U.S. University Consortia: ACHIEVE

Summary of Site

The Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MaKCHS) is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Africa.

Primary Contact

• Chelsea Hand-Sheridan, Training Programs Manager, International Center for Child Health and Development, Washington University in St. Louis/ACHIEVE, c.hand-sheridan@wustl.edu 

Areas of Focus

Fellows would be expected to work with U.S. and Ugandan mentors to develop an independent research project that could be integrated into one of the following projects or in a new area of interest:

• Family and child health, maternal and reproductive health
• Gender-based violence
• Communicable and non-communicable disease epidemiology
• Environmental health, community engagement
• HIV prevention, care, and treatment

Sample Research Projects

• Diagnosing Alzheimer's disease as a platform for improving training in geriatrics in Uganda, MaK RIF 2020-2023
• The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic And Its Response On The Mental Health Of People With Pre-Existing Mental Conditions In Uganda
• Picture of ageing in Uganda 
• Effectiveness and Implementation of an Early Childhood School-Based Mental Health Intervention in Low-Resource Communities, NIMH, 2020-2024 Huang (NYU), Nakigudde, (MUK)
• Predicting and Preventing Tuberculosis Treatment Failure in an Emerging Co-Epidemic of HIV, Diabetes, and Tuberculosis. Patterson Trust, 2019-2021, Armstrong-Hough (NYU)
• Mental health and Cognition in HIV infection in Rakai Uganda. NIMH, 2019-2024 (Nakasujja, Co-I) Nakasujja (MUK)
• Malarial Impact on Neurobehavioral Development. NINDS, 2019-2024 Nakasujja, Bangirana (MUK)

Language Requirement

None

Additional Information 

Please reach out to the program contact to indicate your interest in applