous recognitions and awards for her contributions, including a Meritorious Award from Save the Mother Building and the International Federation of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians. She sits on several boards and committees, including Population, Medical International Development, Women’s Bodies, Schools, and Church. She is dedicated to women’s health, particularly the young, and the development of competent and committed healthcare professionals.

Dr David Serwadda is a Professor in the Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health at Makerere University School of Public Health and was  Dean from 2003-2009. He has a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degree (1982) from Makerere University, Masters in Metabolic Medicine(1986) from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Masters in Internal Medicine(1990) from Makerere University, Masters in Public Health ( 1991) Johns Hopkins University and a honorary doctorate ( 2011) Johns Hopkins University. He was elected Fellow of the National Academy of Medicine in 2011.  His field of specialty is infectious disease epidemiology, and his research interests include the evaluation of population-based HIV intervention and clinical management of HIV. He founded the Rakai Health Science Program, RHSP, which has pioneered research on HIV and how it is transmitted. Today the program includes 650 support staff and multidisciplinary investigators that have conducted high-impact research with huge public health implications. Dr. Serwadda has published over 350 publications in medical journals and book chapters. He is the Principal international investigator to HIV Prevention Trial Network, HPTN, and an investigator in several projects in the school, including the METS, Fellowship program. He is a member of the international editors of the Lancet HIV and a regular reviewer for the New England Journal of Medicine and AIDS journals. Dr. Serwadda is a member of the Board of Trustees of several international organizations. He is a recipient of numerous local and international awards. Previously he worked as Head of the Department of disease control and environmental health and Dean of the School of public health. Professor Serwadda was in December 2019 appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Population Council. In the same month, he was elected together with 36 others among the world’s most accomplished scientists living in or focused on the developing world by The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS). The globally recognized HIV scientist and founding member of Rakai Health Sciences Research Program was the first to identify “Slim disease” as AIDS in Uganda in 1982; he conducted several landmark studies that have informed the test and treat concept, circumcision for prevention, and population-level impact on reducing new HIV infections.

PROF. GRACE NDEEZI is the UNAS Treasurer and Council Member. She is a Paediatrics and Child Health professor at Makerere University of Health Sciences and a Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences (UNAS). She holds a PhD from Makerere University and the University of Bergen (joint). She is an active researcher, has 80 publications in peer-reviewed journals and has published on various topics in her field, mainly on Nutrition, HIV, Pneumonia, Malaria, Sickle cell anaemia, diarrhoeal diseases, neonatal Health and child health interventions such as immunization, breastfeeding and other common childhood diseases. She is a reviewer for several scientific journals and an editor of communication for better health digest. She has won competitive research grants such as Grand Challenges Canada, NIH and European Union. Most grants have involved collaborative research with institutions such as Tufts, University of Montpellier, University of Bergen, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and the World Health Organization. She is an excellent teacher and clinician. She has supervised 28 Masters of Medicine dissertations to completion, supervising 4 PhD students and has examined PhD candidates since 2012. She has also taught HIV courses at the University of Bergen. She is a member of several committees at the College of Health Sciences, the Joint Clinical Research Centre, Uganda, and the Infectious Diseases Institute (Makerere University) Research Committees. She is committed to serving the wider community and has been an external examiner for Gulu, Mbarara, Nkozi and the University of Zimbabwe.  She has worked with committees of Uganda National Health Programs such as paediatric HIV, Malaria, and Newborn Health and also facilitated courses in Eritrea and Kenya.  

PROF. PAUL WAAKO is the second Vice Chancellor of Busitema University, a public University focusing on science and technology. Professor Waako is the Founder and Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences. He has the vast academic experience, having held various positions at the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at Makerere University, Uganda. In addition to obtaining a PhD in Clinical Pharmacology from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, he was made a Senior Research Fellow at Queen Mary University, London and a Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences. Professor Waako brings 24 years of professional experience to Busitema University. He has previously served as a consultant to several USAID-supported programs, and a member of the sevenman World Health Organization (WHO) – International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (IUPHAR) joint task force for developing Clinical Pharmacology in Africa. Member of the task force for the establishment of Kabale University Medical School and has been Visiting Professor and External examiner at several Universities. He has also served on several national and international technical committees. These include the Pharmacovigilance and the Traditional and Complementary Medicines committees of the National Drug Authority, The Uganda Medicines Control Authority Bill drafting committee, the National task force for policy formulation on Traditional and Complementary Medicines, Ministry of Health task force for the development of a new Health Promotion Policy for Uganda and the East, Central and Southern African Health Community (ESCA) working group on Human resources for Health. Professor Waako spearheaded the development of an innovative health training curriculum at Busitema University Faculty of Health Sciences. The training program provides a vibrant Community-Based Education Research and Service (COBERS) program with students undergoing community placement for four weeks each academic year for the first three years of training. With COBERS, a strong team of preceptors has been trained to support students, and students gain skills in research proposal writing and linking theory to actual practice in the community.    

PROF. PHILIPPA M. MUSOKE qualified with a medical degree (MB Ch B) from Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, in 1981. Her Paedriatic speciality training was obtained from Louisville, Kentucky and sub-speciality training in infectious diseases from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA (1994). Her current appointment is Professor in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University. In addition, she is the Principal site Investigator for the Makerere University-John Hopkins University clinical research site, Kampala, Uganda, in the NIH-supported IMPAACT Network. She is board certified in Paediatric infectious diseases and has conducted clinical trials in perinatal HIV prevention and childhood tuberculosis since 1995. More recently, she has implemented studies/programs for paediatric antiretroviral therapy in resource-limited settings. Her areas of research interest are prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission through breastfeeding, simplifying antiretroviral regimens for children from resource-limited settings and epidemiology, and diagnosis and immunology of childhood tuberculosis. Prof. Philippa Musoke is a Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences.

PROF. JOHN FRANCIS MUGISHA is the Vice Chancellor of Cavendish University Uganda (CUU), which he joined in 2016 from Uganda Martyrs University (UMU), where he had served as Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences for six years. His experience in Higher Education spans over 18 years in which he has conducted research, published widely and developed curricula for programmes in Public Health and Health Services Management. He has researched and contributed to knowledge in areas of health planning and management, which include costing hospital services, determining workload-based staffing requirements for hospitals, which he pioneered in Uganda; effects of reducing and flattening user fees by Mission-based hospitals on equity and sustainability; funding mechanisms for health training institutions etcetera. Of late, his research has focused on improving maternal and reproductive health – focusing on incentives for maternal referral, improving antenatal care services and rehabilitation of obstetric fistula patients before and after repair. As a member of the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) and Vice Chairman of the Uganda Vice Chancellors’ Forum, Prof Mugisha has contributed to improving standards for teaching and learning, research and innovation in universities. After the shutdown of educational institutions due to Covid-19, he quickly transitioned his university to online study using a learning platform he had installed in 2017. He helped to design standards for Online, Distance and e-Learning (ODeL) that assisted other universities. His university was the first to conduct Virtual and Scientific Graduation in Uganda. He developed guidelines to help other universities in doing so. As a member of the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group, he contributed to decisions on priority groups to benefit from vaccinations and selecting the types of vaccines to come into the country. His contributions to Education and Public Health were recognized when he received a Presidential Medal award in 2018.

DR. TERRY PILOYA WERE is a Senior Lecturer and paediatric endocrinologist Department of Paediatrics Makerere University. She has clinical and research experience in Child Health and paediatric endocrinology. She is the founding faculty member of the 1st public Paediatric Endocrinology Clinic at Mulago National Referral Hospital, the teaching hospital for Makerere University in 2013. This Endocrinology clinic has treated over 700 children with other childhood endocrine disorders other than diabetes (DM). She has also supported the growth of paediatric diabetes management in this country. With approximately 300 children at Mulago with DM, but provides outreach clinical mentorship services to the over 3000 children and adolescents registered with DM throughout the country. Her primary research areas include infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases and child health. She has been a principal / co-investigator and mentor in several research grants, with publications impacting clinical care. As an expert in paediatric endocrinology, she has supported teaching, clinical care and research for medical students, graduate students and Endocrinology fellows at Makerere University and global collaborative institutions. Research output in paediatric diabetes has grown in the institution with more diabetes research that has greatly informed the management of paediatric diabetes in the country with improved quality of life for children with DM. She has significantly established paediatric Endocrinology infrastructure in Africa through the African Society of Paediatric Endocrinology. She is effective at leading and coordinating teams. Her current position as an academic scholar puts her in an excellent place to advance the goals of UNAS fellows in positively impacting governance and equitable societal development in Uganda and beyond.

DR.PETER WAISWA is a global maternal, newborn, and child health research expert. He has published over 160 articles in peer-reviewed journals. He is ranked among the world’s top 0.1% researchers of infant mortality (https://expertscape.com/au/infant+mortality/Waiswa%2C+P) https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ylPProwAAAAJ&hl=en These papers come from mostly novel implementation research and other innovative projects that often inform scale up and policy influence. Dr. Waiswa is a frequent advisor to international maternal, newborn and child health organizations, including the WHO, UNICEF, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the International Pediatric Association, the East African Community, African Academy of Sciences. More recently, he was appointed by the WHO Director General to the WHO Strategic and Technical Advisory Group of Experts for Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition. Africa capacity building and policy influence: Dr. Waiswa has mentored and created centres of excellence currently being used as platforms for supporting emerging policy and maternal newborn health scholars in Uganda and Africa. The platforms he has made include the Makerere University Maternal Newborn and Child Health Centre of Excellence (www.mnh.musph.ac.ug), and IN-DEPTH Network Maternal Newborn and Child Health Working Group (www.indepth-network.org/). Started the Makerere University Maternal Newborn and Child Health Centre of Excellence and the IN-DEPTH Network Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Research Group. The former advances MNCH issues mainly in Uganda, whereas the latter around the world. IN-DEPTH is a network of over 54 Health Demographic Surveillance Sites (HDSS) in over 25 countries in Africa and Asia. I helped start both groups from scratch, but I was able to employ my leadership and management capability to develop a common understanding and strategic agendas and used them to influence works in and outside the individual countries. He provided agile leadership and empowerment to motivate and lead teams to deliver superior performance while encouraging collaboration internally and externally. Our networks now span Africa, Asia, Europe, the USA, and Canada.

DANIEL J. KYABAYINZE (PhD) is a Clinical Epidemiologist, Public Health Practitioner, and Medical Doctor currently working for the Ministry of Health as Director of Health Services-Public Health and National Vaccination Commander for COVID -19. He is a researcher interested in Infectious Diseases and Global Health Leadership. He is a graduate of Mbarara University, Makerere and the University of Antwerp, Belgium, with fellowships from the University of California and a Post Graduate Diploma in Organizational Leadership from Southeastern University (USA)/Watoto Christian Halls. He has authored a book and contributed to over fifty scientific publications. Daniel models and practices character-based self-leadership. He is result-oriented and able to collaborate with persons from diverse backgrounds. He is a Christian, married parent, and parent to four teenagers. Daniel is interested in social development and raising future leaders. He supports the Uganda Swimming federations as a Team physician. He is a founding member of the CEDAR investment group and a past committed member of the YSAVE multipurpose cooperative. These groups teach and encourage young adults to save and provide financial literacy. As a member of Watoto Church, his family contributed to looking after orphans and widows affected by AIDS and wars in Uganda. He also supports pre-marital counselling free services in the community. He is a frequent guest, and many radio and TV health promotion shows provide public health messages. Daniel oversees the deployment of over forty million doses of six vaccine antigens. His focus is to promote vaccine uptake, especially among the elderly and persons with co-morbidities. One of his pass time hobbies is football and game-watching.

She is a Medical doctor and Public Health specialist from the University of Amsterdam. She is the Executive Director, of Joint Clinical Research Centre. She has 28 years of experience in HIV clinical care and health research with 194 publications in peer-reviewed journals. She pioneered with other Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) doctors prescribing ART in sub-Saharan Africa from 1992. She has been at the forefront of scaling up HIV treatment and ART use in Uganda since 2003. As a member of the AIDS Taskforce and Chair of the Uganda AIDS Clinical Care Subcommittee, she was involved in planning and writing the first national strategic plan and ARV policy to increase HIV care/ARVs in Uganda. She has been PI/Co-PI or investigator for over 80 research projects in epidemiological trials of HIV treatment and associated infections, intervention studies for HIV prevention, and HIV vaccines. These pioneering research projects have informed policy and clinical practice in Uganda and other developing countries. She is the site PI for JCRC Clinical Research Site (CRS) of the US NIH AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) network running for over15 years now. She played a crucial role in developing the JCRC state-of-the-art clinical and research laboratory equipped to perform various tests, including molecular biology, HIV drug resistance (HIVDR), Tuberculosis, and pharmacokinetic studies. She is the Director of the JCRC College of American Pathologists (CAP) certified laboratories with the most extensive menu in the country. She serves as an executive member on various local and international scientific committees in HIV research, prevention, and treatment and provides mentorship to both local and international scientists.

He is the Vice-Chancellor, of Mbarara University of Science and Technology and a Professor of Pharmacology and Therapeutics. He holds MD (Dar), MSc (Pharmacology- Mak), and Ph.D. (Karolinska Institute/Makerere University). Prof Obua served in various capacities at Makerere University as Deputy Principal, College of Health Sciences. He has researched widely in the field of drugs and their use; supervised 26 graduate students, including 10 PhDs with over 50 publications. Even as VC, he is the PI of several projects, including Mak-Sida bilateral support to Public Universities in Uganda, NIH/FIC junior faculty training grant, and mentor of PHARMBIOTRAC ACE II a World Bank, both projects at MUST. Prof Obua is a member of several professional/international bodies, including Founding Member of the Uganda Pharmacological Society (UPharS) and Member International Union of Pharmacologists (IUPHAR) – Sub-committee on Pharmacology in Developing Countries; Board Member/Chairperson of the UNEB Research Committee; Board Member of MUCHAP; Member Editorial Board – Journal of Public Health Policy; Member Executive Board AICAD/Current Chairperson – AICAD General Assembly. Prof Obua is a Paul Harris Fellow.

Dr. Angelina Kakooza Mwesige (MB.Ch.B, MMed, PhD), is a Senior Lecturer and Child neurologist in the Department of Paediatrics & Child Health at Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda. Her major research interests are in the fields of infectious diseases and neurodevelopmental disorders with special emphasis on Cerebral palsy, Autism, and Epilepsy with over 80 publications in this field. She is closely involved in training post and under graduate medical and paramedical students on neurological disorders in children and has over 20 years’ experience in medical practice in low resource settings. She was a previous recipient for a Fogarty/ NIH funded study on “Neuro Developmental Disabilities in Ugandan Children” and currently is a Co-PI on an epidemiological and interventional study on Cerebral palsy in Ugandan Children, funded by the Swedish Research council and Co-PI on a Population-Based Cross-sectional Study on Epilepsy Prevalence and Barriers to Epilepsy Treatment in Uganda, with collaborators from Duke University, North Carolina, USA. She is also a Co-PI on a multisite collaborative pilot study of a mobile health application tool to assess multiple behavioral risk markers of Autism Spectrum Disorder among children in Uganda, Tanzania and South Africa with researchers from Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center, Tanzania; University of Cape town, South Africa and Duke University, North Carolina, USA. Her postdoctoral research fellowship funded by DELTAS Africa Initiative to Training Health Researchers into Vocational Excellence in East Africa (THRiVE-2) program, focuses on investigating Zika virus prevalence, Congenital Zika syndrome and its effects on the developing human brain in Ugandan children. This fellowship is in collaboration with the University of Cambridge, UK.   She is the President of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE)- Africa region (2017-2021). She is a board member on the African Child Neurology Association; African Regional Committee of the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO-ARC) and the Women in World Neuroscience (WWN), a branch of the International Brian Research Organization (IBRO). She is a member of the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AACPDM). She has been instrumental in the founding of the East African Academy on Childhood Disability, where she is the current treasurer. She is a member of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences (UNAS) and has served as a committee member on two United States National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) evaluation committees.  

She is the theme leader for Vaccines and Immunity and head of the Immunomodulation and Vaccines research program at the M.R.C./Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) LSHTM Uganda Research Unit. She is also director of the Makerere University – UVRI Centre of Excellence for Infection and Immunity Research and Training and a Professor of Tropical Medicine at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. She became interested in parasitology and research in Africa as an undergraduate, and this interest was encouraged further by an elective in The Gambia. After completing medical training, she joined the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and, during the late ’80s and early ’90s, undertook studies on the interaction between tuberculosis and HIV infection in Zambia. An infectious diseases fellowship in Denver, Colorado, followed, providing an opportunity to learn about the management of drug-resistant tuberculosis and laboratory immunology. This enabled her to plan and conduct subsequent clinical-immuno-epidemiological studies. Since 1997 she has been based in Uganda at the Uganda Virus Research Institute. Current interests focus on the effects of chronic, immunomodulating infections (such as helminth infections) on immune responses to vaccines, infectious and allergic disease incidence in children in Uganda, and research capacity building in Africa. Prof. Alison Mary Elliott was inducted as a Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences in the Health and Medical Sciences category.

Is a distinguished scientist and lead researcher on an innovative malaria control programme under the Presidential Initiative for Malaria Research. On Labour Day in 2013, H.E. President Yoweri Museveni recognized Dr. Musoke’s labour and innovation, and awarded him funds to pursue phase 2 (product development) of the programme. The programme is housed at Nkumba University’s School of Hospitality and Environment Sciences. Dr. Miph Musoke was in mid 2011 nominated for recognition with the Albert Einstein Science Award by the Biographical Institute, USA. The Institute, established in the 1940s, recognizes individual’s profound scientific contribution to humanity. Dr. Musoke is the pioneer (1977) and the current (2011) National Secretary of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (NAB) Programme. He is a Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences (Medical Sciences). Prof. Musoke is a Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences.

Is a Clinical Microbiologist, Senior Lecturer, and Head of the department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Mbarara, Uganda. He is a Fulbright Fellow. His expertise is in microbiological and genetic analysis. He has coordinated a postgraduate training in the Faculty of Medicine and established an MSc in Medical Microbiology at MUST. He has written over 40 articles and supervised over 10 graduate students. He has also conducted TB studies that showed the majority of tuberculosis cases in South Western Uganda were probably due to reactivation and not ongoing transmission which made giving of Anti-retroviral drugs to HIV patients to support the immune system the best way to prevent TB in this region. He has been involved in the campaign against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through studies conducted in Mbarara. These studies have contributed to a UNAS report entitled Antibiotic Resistance in Uganda:Situation Analysis and Recommendations. That report was the basis for Uganda’s AMR National Action Plan. In 2017, he organized the 2nd national AMR conference in Mbarara to raise awareness of the AMR. He has conducted several studies on neonatal sepsis to try to understand the etiology of neonatal sepsis. These studies have redefined the cause of neonatal sepsis in Uganda and now we are working on understanding the neonatal septisome and how we can predict it.

DR. JAMES K. TIBENDERANA, a Ugandan, trained as a medical doctor at Makerere University, Kampala and as an epidemiologist at the Institute of Public Health, the University of Cambridge and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He is a malaria and public health expert with over 20 years of experience in epidemiology, infectious and tropical diseases, and health system strengthening. James joined Malaria Consortium in 2005. Before becoming Technical Director, he has been both Development Director and Africa Technical Director for the organization. Most recently, he has overseen our global business development activity and the diversification of the organization’s funding portfolio and partnerships in Africa and Asia. Before that, as Africa Technical Director, he was responsible for overseeing and coordinating the technical aspects of the Malaria Consortium’s programmes in Africa, playing a vital role in the strategy, conceptualization and design of our work there. He helped build the evidence-based for the switch from presumptive treatment to parasite-based diagnosis for malaria before treatment, supported the Uganda Ministry of Health with the change of anti-malarial treatment policy to artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) along with engaging the private sector in providing affordable and accessible ACTs and spearheaded the establishment of a national research centre for malaria in Uganda. Before joining Malaria Consortium, James worked at Uganda’s national and district levels on communicable disease control and neurosurgery. He remains actively involved in operational research on infectious diseases.

An internist and immunologist trained at Makerere University, Uganda (MBChB, 1978, MMed Internal Medicine, 1983), Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA (MSc Immunology, 1999), and a doctorate from University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2014. She is currently Professor of internal Medicine at Makerere College of Health Sciences. She was Head department of Medicine, and later the Dean of the School of Medicine at Makerere University College of Health Sciences, and is an Honorary Lecturer at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. (adjunct appointment). She is a former member of Makerere Senate, where she served on a number of senate sub-committees, and a former member of Makerere University Council, and Council appointments board. As an educator and mentor, she has supervised Masters and doctoral students, as well as served as an external examiner in Universities in Uganda, and other African Universities. She has been an external reviewer for professorial applications at Universities in Africa, and North America. Her research focuses on tuberculosis, including co-interaction with HIV, immunopathogenesis, and immune-modulation treatment among patients with HIV and tuberculosis. Other areas of research include clinical trials of new anti-TB treatments and TB vaccines in endemic country sites, and improved ways of diagnosis, prevention, and management of tuberculosis with and without HIV infection. She has conducted research specific projects in the area of cytokine and chemokine regulation in HIV/ TB interaction, and epidemiological trials in adolescents and infants in preparation for tuberculosis vaccine clinical trials in Uganda. She has widely published, has been a reviewer on various journals, and is a sub editor of the BMC infectious Disease journal. She has served on many national and international bodies; as a WHO advisor in the area of tuberculosis and clinical research towards new TB vaccine research studies, IAVI, Uganda Heart Institute, the Ugandan Medical and Dental Practitioners Council, Hospice Institute in Africa (Uganda) current Board chair.

Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MB ChB), Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (FRCPI), Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (FRCP Edin) Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences FTWAS), Fellow of Uganda National Academy of Science (FUNAS), Fellow of African Academy of Sciences (FAAS) and recipient of 4 Doctor of Science Degrees (DSchc) from universities in Uganda, Canada and Ireland. Prof. Mugyenyi, currently the President of UNAS, is a Pediatrician, researcher and specialist on HIV/AIDS and related conditions. He was the Executive Director of the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC), Kampala (1992-2017) recognized as centre of excellence in medical research, training and healthcare where he established a CAP certified research laboratory that supported many landmark, national, multicenter and international collaborative research including a pioneer HIV vaccine trial in Africa. He was among the first to introduce the use of anti-retroviral (ARV) therapy in Africa, as well as development of an effective model to effectively scale it up in resource limited countries. In his long career he has served in various capacities and held important responsibilities in national and international medical, academic and research institutions, a well as government and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Among them in Uganda include, serving as President: Uganda Pediatric Association, Chairman of Uganda Blood Transfusion Services, Medical Sciences Committee of Uganda National Council of Science and Technology, Uganda Ministry of Health AIDS Task Force and Uganda National Academy of Science Research Committee. At Mbarara University of Science and technology (MUST), he was appointed Visiting Professor of Medicine, Chairman of University Board and later the Chancellor of the MUST. Internationally he served as Editor, Journal of the international Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (Washington) Member of advisory Board of Africa International Scientific Centre -University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, Senior Associate HIV/AIDS programs: Management Sciences for Health (MSH),USA, Member; Public Health and Tropical Medicine Committee Welcome Trust, London, HIV Vaccine Trial Network (HVTN) Advisory Board, Bethesda USA, Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Global Health Advisory Board, USA, Board member Medical Research Council (MRC), Global Health Group, London UK, UNAIDS, Member of UNAIDS Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee, (STAC) Geneva. Among the international Consultancy work include, AIDS exploration in Africa-one of the first in-depth study that described the magnitude of the AIDS epidemic. Among others include Consultancy to Haiti, AIDS Control Program, AIDS Control Program of Kenya, and UN Habitat, Professor Mugyenyi is among those who championed HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and advocacy. In recognition of his role he was invited to the US Congress during the 2002 State of the Union address when President Bush announced a $15 billion emergency fund to fight the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa and the Caribbean (also known as PEPFAR). As a researcher Prof. Mugyenyi has been a Principal Investigator many landmark research projects some of them funded by National Institutes of Health (NIH), European Union, WHO and Medical Research Council (MRC). His research and publications cover a wide spectrum of HIV/AIDS, related diseases and other medical conditions. Specific areas of his research include: paediatric and adult HIV treatment, drug trials, HIV resistance, HIV prevention, immunological studies including HIV vaccine trials, pharmacokinetic, molecular and epidemiological studies as well as social and economic impact of HIV. He is an author of a number of books, book chapters and published over 200 research papers in peer reviewed journals.

Jessica Norah Aguti is a Professor of Open, Distance & e-learning at the Faculty of Science & Education, Busitema University.  She was formerly a Director Institute of Open, Distance & e-Learning at Makerere University. She worked at the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), Vancouver, as an Education Specialist, Teacher Education for three years.  Aguti joined the academia in 1990 as a lecturer in the nascent Distance Education Unit.  Over the years, Prof Aguti has actively participated in the growth and development of open, distance, and e-learning (ODeL) in universities Uganda, and in the region.  She has vast experience in designing programs, training academics in developing learning materials, and providing learner support.  Prof. Aguti has also been involved in various research and in the evaluation of different programs and believes in the democratization of education and the role of ODeL in achieving this democratization.

PhD in Linquistics

PROF. MONICA BALYA CHIBITA holds a D. Litt. et Phil. (Communication), an MA in Journalism and a B.An in Education. Her primary area of research has been the interface between media, regulation and democracy. She has over 20 peer-reviewed and industry publications, have co-edited a book and is working on another. Her work has contributed to understanding the political economy of the media and media regulation, mainly focusing on the role of indigenous languages and media. Her course on indigenous language media in Africa has been adopted by UNESCO (see http://journalismschools.unesco-ci.org/pg/pages/view/12053/) and used widely across Africa. She has been Associate Editor of the Journal of African Media Studies (JAMS) since 2009 and serves on the editorial boards of NORDICOM Review, Communicatio, African Journalism Studies and Journalism Studies. She was the Principal Investigator on the “National Electronic Media Performance Study” (2004), which informed Uganda’s first National Broadcasting policy. Since joining the Uganda Christian University in 2012, she has led the Mass Communication Department’s transition into a Faculty. She has further led teams that won several large capacity-building grants, including SIDA-SAREC, QUOTA Programme, NORHED I and NORHED II. These have transformed the capacity at Makerere and UCU, with major spin-offs for research, including several Masters and 11 PhD scholarships. She has served on several Boards, including Uganda’s Broadcasting Council, the New Vision Printing and Publishing Corporation, the African Centre for Media Excellence, the East Africa Communication Association, AMREF Health (Africa), World Vision Uganda and World Vision International. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8398-138X?lang=en  

He obtained a BA degree in History at Makerere College, University College of East Africa and MA and PhD degrees in History from the University of California, Santa Cruz. He gained a Makerere Postgraduate Diploma in Education and an Ontario Teacher’s Certificate in Canada. He has taught in Ugandan, Canadian and United States schools and lectured at ITEK (now Kyambogo University), Makerere University, Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), Khartoum University, Trent and York Universities in Canada and the University of California, Santa Cruz in the USA. After holding Professorial ranks at these universities, he rose to the rank of Vice Rector at IUIU. Prof. Kasozi served as Executive Director of the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), which guides and regulates Ugandan tertiary education. As Head of the NCHE, he championed enhanced involvement in Science and better funding of Tertiary Education System. Prof. Kasozi has played a key role in institutionalization and implementation of quality assurance procedures in tertiary training institutions in Uganda. Prof. Kasozi has researched and consulted widely in the areas of History and Islam, Social Violence, Conflict and Relocation as well as on School and Higher Education quality in Uganda. He has published and reviewed over 15 academic works, including six books. Prof. A. B. K. Kasozi is a Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences.

LLB (Hons) (Makerere University) (1975); Dip. Legal Practice (Law Development Centre, Kampala, Uganda)(1976); MA (Business Law) (Council for National Academic Awards, London)(1978); Ph.D. (Queen Mary, University of London)(1981); Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Uganda, since 1977; Professor of Commercial Law, Makerere University, Uganda, since 1998; Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences(FUNAS), since 2005, Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences(FAAS), since 2014 and Fellow of the World Academy of Sciences(FTWAS), since 2016; former Visiting Professor of Law, Uganda Christian University(January-August,2010). He has taught Commercial Law, Company Law, Law of Contract, Revenue Law & Taxation, Equity and Trusts, Insurance Law, Law of International Trade, Intellectual Property Law and Nigerian Legal System at the Nigerian Universities of Jos, Ilorin, Imo State, Ogun State and Sokoto (1981-1990) and the Ugandan Universities of Makerere(1991- to date) and Christian University, Mukono (2010) and Legal Aspects of Business at the Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute (ESAMI), Arusha, Tanzania(1999-2002). Professor Bakibinga has also supervised graduate students in the areas of intellectual property, local government taxation, acquisition and mergers, taxation, money laundering, and corporate governance. He is the author of numerous books and scholarly articles, including Law of Trusts in Nigeria (1989), Nigerian Law of Partnership (1989), Partnership Law in Uganda (1992, 2007,2011), Company Law in Uganda (1993, 2001,2013), Law of Contract in Uganda (1996, 2001,2013), Commercial Law in a Liberalized Economy: The Case of Uganda (2002), Equity and Trusts in Uganda (2003, 2006,2011), Revenue Law in Uganda (2003,2006,2012, 2019), Uganda: Property and Trust Law (IEL, 2018), Uganda: Transport Law (IEL, February 2017), Intellectual Property Law in East Africa ( 2016) and Company Law in East Africa (2019). Professor Bakibinga is a former Dean of the Faculty of Law (2002-2003), Director, School of Graduate Studies (2003-2004) and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Finance and Administration) (2004-2009), Makerere University, Uganda. He is currently the Secretary-General of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences (since October 2016). Here, Tania is responsible for all global legal and compliance-based matters, corporate security, and serves as the Company’s Secretary to the Board of Directors.

JULIANNE SUSANNE SANSA OTIM – She is a resourceful and productive scientist who takes initiative in exceeding objectives. She is a keen researcher who finds work within collaborative partnerships exciting. She is currently a Senior Lecturer at Makerere University College of Computing and Information Sciences and leads the IoT-ra lab. Under her leadership, the IoT-ra lab developed several innovative solutions, including i) a low-cost automatic weather station, ii) weather information dissemination systems, iii) weather Data repositories, and weather forecast models. These solutions were deployed not only in Uganda (in partnership with the Uganda National Meteorological Authority) but also in Tanzania, South Sudan, Ghana, and Nigeria. She has also undertaken multi-disciplinary studies with colleagues from the Health, Agriculture and Electrical Engineering disciplines. Her research lab has won research grants from a number of Development agencies, resulting in capacity building within the Computer Networks department, which she led for seven years. Julianne has published widely in international peer-reviewed journals and conferences. She received a PhD in Communications Networks from the University of Groningen, the Netherlands, after studying “Internet High-speed Data Transport Protocols.” Before that, she had completed a MSc. in Computer Science and a BSc. in Computer Science and Mathematics from Makerere University. Her current research interests are Internet for developing regions, development, Communications Network Protocol Design, telecommunication policies analysis, Quality of Service, Quality of Experience, and Systems Security. Julianne is currently the Principal Investigator of a 5-year multi-disciplinary international research project building an adaptive environment monitoring network with applications in pollinator protection and insect pest control (www.ademnea.net).

Professor of Information science and Deputy Vice Chancellor – Academic Affairs, Kyambogo University since May 2018. She also served as the University Librarian of Makerere University. She holds a B.Sc. Degree in Botany, Zoology (Makerere University) Masters and PhD degrees in Library and Information Science with special interest in Health Information. She has sustained this interest in Health Information in her academic work as she has progressed in her professional work, research, teaching and outreach activities. In this career, she has risen from Librarian, through Deputy Librarian and in-charge of the important Sir Albert Cook Memorial Library at the College of Health at Mulago Hospital (from 1995) to finally, University Librarian in 2004. In this capacity she has been instrumental in the recent expansion and development of the facilities and staffing of the largest university library in the country. During her tenure, Prof. Musoke has contributed significantly to the development of academic library services for general, health, and women and gender, as well as rural communities within and without the University. Her activities have also had wider impact due to her consultancies and membership of international bodies such as ECA, African Development Bank, WHO, International Federation of Library Associations, as well as various African and other universities overseas. She has done documentation, cataloging and bibliographic research and has contributed to methods of document delivery, supply, and access to health information for rural areas, by ICT and other means. From her research she has published widely in international media and contributed papers to many conferences and meetings. Her work has received recognition both locally and internationally winning her awards, honors and commendations leading to invitations for her to deliver keynote addresses at conferences, and for her to coordinate or participate in advisory or collaborative projects locally and internationally. Her services have been, for instance, been sought by, among others, the International Federation of Library Associations, Wiley-Blackwell’s Library Advisory Board and WHO. Her Ph.D research work, among other things, led to the revision of the ‘Slawson and Shaugnessy formula’ as reported in the BMJ in 2002. And as part of her continuing contribution to Science, she has initiated graduate courses in Health Information Systems and Services, Information Vaccines for HIV/ AIDS Prevention ( for practicing health information personnel), Information Competence and Management (for researchers and graduate students), and also a Rural Outreach Health Information Programme. She has supervised many graduate students of Information Science, and Women and Gender Studies, taught courses in Library Classification, Health Information Systems, and Management of Information Services as well as contributed to continuing postgraduate education by her bibliographic work. Prof. Musoke has an impressive record of community and outreach service and leadership. She belongs to a number of editorial, policy and professional organizations, both local and international. She has been the First Vice President of the African Regional Association of Health Information Professionals (AHILA) for two terms (1990-96); Member of the Governing Board representing Uganda on the Regional Centre for Research, Documentation on Women, Gender and Peace Building in the Great Lakes Region (2011 to date), Member of the Advisory Committee for the Annual International Conference on Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries (QQML) since 2011. Member of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) Health and Biosciences Libraries Section Standing Committee (2011-15).

Dr. Winifred Tarinyeba-Kiryabwire is an Associate Professor attached to Commercial Law Department. She teaches the Law of Business Associations, Corporate Governance, and Corporate Finance Law. She is a Commonwealth and Fulbright Scholar and has received several fellowships, including the Robert S. McNamara Fellowship of the World Bank, Fellow of the Stanford Program in International Legal Studies, and the Cambridge Commonwealth Society Fellowship. Dr. Tarinyeba is a Uganda National Academy of Sciences (UNAS) Fellow.

is a Professor of Law and the Principal, School of Law, Makerere University, where he is also the Public Interest Law Clinic (PILAC) coordinator. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and a Master of Laws in Human Rights from the University of Pretoria. He holds a Bachelor of Laws from Makerere University and a Diploma of Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre (LDC). Mbazira is a human rights expert with vast experience in human rights research and strategic litigation. His research areas include public interest litigation, economic, social, and cultural rights, governance, and democratization. Christopher teaches public international law and international and regional human rights law. He is also a keen promoter of public interest litigation in Uganda as a member of the Network of Public Interest Lawyers. Prof Mbazira has consulted widely with local and international civil society organizations, including the United Nations. In 2014, he was invited by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in collaboration with the Judicial Studies Institute (JSI) of Uganda to design a curriculum for judicial officers on the judicial enforcement of economic, social, and cultural rights. Prof Mbazira has also, on several occasions, interacted with Kenyan judicial officers at the invitation of the Judicial Training Institute (JTI). Prof. Christopher Mbazira is a Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences.

Is an Associate Professor with the Human Rights and Peace Centre (HURIPEC) and formerly a Graduate Teaching Assistant at The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada (2007-2008). He lectures on human rights in the domestic perspective, consumer law and protection, introducing law and legal methods, intellectual property law, equity and trusts to undergraduate students and international environmental law, and computers & the law to graduate students at Makerere University School of Law. He has extensive knowledge on international and comparative indigenous peoples law, rights of ethnic minorities, oil and gas law, economic, social and cultural rights and has also done work on the rights of indigenous communities in East Africa. He is an Advocate of the High Court of Uganda. His doctoral thesis at The University of Arizona was entitled Indigenous People, Human Rights, and the African Problem: The Case of the Twa, Ogiek and Maasai . He has consulted for many international and national agencies including IDRC, CIDA, DFID, IGAD, SIDA, DANIDA, NORAD, EASSI, KCK, and ACODE. His research interests include oil and gas law, electronic communications law and internet governance, intellectual property law, electronic commerce law. He is also interested in labour law, competition law and policy, national security and counter-terrorism Law, environmental law and extractives industry, and international human rights and indigenous peoples Law.

PROF. EMMANUEL B. KASIMBAZI is a Professor at the School of Law, Makerere University, a legal consultant and an advocate of the High Court of Uganda. He has a Bachelor of Laws Degree (LLB) from the University of Dar as-salaam, a Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre, a Master of Laws (LLM) Degree from the University of Calgary, Canada and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the University of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. He is the current Chair of the Environmental Law Center at Makerere University and was a Fulbright Scholar at the School of Law, University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA. His current research interests include water law and governance, oil and gas, climate change, the criminal justice system, renewable energy and health law reform. He has published widely in his various areas of research, and his publications cover the following: legal aspects of climate change, environmental law governance, regulation of oil and gas exploration and production, transboundary water resources management, legislative drafting of environmental laws, wetlands and forestry management and wildlife crimes. He has served as an External Examiner of the University of Dar es Salaam, University of Nairobi, University of Pretoria, the University of South Africa and North-West University, South Africa. He is the current President of the East African Association for Impact Assessment (EAAIA) and the Vice President of the Association for Environmental Law Lecturers in African Universities (ASSELLAU). He is active in the IUCN as a member of the Academy on Environmental Law and the IUCN Commission on Environmental Law. He has consulted for many international and national agencies, including the World Bank, the African Development Bank, United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), Nile Basin Initiative, European Union, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and various bilateral aid agencies including Germany Technical Cooperation (GTZ), United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) and Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).    

Is a Judge of Uganda’s Court of Appeal, which also serves as the country’s Constitutional Court. Prior to this she served as a Professor of Law and First Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Affairs) at Makerere University. She is a holder of a PhD in Law from the University of Copenhagen Denmark; (specialized in Criminal Law, Criminal Justice and Criminology); an LL.M in Commercial Law from Bristol, U.K.; LL.B (Honours.) from Makerere University and a Diploma in Legal Practice. She is an enrolled Advocate of Uganda’s Courts of Judicature. Professor Tibatemwa-Ekirikubinza is a highly experienced and widely researched legal scholar in Judicial and Legal matters. Her interest and scholarly contribution largely lie in the areas of Comparative Criminal Jurisprudence; Transnational Crime; Computer Crime; Human Rights Perspectives of Criminal Law; Gender, Crime and Criminology; Gender and the Law; Children’s Rights; Juvenile Justice; Rights of People with Disability; Legal aspects of Information and Communications Technology (ICT); E-Commerce, E-Evidence and Computer Crime. Her work ingeniously links the Law with the socio-economic and cultural milieu, offering an invaluable critique of the law from “a lived reality” perspective. In more recent times, Lillian has done extensive work in the area of Quality Assurance in Higher Education. She has a special interest in women’s right to education and has recently been recognized as a FAWE Prominent Educationalist. She is also a Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences and an International Women’s Leadership Forum Alumnus. She is widely published in referred journals, and among her publications are three law books: Women’s Violent Crime in Uganda: More Sinned Against than Sinning (1999); Offences Against the Person: Homicides and Non-Fatal Assaults in Uganda (2005); Criminal Law in Uganda: Sexual Assaults and Offences against Morality (2005). 1st Female to be appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Makerere University; 1st Female Associate Professor of Law in the East African Region; 1st Female (full) Professor of Law in the East African Region; 1st East African female to graduate with a Ph .D in Law; Author of pioneer text books on the substantive law of crime based on judicial interpretation of Uganda’s principal criminal legislation (the Penal Code). Hon. Lady Justice Professor Lillian Tibatemwa-Ekirikubinza is a Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences. Facebook

LLB (Hons) (Makerere University) (1975); Dip. Legal Practice (Law Development Centre, Kampala, Uganda)(1976); MA (Business Law) (Council for National Academic Awards, London)(1978); Ph.D. (Queen Mary, University of London)(1981); Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Uganda, since 1977; Professor of Commercial Law, Makerere University, Uganda, since 1998; Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences(FUNAS), since 2005, Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences(FAAS), since 2014 and Fellow of the World Academy of Sciences(FTWAS), since 2016; former Visiting Professor of Law, Uganda Christian University(January-August,2010). He has taught Commercial Law, Company Law, Law of Contract, Revenue Law & Taxation, Equity and Trusts, Insurance Law, Law of International Trade, Intellectual Property Law and Nigerian Legal System at the Nigerian Universities of Jos, Ilorin, Imo State, Ogun State and Sokoto (1981-1990) and the Ugandan Universities of Makerere(1991- to date) and Christian University, Mukono (2010) and Legal Aspects of Business at the Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute (ESAMI), Arusha, Tanzania(1999-2002). Professor Bakibinga has also supervised graduate students in the areas of intellectual property, local government taxation, acquisition and mergers, taxation, money laundering, and corporate governance. He is the author of numerous books and scholarly articles, including Law of Trusts in Nigeria (1989), Nigerian Law of Partnership (1989), Partnership Law in Uganda (1992, 2007,2011), Company Law in Uganda (1993, 2001,2013), Law of Contract in Uganda (1996, 2001,2013), Commercial Law in a Liberalized Economy: The Case of Uganda (2002), Equity and Trusts in Uganda (2003, 2006,2011), Revenue Law in Uganda (2003,2006,2012, 2019), Uganda: Property and Trust Law (IEL, 2018), Uganda: Transport Law (IEL, February 2017), Intellectual Property Law in East Africa ( 2016) and Company Law in East Africa (2019). Professor Bakibinga is a former Dean of the Faculty of Law (2002-2003), Director, School of Graduate Studies (2003-2004) and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Finance and Administration) (2004-2009), Makerere University, Uganda. He is currently the Secretary-General of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences (since October 2016). Here, Tania is responsible for all global legal and compliance-based matters, corporate security, and serves as the Company’s Secretary to the Board of Directors.

SAPHINAH BIIRA – PHYSICS (MATERIALS SCIENCE FOR ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES). She is a self-driven Senior Scientist, Educationist, and Administrator with over 20 years of working in Educational Institutions. This includes teaching (high schools and universities), research, outreach engagements, and administration. She is an expert reviewer and assessor with NCHE to assess the readiness of Academic institutions, validate facilities, and review academic programs for possible accreditation. A mentor for the emerging women in science, technology, and innovations (STI) in Uganda, Sudan, and Mozambique (a project under Forum for Women Vice Chancellor in Africa (FAWoVC). But also does unstructured mentorship at a personal capacity for young girls, upcoming scientists, and career women. She is an Executive member of the Steering Committee of the African Light Source (AfLS), a technical committee spearheading the coming up of the first ever African Light Sources (i.e., Synchrotron): a Team Leader, International Committee of Women in Physics (ICWIP) for Uganda. A founding member for the formation of the OWSD Uganda Chapter, currently registered by OWSD, and she is its Outreach and Publicity Coordinator. Member of Uganda University Quality Assurance Forum

Dean, School of Engineering, College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), Makerere University. Also, Senior Lecturer, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering & Researcher with netLabs!UG that seeks to be a leader in collaborative research, development and solutions on innovative telecommunication and networking technologies, strengthening the innovation ecosystem in Uganda and across East Africa. Adjunct Member of Faculty, Institute of Technology Carlow, Ireland. Director of Innovation, Resilient Africa Network (RAN) hosted by Makerere University. Supported by USAID, RAN is a multi-disciplinary network of 18 Sub-Saharan African universities that seek to identify, develop and scale innovative solutions to strengthen the resilience of African communities. Member of Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers (UIPE), registered by the Engineers Registration Board (ERB), and served as UIPE President 2016-2018. Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and have served on the 2017 – 2019 IEEE Ad Hoc Committee on Africa (AHCA). Founder, Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) whose mission is to promote and support the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) by women and women organizations in Uganda. Recognized with several international and national awards over the years, including as ‘Top ICT Woman – Uganda ICT Excellence Awards 2009’ organized by the Uganda ICT Forum. Featured in 12 Top Technology People in East Africa who are technologists with a social twist by Enterprise Technology Magazine, September 2012. Received the Women Achievers Award 2012 for enhancing women’s empowerment through Science & Technology, presided over by H.E. Yoweri Museveni, the President of Uganda. In November 2013, 1st recipient of Africa’s first Digital Woman Award at ICT Days in Cameroon. In 2014, selected as Vital Voices Fellow for distinguished emerging and established women leaders who promote women and girls’ progress. She has a BSc in Electrical Engineering from  Makerere University, a MSc in Electrical Engineering from the University of Kansas where she was a Fulbright Scholar and a PhD in Electrical Engineering from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. She has worked to get more women and rural communities engaged in the information society.

Prof. Eng. Henry Mwanaki Alinaitwe is an eminent Engineer and Academician, newly appointed Ag. Deputy Vice Chancellor Finance and Administration, Makerere University, effective November 16, 2021. He has served at the senior management level in the University and as Principal in the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology since August 2013, a position he assumed rising from the ranks as Deputy Principal, Dean School of the Built Environment, Associate Dean of the then Faculty of Technology. He has been in Senate for more than 10 years. He has previously served as Chairman and member of the University Contracts Committee and he has chaired a number of various university committees. Prof. Alinaitwe is a widely published, well-read professor in Civil and Construction Engineering with his research interests in the areas of structures, construction materials, and construction project management. He is currently working on the project of redesigning the Main Administration Building at Makerere University.  He is a registered and practicing Engineer. He is a Fellow of the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers, Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers (UK), and a Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences. Henry attended some of the most prestigious Universities in the world that, include Lund University in Sweden, where he obtained a Ph.D. in Engineering as well as a Licentiate degree in Engineering. He obtained an MSc in Construction Management from Loughborough University, UK, and a Master of Engineering Studies in Civil Engineering (Structures) degree from the University of Sydney, Australia. Henry obtained his Bachelor of Science in Engineering (Civil option) from Makerere University. Henry holds a postgraduate certificate in Public Administration and Management and another in Project Planning and Management. Due to his good performance at Primary Leaving Examinations, Henry studied on state scholarship for his entire secondary education. In senior six, he emerged as the best Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education examinations candidate whose achievement enabled him to earn a double boom at the University when the Government was still paying for students’ upkeep. Prof. Alinaitwe is an assiduous manager who pays attention to detail, a trait that has earned him a track record in leadership and management at various levels. Whereas many will agree he exudes efficiency and effectiveness in practice.  He is gentle and calm and displays a demeanor of a great academic leader. At the College of Engineering, Design, Art, and Technology, where he has served most, his effort is evident from the effective working environment where staff are benefiting from his sense of purpose, mentorship and aspirations as demonstrated from the number of new and ongoing innovations and research projects. Henry serves on many Boards and Management Board Committees, notably Kiira Motors Corporation, Technology Consults Ltd., Mulago National Referral Hospital, and Kyogo Senior Secondary School.

Senior Lecturer and Head of the Math Department, College of Natural Sciences at Makerere University

William Ssempa Kisaalita is a Chemical Engineer and Professor of Engineering at the University of Georgia. He completed his bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. He obtained his Ph.D. in chemical engineering in 1987 from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He joined the University of Georgia as a professor in 1991.

Prof. Tom Otiti of the Department of Physics, School of Physical Sciences, College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University Prof. Otiti in 2007 won the Nobel Peace Prize shared between the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a scientific body of the UN and former US vice-president Al Gore. Prof. Tom Otiti and Assoc. Prof. Charles Basalirwa (Department of Geography) shared in the Nobel Peace Prize won by the IPCC for its work on global warming and climate change. Prof. Otiti was part of a team of researchers from Africa, US, China and Russia who conducted a project for IPCC on how to circulate the best environmentally sound technologies in the world effectively.

Dr. Samson Rwahwire, a senior lecturer of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Busitema University Samson received an integrated Master’s Degree (BSc and MSc combined) in Mechanical Engineering with specialization in aerospace engineering from the Czech Technical University, Prague in 2008. The Master’s Degree thesis had its main focus on aerospace materials and was titled “Structural Analysis of Composite Elements Utilizing the Finite Element Method”. While working on his Master’s thesis, he served as a part-time engineer for a company producing aerospace parts for major aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing, Airbus, and European Aerospace and Defense Systems (EADS). During that time, the industry-related thesis allowed him to design, produce, test, and analyze composite structures for several aircraft, including the Czech-made general aviation aircraft Evektor EV-55. The EV-55 is currently undergoing European Aeronautics and Space Agency (EASA) certification tests. The results of his master’s thesis were presented in 2008 at a conference organized by the Partnership of a European Group of Aeronautics and Space Universities (PEGASUS) and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) which was meant for European Aeronautics and Space Ph.D. students. Despite being a Master’s student, his work on utilizing Finite Element Modelling of adhesively bonded stringer-stiffened panels for assessing the strength of the adhesive layer of composite panels was awarded the first prize in the 2008 PEGASUS-AIAA Student Conference held in Prague – Czech Republic. The mechanics of composites and fiber research at Master’s level inspired his choice for further research. Therefore in 2016, he obtained a Ph.D. in Material Engineering from the Technical University of Liberec with a thesis titled “Mechanical and Thermo-acoustic Properties of Barkcloth and its Reinforced Polymer Composites”. He worked as an aircraft engineer before joining academia as an assistant lecturer. He has grown through the ranks to associate professor of mechanical and materials engineering in the Department of polymer, textile and industrial engineering, faculty of Engineering, Busitema University.

Prof. Paul Edward Mugambi, the first Professor of Mathematics in Uganda and E. Africa. Prof. Paul Edward Tebekyagenda Mugambi was born in 1935 in Bukedea district, Uganda. He holds a BSc, MSc, and Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Rochester (USA) in 1970. When he was appointed a professor of mathematics, Paul Mugambi became the first professor of mathematics in East Africa. Among those who have passed through Prof. Mugambi’s mathematics classes is Prof. Baryamureba, former Vice Chancellor of Makerere university. Prof. Paul Mugambi became the founder and Chairperson of the Uganda Mathematical Society in 1972 and is the current Patron of the Society. He is also a member of the American Mathematical Society and the Biometric Society. From 1976 to 1996, Prof. Paul Mugambi served as Head of the Department of Mathematics, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Director of the Institute of Computer Science at Makerere University. From 1992, Prof. Mugambi served as the overall coordinator of all projects in Uganda under the Norwegian Universities’ Committee for Development Research and Education (NUFU) program for ten years. He played a great role in establishing the school of Sciences at Nkumba University before being appointed the Vice Chancellor of Nkumba University in 2008. He was also the Director of Postgraduate studies at Nkumba University until early 2013.

She is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics, Makerere University. She holds 4 Post-Doctorates—Biomathematics- from the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences South Africa, Mathematical Bioeconomics- Uppsala University Sweden, Gender and Mathematics Education- University of Cambridge UK, and Biostatistics- Linkoping University Sweden. Dr. Nannyonga attained a Ph.D. in Biomathematics- sandwich (Makerere and Uppsala Universities), Licentiate in Mathematical Bioeconomics- Uppsala, MSC in Mathematics, and BSc. Mathematics and Physics- Makerere University. Her specialization in Applied Mathematics in Epidemics, Ecology, Social sciences, and Health Economics. She is actively involved in mentoring, strengthening, and supporting the success and retention of women in basic sciences.

She is a Demographer/Population Scientist with a Ph.D. in Population Studies, a degree she pursued at the School of Statistics and Planning Makerere University, in collaboration with the University of Cambridge, UK. She has over ten years of working experience in population and reproductive health, specifically maternal health, focusing on family planning, HIV/AIDS, fertility, and related reproductive health issues. Allen is a member of the Ministry of Health Maternal and Child Health Technical Working Group and the National Demographic Dividend Steering Committee. She recently led the development of an Operations Manual for integrating Gender and Demographic Dividends into National Plans, Policies, and Programmes for African countries. She was also a Lead Editor of The Roadmap for Harnessing Uganda’s Demographic Dividend Report. She has led multiple research projects, published widely, and mentors students at master’s and Ph.D. levels. She is a KISH Fellow, research and academic affiliate of the University of Michigan. She is a Fellow of Wolfson College, University of Cambridge, and a PRB Policy Communication Fellow. Allen was the 2019 winner in Demography top 40 under 40 for exceptional work by Vision Media Group; 2017 award winner of the 120 Under 40: The New Generation of Family Planning Leaders, awarded by Bill and Gates Foundation and Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Health. She was also the 2017 American Psychological Foundation (APF), Henry P. David Reproductive Health award winner. Currently, she is leading efforts to establish a Research Ethics Committee at COBAMS, Makerere University. She is the Principal Investigator of; “Accelerating Covid-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Uptake in Uganda: Snapshot Study“​​​​​​​ and “Adolescent Motherhood, Vulnerability Assessment, and Newborn care practices, in Eastern Uganda (AMNEP)“. Allen Kabagenyi is a Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences.

Professor of Biomathematics, Department of Mathematics, Makerere University; Former Vice Chancellor, Makerere University 2004-2009; Fellow and Council Member of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences (UNAS) and Chairperson of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences Committee on Fellows and Membership. Trained at Makerere University and the Universities of Toronto (Canada) and University of Adelaide (Australia) & a 1991/92 Fulbright Scholar at the University of California, Berkley. He holds a First class bachelors degree in Mathematics, a Master of Applied Science in Operations research, and a PhD in Applied Mathematics (in Biomathematics).As undergraduate Luboobi was awarded the Archer Strurroch Prize and Makerere University College Exhibitions Prize for Sciences. He has been a teaching assistant at the University of Toronto and University of Adelaide and visiting professor at University of Dares Salaam. He has held various positions including that of chairman at the Uganda Mathematics Club, and he was on the Physical Science Committee of the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology. He has been external examiner at the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), University of Dar es Salaam and Sokoine University of Agriculture. He has successfully supervised 11 PhD students, 28 MSc, and has many more in the pipeline. During his term as Vice Chancellor, there were collaborations reached with International Universities and organizations in various areas and mechanisms established to mobilize resources to supplement funding including investment and reaching out to alumni. Professor Luboobi is also credited as a founder member of the Makerere University Private Sector Forum. Prof. Luboobi was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Bergen, Norway in 2008 in recognition of his significant contribution to the internationalization of the University of Bergen. He has previously lectured at University of Dar-es-Salaam University. He also served as Dean, Faculty of Science, Makerere University. Hid research interests include; Mathematical Epidemiology: – modelling the dynamics and effects of diseases such as; HIV/AIDS, Malaria, TB, Measles, Trypanosomiasis, Dengue fever, Polio, and Schistosomiasis. He also has great interest in modelling the counter effects of the Immune System and the parasites or viruses that cause these diseases. Operations Research: Stochastic as well as deterministic models applied to transportation systems and queues. From 1974 – 1978 he worked on a research project entitled: “Location and allocation of Livestock Farms and Distribution of the by-products”. As a Fulbright Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley; his research project was on “Age Group Models for the Dynamics of the HIV/AIDS epidemic (in the context of Uganda)”. In connection with this research he gave a series of public and academic lectures at: the University of California, Berkeley, USA; University of California, Los Angeles, USA; San Jose State University, California, USA; and Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA. As a Guest Researcher at University Bergen, Norway (2003) his research project was on “Mathematical Models for the Study of Immune System Response to HIV “. In connection with this research he gave seminars at: the Department of Mathematics, Uppsala University, Sweden; Department of Mathematics, Lulea University of Technology, Sweden.

Is the founder and Chairperson of DevInfCo. He is an internationally renowned statistician, the 2005 winner of Prof. P.C. Mahalanobis Prize for Statistics for “for lifetime achievement in statistics and promotion of best statistical practice in developing countries”, the first Director of the African Centre for Statistics at the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and first Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Uganda Bureau of Statistics. He has been at the forefront of the statistical renaissance and associated statistical architecture in Africa. Prof. Kiregyera holds a B.Sc (Statistics and Economics) from Makerere University, M.Sc (Statistics) from Iowa State University (USA), PhD (Statistics) from University of Essex (UK), Chartered Statistician. Prof. Kiregyera has assisted many countries in Africa to reform their statistical systems and/or design their Statistical Master Plans/National Strategies for the Development of Statistics. He led a team of international consultants that designed the Reference Regional Strategic Framework for Statistical Capacity Building in Africa (RRSF) and wrote the first documentation on NSDS that was published by PARIS21 (Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century). He is the initiator and Co-chair of the Editorial Board of the African Statistical Journal which is published by the African Development Bank, the initiator and member of the editorial Board of the African Statistical Newsletter which is published by the African Centre for Statistics at UNECA. He belongs to a number of international professional associations. Prof. Kiregyera is a Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences.

Is a senior lecturer in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology, Makerere University. He holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University, Evanston Illinois, USA (1994), by coursework and research. B.Sc.(Eng.) First Class Honours – Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda (1981); Four year course of study in mechanical engineering with emphasis in systems engineering. Specialized in neural networks applied to nondestructive evaluation (NDE) signal classification with emphasis on real-world data applications, performance evaluation and over-training. Dissertation title: “Neural Networks for NDE Signal Classification.”; M.S. (M.E.) – Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey (1986); A two year program of coursework and thesis. Specialized in computer-aided process planning with emphasis on software development for computer numerical control (CNC). Thesis title: “Development of a Software Process Planning Package for Rotational Parts.”. He is a member of several professional bodies including; Fellow, Uganda National Academy of Sciences, Registered Engineer, Engineers Registration Board of Uganda, Member, American Society of Mechanical Engineers since 1992, Member, Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers since 1995.

Is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics, Makerere University. In 2004, became the first female Head of the Physics Department, a position held for two 4-year terms. She coordinated the NUFU Project, a government of Norway supported project, as Physics coordinator and the PI of the Millennium Science Initiative (MSI) project, which was a project of the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST) and supported by the World Bank (2007-2010). Dr. D’ujanga has a number of publications in refereed journals and teaches both the graduate and undergraduate physics students. She chairs the Technical Committee of Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS/TC 9) on Metrology, Member of the Natural Science Programme for Uganda National Commission for UNESCO, Promoting girls in science, as role model, in collaboration with UNCST, Member of the Technical Committee of the International Standards Organization (ISO/TC 202) on Microbeam Analysis.

Is a registered Electrical Engineer, and a graduate from the University of Nairobi, University of Windsor, and the University of Manitoba, Canada, where he gained his B.Sc in Electrical Engineering (Hons), M.A. Sc (Electrical Engineering) and PhD degrees, respectively. He is currently the Managing Director and founding partner (in 1981) of Multi-Konsults Ltd, an Engineering Services Consultancy Company. He has had over ten years experience as a University Lecturer, Senior Lecturer and Head of Department of Electrical Engineering at Makerere University. He has held various responsibilities including; Chairman Uganda Association of Consulting Engineers, President (1993/94) and Vice President (1989/93) Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers, Member Engineers’ Registration Board (1988/1990), Honorary Secretary of the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers (1984/1989), National Coordinator of wind power research for African Energy Programme of the Commonwealth Science Council, Coordinating Secretary and Editor of the national paper for the United Nations Conference of Energy (1981), External Examiner in heavy current subjects for the University of Dar-es-salaam and the University of Nairobi and former Treasurer of Uganda National Academy of Sciences. In addition he has served the country as founding Chairman, Uganda Communications Commission (1998/2010), founding Vice Chairman of Kyambogo University Council, founding Council Member, Uganda National Bureau of Standards. Dr. Abel Katahoire is a Fellow of Uganda National Academy of Sciences.

Prof. Lwasa is a principal researcher on adaptation, governance, and transformation at the Global Center on Adaptation. Shuaib has over 22 years of experience in university teaching and research as a Professor of Urban Sustainability at Makerere University, Uganda. He has worked extensively on interdisciplinary research projects focused on African cities but also in South Asia. His publications include urban mitigation and adaptation to climate change, urban environmental management, spatial planning, disaster risk reduction, and urban sustainability. Shuaib is a Coordinating Lead Author of the IPCC WG III Chapter 8, “Urban Systems and Human Settlements,” and Lead Author for the IPCC Special Land and Climate Change report. He is the past Chair of the interdisciplinary research program on Integrated Research on Disaster Risk.

Dr. Rujumba is a Senior Lecturer, Social Scientist, and qualitative researcher at the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health with over 20 years of research and teaching experience in the health sector focusing on the social determinants of child, adolescent, and maternal health. Joseph holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and Social Administration, a Master of Social Sector Planning and Management from Makerere University, and a Ph.D. in International Health from the University of Bergen, Norway. His PhD thesis was on the Social Context of Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Uganda. His current work addresses HIV care and prevention, HPV and childhood vaccination, health systems research, care-seeking practices, malaria prevention and treatment, Sickle Cell prevention and care, male partner involvement in health, and violence against children and women. Joseph has authored over 40 peer-reviewed journal articles on child, adolescent, maternal, and community health. His work has contributed to understanding the challenges in pediatric HIV prevention and care, care for children and adolescents with Sickle Cell Disease, institutionalizing health programs, and community-based healthcare programming for children and women in Uganda. Joseph is a co-founder and head of psycho-social services at the Mulago National Referral Hospital Adolescent Clinic.

Samuel Kisakye Sejjaaka is a Ugandan accountant, academic, and businessman. He is the Principal and Country Team Leader at MAT ABACUS Business School. Between 1993 and 2014, he lectured at Uganda’s oldest tertiary institution, Makerere University, and rose to the position of Deputy principal

Director, Research at Ndejje University, Senior scholar, educationist, and child protection advocate. Mainly responsible for enhancing capacity development in research for faculty and administration to ensure quality research outcomes for students, faculty, and administration

Professor Peter K Baguma is a lecturer in the Department: Educational Organizational & Social Psychology, School of Psychology ; Makerere University

Peter R. Atekyereza is a Professor of Sociology at Makerere University Kampala. He holds a PhD from Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria (2001), MSc and post-graduate Diploma in Rural and Urban Planning from University of Zimbabwe, Harare (1993 & 1995); B.A. in Social Sciences from Makerere University (1991).

Prof. Murindwa-Rutanga teaches and researches at Makerere University and Centre for Basic Research. He has a PhD in Political Science from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India, as well as MA and BA degrees in Political Science from Makerere University. He also has a Post-Graduate Diploma in the Research Training Programme from Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta (CSSSC).

Chair, Social Research and Methodology, University of Basel Director, Social Transitions Research Group, University of Basel Board Member, Center for Philanthropy Studies (CEPS), University of Basel Research Councilor, Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) Visiting Professor, University of Michigan Chair, World Sustainability Forum Member, Uganda National Academy of Sciences Member, Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Prof. Bergman studied at the Universities of California (BA), Geneva (MA), and Cambridge (PhD). Previous academic affiliations include the Universities of Cambridge, Florence (European University Institute), Geneva, Loyola Chicago, Lugano, Notre Dame, Oxford, Rome, Stellenbosch, St. Gall, Texas A&M, the Witwatersrand, and Zurich. His substantive research focus is on socio-sustainable transitions. In this research program, entitled Proof of Transition Concepts (proTract), he and his team explore positive, real-world examples of sustainability transitions that bring together diverse stakeholders to cooperate toward positive, often serendipitous, outcomes. Based on his quantitative and qualitative research methods background, his methodological focus is on expanding mixed methods research and designs, which he pursues with his colleagues from the University of Michigan, as well as on the rigor and boundaries of case study research in a transdisciplinary environment, which he explores with Dr. Zinette Bergman.

Professor Joy Constance Kwesiga is an experienced academician, University Administrator, Social Development Analyst, and a renowned gender and Women advocate and mentor. She has had the enviable privilege of combining academic work with women’s rights activist work. She has been a Professor of Gender Studies and the Vice-Chancellor of Kabale University since November 2005 to date. She oversaw the transformation of Kabale University from a Private Community University to a Public University (since 2015). Even when Kabale University was a private University, she effectively steered it to attain an Operating Licence in 2005, and a University Charter in 2014. Previously, Professor Kwesiga served at various levels as a University Administrator at Makerere University, rising from the ranks to the level of Deputy Academic Registrar. She then switched to the academic arena, serving as the Head of the Department of Women and Gender Studies. She later became the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Makerere University. Professor Kwesiga was the founding Head of the Gender Mainstreaming Division of the Academic Registrar’s Department at Makerere University. The goal of the Gender Mainstreaming Programme is to make Makerere University an all-inclusive institution. Professor Kwesiga was able to lay its foundation.

PROF. GRACE BANTEBYA-KYOMUHENDO is a Women and Gender Studies Professor, A Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences, a distinguished social anthropologist, and a senior researcher advocating for gender equality and social transformation. She is a versatile Social Anthropologist with a wealth of experience in gender-focused research and evaluating multicountry development projects in the African region and beyond. She was contracted by Governments, Multilateral Agencies, Bilateral Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations and the private sector to design and evaluate the progress and impact of different country programmes. Prof. Bantebya is a senior consultant on gender and development issues on multicountry projects. The most recent work is “Transforming the Lives of Girls and Young Women in Uganda, Ethiopia, Viet Nam and Nepal. Strengthening Linkages Between Poverty Reduction Strategies and Child Protection Initiatives by both projects commissioned by the Overseas Development Institute (United Kingdom); Shame, Social Exclusion and the Effectiveness of Antipoverty Programmes supported by ESRC  and currently undertaking a follow-up project on “Does ‘shame-proofing’ antipoverty programmes improve their effectiveness:  Theory of change and impact policy evaluation in cross-national settings,  among others as detailed in the appended CV. She has published widely, including a book entitled “Women, Work and Domestic Virtue in Uganda”, which got an award from the African Studies Association and Elaine Chase and Bantebya Kyomuhendo 2014 The Shame of Poverty: Global Perspective Oxford University Press. Prof Bantebya is also a Fellow of the International Women’s Leadership Forum, an organization committed to promoting and supporting Women’s Leadership and governance. She is a member of several editorial boards both in Uganda and Abroad. Prof. Bantebya is the Principal Investigator (PI) on the “Whole University Approach: Kicking Sexual Harassment out of Higher Education Institutions in Uganda” (KISH Project).  

PROF. JOHN DDUMBA-SSENTAMU., PhD., MA. Econ, BA. Econ., Prof. Ddumba-Ssentamu is a Ugandan economist, academic, banker, and a Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences. Currently, he is a Professor of Economics at Makerere University. He served as Vice Chancellor of Makerere University (2012-2017) and as chairman of the board of Centenary Bank. He holds a PhD in Economics from Makerere University, a Masters in Economics from the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Makerere University. He served Makerere University in various capacities, including Associate Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences (1993-1994), Head of Economics Department (1994-1998), Director, Makerere University Institute of Economics (1998-2004), Dean Faculty of Economics and Management (2004-2010), Member of Senate representing the School of Economics and Vice Chairman of the Change Management Committee. The selfless Professor has offered his services in various capacities to the International Community, including Chairman Academic Board, African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), Nairobi, Kenya (2002-2009); Chairman, Microfinance African Institution Network (MAIN) based in Lome, Togo. (2002- 2011); Member of Advisory Board, the Centre for Environmental Economics and Policy in Africa (CEEPA), Pretoria (2001-2008); Member of the Finance Commission of Caritas Internationalis based in the Vatican and Member of Editorial Advisory Board – Zambia Social Science Journal. He has influenced the positive trend of the economic sector as a Member of the Board of Management for Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC) (1994- 2007), Member, Board of Directors, and Chairperson of Human Resource and Business Committee – Pride Microfinance Uganda Limited (Oct. 2000- Oct.2002) and as a Member and Treasurer of Uganda Economics Association. (1987 – 2005). Prof. Ddumba-Ssentamu has also made a lasting mark on Uganda’s education sector through his diligent service as Council Member and Vice Chairperson, Governing Council Kisubi Brothers University College, a position he has held since 2008. Caretaker Vice Chancellor Ndejje University Uganda (1999-2001); Council Member Muteesa I Royal University (2011-to date); Member, Board of Governors Rubaga Boys’ Senior Secondary School (1999 to date); and Member, Board of Governors Nkoni Senior Secondary School (2000-2002). He is an ardent researcher who has published in various local and international journals, including the African Review of Money, Finance, and Banking; and the African Journal of Economic Policy. He has also written several books, including ‘Basic Economics for East Africa: Concepts, Analysis and Applications’ which won the 2008 Fountain Award of Distinction for the Best-Selling Book. He was the Team leader of a committee that formulated the Makerere University Investment Policy that the University Council approved in 2006. Prof. Ddumba brings on board a wealth of experience in writing winning proposals. He wrote and won a funding proposal worth USD 6 Million to host a Regional MA (Economic Policy Management) Program sponsored by (ACBF) in Harare and the Government of Japan through the World Bank from 1998 to date. Under this program, students are drawn from Eritrea, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Sudan, Zambia, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Lesotho, Liberia, Swaziland, Malawi, and Burundi. ACBF has funded three phases of four cohorts and has recently provided more funds for phase four to fund five cohorts from 2012- to 2017. He served as the Co-Chair of the UNAS Consensus Study entitled Mindset Shifts for Ownership of Our National Development: The Case of Domestic Financing in Uganda.

PROF. KAZIBA ABDUL MPAATA currently works as a Professor of Business Administration, Research Coordinator and Consultant at the Faculty of Management Sciences, Busitema University. He is also a Committee Member on Inclusion and Equity for National Development at the Uganda National Academy of Sciences. Before, he served as Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration) and Professor at the Faculty of Management Studies Islamic University in Uganda. He specialized in Business Management Psychology for his PhD, which he earned with a distinction in 1998 from Indonesia. He has presented and published papers locally and internationally, and more than forty-two (42) articles have appeared in prestigious international journals. Professor Mpaata is also the author of several books on business economics, education leadership and service integrity in the public service sector in Uganda. Professor Mpaata is a Senior Management Consultant trained by the United Kingdom-based Crown Agents in Country Capacity Building and Training of Trainers (TOT). He is the chairperson of the board for various educational institutions and the chairperson of Skyper Management Consultants. Professor Mpaata has previously worked as a consultant to the Ministry of Public Service in developing a Training Needs Analysis (TNA) for the Uganda Public Service Managers and the Uganda Management Institute (UMI). He has performed competency profiling for several public and private organizations in Uganda. He is also currently a member of the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) Quality Inspection task force and the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets (PPDA) in charge of developing basic minimum standards for procurement education and training in Uganda. Professor Mpaata also works as one of the chairpersons of the Inter-University Council for East Africa expert team to different Universities in the region on quality assurance in the area of Business Administration.

BETTY AKULLU EZATI is an Associate Professor of Education with vast experience in teaching, research and outreach that has promoted higher education leadership and management in Uganda, the Eastern and Horn of Africa. She has played a crucial role in promoting higher education by providing significant inputs into the strategic policies for harmonizing education programmes in Eastern Africa. She has contributed exceptionally to the design, reviewing and implementation of educational curricula in the country and served as the immediate past Chairperson of the National Curriculum Development Centre. She has been part of the team of experts that has pioneered the design and rolling out of online teaching, learning and assessment that has been embraced and scaled up during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of her contribution to the education sector, she provides invaluable technical support to different government agencies. She has won research grants and undertaken research studies that have contributed to the existing body of knowledge on university leadership, head teachers’ management skills and capacity, pedagogical skills of university academic staff, building the capacity of teachers in post-conflict areas and improved learning of the visually impaired students among others. She is the current Chair of the task force mandated to establish the Uganda National Institute for Teacher Education, a degree-awarding institution for teacher education. Dr Betty Akullu Ezati has immensely contributed to capacity building in education and has supervised 15 PhD and over 40 masters students to completion.

He is a Professor of Medical Anthropology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Makerere University. He holds a Ph.D. (Medical Anthropology) from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A. (May 1997); M.A. (Medical Anthropology), Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A. (May 1993), D.P.R. (Diploma in Population Research) Institute of Population Studies, University of Exeter, Devon, England (May 1983), M.P.A. (Master of Public Administration) Dept. of Public Administration, University of Arizona, Tucson, ARIZONA, U.S.A. (May 1976), B.A (SWSA) Dept. of Social Work/Administration, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda (March 1974). His research interests include health care utilization, the social context of infectious diseases, especially HIV and AIDS, and patterns of fertility regulation. He has conducted a wide variety of studies in the social sciences, but since 1987, he has been involved primarily in HIV and AIDS research. He is currently Co-Director of the NIH-funded project – the Centre for Social Sciences Research on AIDS (CeSSRA) housed in the School of Social Sciences. His academic honors include AFGRAD Fellowship 1974-76, Pathfinder Fund Fellowship 1982-83, British Council Fellowship 1986, FHI Fellowship 1992-1993, Fogarty Fellowship 1994-1997. Prof. Charles B. Rwabukwali has published in peer-reviewed journals such as Social Science and Medicine, AIDS Care, Medical Anthropology, Journal of Religion and Health, and African Health Sciences, to mention a few. He served as Deputy Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences from 1998 to 2009. Currently, he is serving as a member of several academic and professional bodies, including the Research Ethics Committee (REC) Accreditation Committee of the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST), and the Steering Committee of Research, Academia, and Professionals (RASP) of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences (UNAS). Prof. Rwabukwali has supervised, to completion, scores of students at Ph.D. and Master’s Levels in humanities and public health.

Trained at Makerere University, Exeter University (U.K.), the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the UK and the University of Copenhagen in Denmark in collaboration with Harvard University, USA. Prof. Kirumira specialized in Population and Reproductive Health with extensive research work in HIV/AIDS, emergent diseases and international health issues, Family relationships, health seeking behaviour, poverty and rural development studies. He is also a visiting senior researcher to a number of European and African Universities. He is the Treasurer, Uganda National Academy of Sciences (UNAS), UNAS Fellow and Council member, Chairperson of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences Forum on Health and Nutrition. He is the Principal, College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Makerere University and a Professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology. He was the Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences since 2003 for eight years and before that was the Head of the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, for five years. Prof. Kirumira chairs the Resource Mobilization and Planning Committee of Uganda Central coordinating mechanism for the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria country program and has offered technical advisory role to national, regional and international bodies. His interest is in population and reproductive health, with over 15 years of HIV/AIDS research and programming. Other areas include programme development, monitoring and impact evaluation.

DR. DENNIS MUHANGUZI,  Dennis, a senior lecturer in Molecular Epidemiology at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Makerere University is a veterinarian with an MSc in Molecular Biology [Mak.], an MSc. International Animal Health [Edinburgh, UK] and a PhD in Molecular Epidemiology [Makerere University | Edinburgh, UK]. For the past 15 years, Dennis’s research has focused on the molecular epidemiology of tsetse and tick-borne diseases and host-parasite interactions essential for parasite transmission & survival. These research efforts have broadened our understanding of the molecular epidemiology of tsetse and tick-borne diseases. Dennis described a protocol for preferentially applying pyrethroid insecticides on the predilection sites of tsetse flies and ticks (RAP) to control human and animal African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness/nagana) with extended benefits in the control of tick-borne diseases. Dennis anticipates extending his contribution to science in reverse pharmacology/genetics, molecular epidemiology of neglected zoonotic diseases, and designing affordable and sustainable diagnostic and control methods for endemic, neglected infectious and zoonotic diseases. His past research efforts have culminated in more than 30 peer-reviewed publications and supported over 30 graduate students. Dennis continues to maintain a graduate students-driven research group in molecular and computational biology.

Dr Charles Masembe, an African veterinarian, molecular epidemiologist, and Associate Professor at the College of Natural Sciences, Makerere University in Uganda, with teaching and research experience in molecular genetics, diagnostics, evolution and epidemiology of important diseases of domestic animals, mainly Foot-and-Mouth Disease, African swine fever, and pathogen discovery. He has an MSc in Environment and Natural Resources Management (Makerere University), a PhD in Molecular Population Genetics (Makerere and Copenhagen University), and Post-Doctoral training (Makerere, Copenhagen University, and the Technical University of Denmark). He has been a visiting scientist under the Africa Biosciences Challenge Fund at the Biosciences Eastern and central Africa (BecA-ILRI) with the main emphasis on Metagenomics and a Visiting Research Scientist at Yale School of Public Health and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. Charles is now a Wellcome Trust fellow under the Intermediate Fellowship in Public Health and Tropical Medicine program, focusing on “Transmission dynamics of African swine fever in an endemic setting at the livestock-wildlife interface”(http://asf.mak.ac.ug). Charles is experienced in the molecular biology and serological techniques needed for sampling and genetics/disease investigations in various species. Research in his team has generated and published scientific information for the conservation of Africa’s wildlife resources and disease transmission patterns at the wildlife-domestic interface. This expertise has grown to a level that has genetically characterized animal epidemics with particular emphasis on foot-and-mouth disease in the African Great Lakes region and is aimed at unraveling livestock-wildlife disease interactions to design efficient disease control strategies for FMD.

Prof. Agaba was raised near the town of Masindi in northwestern Uganda. His early development was split between school, rural agriculture dominated by raising chickens and growing various food crops, including potatoes, millet, maize, beans, ground nuts, and sim sim (sesame), and frequent forays into the bushes to collect honey, trap termites and observe nature. His core expertise is in experimental research to understand biological processes and to develop tools for breeders and resources for other researchers. This is drawn from rigorous study of veterinary science, biochemistry, and molecular sciences and a research experience on host-pathogen interaction, nutritional genetics, and hereditary disorders. All this has been shaped by transnational interaction, including stints in Japan, Scotland, and Kenya. His technical skill set covers molecular genetics, including; marker development (Agaba et al 1993 -1998), development of genetic linkage map (Barendse et al 1997); development of diagnostic tests for Mendelian disorders (Yamaguchi et al 2000), mapping of quantitative (Hanotte at al 2003) and using marker-assisted introgression of resistance/susceptibility loci (Rathkolb et al., 2009). In the last decade, my research was dominated by functional genomics using microarray-based technologies (O’Gorman et al., 2006, 2009; Kemp et al 2009; Noyes et al 2011) to understand the interaction between trypanosomes and their mammalian hosts at the level of their genome function. His key personal goal is to help young scholars realize their potential, fulfill their aspirations and, as adults, to live their dreams. Specialties: Molecular genetics: QTLK mapping, gene discovery, molecular diagnostics. Biochemistry: Poly unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis – Gas chromatography, gene expression. Host-pathogen interactions: functional genomics Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Maxwell Otim Onapa is a Biomedical Scientist who is currently the Director of Science, Research and Innovation at the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. Before joining the ministry, Dr. Otim was the Deputy Executive Secretary for Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST) from 2006 to 2019. He also worked as a Research Officer at the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) between 1993 and 2006. During his career with NARO, Dr. Otim researched infectious zoonotic diseases, including bird flu, and published several research articles in high-impact peer-reviewed international journals. Dr. Otim, therefore, has an accumulated experience of over 12 years as a scientific researcher. Dr. Otim originally obtained a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine Degree from Makerere University, Kampala, in 1992; a Master of Science Degree from the Free University of Berlin, Germany in 1999, and a Ph.D. from the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Denmark in 2005. He also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) Degree from the Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute (ESAMI) where he won a leadership award in 2009. In 2015, Dr. Otim graduated with a Diploma in African Leadership in ICT Management and Knowledge Society and a Professional Development Certificate in African Leadership in ICT from Dublin City University and the Global e-Schools and Communities Initiative, respectively. Dr. Otim has a deep knowledge of approaches and tools such as change management and planning tools such as futures thinking and fore sighting that use horizon scanning, signals and trends, futures wheel and scenario building to facilitate planning and policy development. Among other roles, Dr. Otim served as the Vice-Chair of the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), a position to which he was elected in Geneva in May 2015. He is also a member of the Governing Council of the Atomic Energy Council (AEC), a Uganda government Agency mandated to regulate the use of ionizing radiation in Uganda. Dr. Otim is also the lead negotiator on Climate Technology for Uganda at the UNFCCC Conference of Party. Dr. Otim is a member of the doctoral committees and an examiner in the Colleges of Makerere University. He also supervises students and is a member of the Governing Board of Makerere University Press member. He is also the Coordinator of the European Commission and African Union-supported Information Society in Africa (IST- Africa) Initiative. Dr. Otim is passionate about translating result into policy and product, as well as promoting the use of ICT as a tool for facilitating the development of STI.

Francis Ejobi is a Professor of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology. He is currently the Manager of the Directorate of Research and Innovation at Soroti University, Soroti, Uganda. His research interest includes antimicrobial resistance, food safety, One Health, epidemiology of zoonoses and indigenous knowledge systems. He is a promoter of the One Health approach. He earned his PhD from the University of Saarland, Germany. Prof. Ejobi is engaged in teaching, research, and consultancy.  Prof. Ejobi is also a certified and registered Environmental Impact Assessor.

Ass. Prof. Enock Matovu obtained his Ph.D. in Molecular Parasitology from the University of Bern, Switzerland in 2001, while he worked as a Research Officer at the Livestock Health Research Institute, Tororo, Uganda. Since then has continued his work on drug resistance and later diagnostics for African Trypanosomiasis. In 2004, he relocated to the Makerere University School of Veterinary Medicine, where he was first employed as a Lecturer. In 2008, Enock received the prestigious Royal Society Pfizer Award for his work on molecular mechanisms of drug resistance in African trypanosomes. The previous year (2007), he had obtained the Joint Third World Academy of Science Award for Young Scientists for his contribution to the field of Molecular Parasitology. Enock Matovu has vast experience in HAT, ranging from surveillance, diagnostics, drug resistance, and clinical trials.

Prof. Katunguka-Rwakishaya started his education at Kyeizooba Primary School, Bushenyi, then Makobore High School, Kinyasano Rukungiri, for Ordinary level education and later joined Ntare School, Mbarara for advanced level education. In 1980 he graduated with a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and was appointed a graduate fellow in the Department of Veterinary Medicine at Makerere University. He later joined University College Dublin, Republic of Ireland, and conducted research leading to a degree of Master of Veterinary Medicine in 1984. He returned to Makerere University and served as Lecturer from 1984 to 1988 and rose to the position of Senior Lecturer. In 1989, Prof.  Katunguka-Rwkishaya commenced his Ph.D. at Glasgow University Veterinary School, leading to the award of a PhD in Veterinary Parasitology/Medicine. He was granted a Wellcome Trust fellowship that allowed him to spend three months at Glasgow Veterinary School every year for the subsequent four years while conducting research, publishing and supervising PhD students. Prof. Katunguka-Rwakishaya is a Professor of veterinary medicine, an academic and research administrator with a wide experience in academic leadership and Research Management. At Makerere University, he was head of the department of Veterinary Medicine (1984-1988), Deputy Dean, of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (1992-1995), Dean, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (1996-2004), Director of Research and Graduate Training (2004-2013) Prof. Katunguka-Rwakishaya is a distinguished leader in research and Research Management. As Director of Research and Graduate Training at Makerere University, He attracted large Research Grants and Project funds from Development partners to support research at Makerere University. Notable partners were Swedish International Development Agency, Carnegie Corporation of New York, European Union, Wellcome Trust, DANIDA, Irish government, Norwegian government, DFID/Association of Commonwealth Universities and more. As a result of his experience and performance, Makerere University is a leading research University in Africa and Internationally. He also served as the Chairman of Eastern African Research and Innovations Management Association (EARIMA) for many years and Founder of Uganda Research and Innovations Management Association (URIMA), Executive Director of Africa Foundation for Research and Innovations Capacity Development (AFRICaD), Executive member of the International Accreditation Council of the Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association, chairperson of the Steering Committee of SIDA Research Capacity Building Programme to Makerere University and Other Public Universities in Uganda. Prof. Katunguka-Rwakishaya has published eight books, six chapters in books, 65 papers in peer-reviewed journals, and over 70 conference proceedings. He has participated in more than 140 international and national conferences and workshops where he has presented papers or participated as a key organizer. Prof. Katunguka-Rwakishaya is a member of many national and international organizations, notably the World Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission, Society for Research Administration International, Uganda National Examinations Board, Inter-University Council for East Africa, National Council for Higher Education and Uganda National Academy of Sciences. In 2014, Prof. Katunguka-Rwakishaya joined Kyambogo University as the First Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Academic Affairs. In the same year, he acted as Vice Chancellor of Kyambogo University for the period (2014-2017). In May 2017, he was appointed as a substantive Vice Chancellor, a position he has served to date. During his first term in office, as a renowned leader in higher education management, Prof. Katunguka-Rwakishaya played a leading role in creating a peaceful and harmonious environment that led to uninterrupted activities at the University.

PROF. DAVID OKELLO OWINY is the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs, Gulu University and a Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences. He joined the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Makerere University in 1985, obtaining a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine Degree in 1989. He later received MSc from the same University in 1997, and a PhD in Animal Assisted Reproductive Technologies from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, in 2006. He has worked at Makerere University since 1992 and raised the teaching ranks from Assistant Lecturer to Assoc. Professor. Served as the Head of Department, Acting Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Dean of the School of Biosecurity, Biotechnical and Laboratory Sciences, and a Deputy Director, Directorate of Research and Graduate Training, all in Makerere University. His specialization areas are Animal-Assisted Reproductive Technology (AART), particular spermatology, in vitro fertilization, gamete and embryo cryopreservation, embryo transfer, gamete and embryo micro-manipulation, and biodiversity conservation using AART, and also general veterinary practice. He has supervised many undergraduate, Masters and PhD students, published widely in refereed journals, and attended international and local conferences. Besides, he has held many administrative positions at Makerere University and participated in several community service programmes.

A Professor of Anatomy, is a holder of BVM/ B.V.Sc., and M.Sc (veterinary anatomy) from University of Nairobi, and PhD from Makerere University. He also obtained a certificate in animal reproduction from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Uppsala University, Sweden. He is a DAAD (Germany) scholar and awarded a fellowship from International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for a training course on the use of nuclear techniques in animal reproduction in Sweden. He is a Fellow and the first Secretary General of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences (UNAS), and fellow of the African Scientific Institute (ASI). Prof. Justin Epelu-Opio is the Secretary General, Uganda National Academy of Sciences, a Professor of Veterinary Anatomy, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University and was a long serving Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the same institution from 1993-2004. He was a pioneer chairman of the Presidential Commission for Teso, a commission that contributed to the pacification of Teso sub-region, the area engulfed by the insurgency of late 1980s and early 1990s and hence he is a peace-maker and good in conflict resolution. He has been chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Joint Clinical Research Centre, a body mandated to conduct research and treat HIV/ AIDS cases, from 1998-to date. He was, for over 13 years, Vice-chairman of the Board of Management of the Economic Policy Research Centre located at the main campus of Makerere University. He has also served as a director/ chairman in several organizations, among others; Uganda Veterans Assistance Board, an organization charged with the demobilization and re-integration of army veterans, Uganda Fisheries Limited, and the Board of Uganda-Hotels. Prof. Epelu-Opio was a senior scientific officer with the Animal Productivity Unit of the National Research Council in Lusaka, Zambia (1977/82) and has lectured at Makerere University since early 1973; He also served as Deputy Vice Chancellor of Makerere University for almost eleven consecutive years. He was instrumental in the “Keep Makerere Clean project and ridding off insecurity on campus. Their administration brought many changes at the University for example increasing access to University to many Ugandans by expanding private programs to mention but a few. He has written a book entitled Teso War 1986-1992: Causes and Consequences, published many articles in refereed journals, and presented numerous papers in conferences/workshops and seminars. His research interests are centred on the urogenital system, especially reproductive biology. Facebook

Graduated with Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine, a Master of Science and holds a PhD in Microbiology. He is an Associate Professor of Microbiology at Makerere University in the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity. He developed and sourced funding that set up two BSL-2 Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories which he directs under Makerere University Walter Reed Project that have been instrumental in the response towards influenza pandemics and he ensures that they are run under GCLP standards. He is currently involved in research on influenza viruses and other highly pathogenic pathogens with potential for causing pandemic threats and antimicrobial resistance. He is a principal investigator on a number of grants and he has undertaken several consultancies in various areas for a number of organizations including Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CAB International, Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) and others. He has been a visiting scientist at several institutions including (a) the WHO Reference Centre on the ecology of Animal Influenza Viruses at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis (b) University of Copenhagen, Denmark, working on Molecular Ecology of Poultry Gut microflora. He is a recipient of several awards including (a) An NIH/NIAID fellowship award for scientific visit to the NIH/NIAID Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS) in the USA (b) ASM/UNESCO Fellowship for a scientific visit to CABI Bioscience, UK, (c) a World Bank/ ARTP fellowship to the Royal Veterinary College, University of London working on DNA Vaccines. He is Ambassador for the American Society of Microbiology in Uganda and President of the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotic Uganda Chapter. He is author/co-author of over 50 publications in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters and proceedings of international meetings. He led the team that produced over 60 complete influenza A and B genomes, the first of such extensive description in Sub-Saharan Africa. He is also senior editor of a book on Antimicrobial resistance in developing countries published by Springer. He is has been working at Makerere University for the last 20years.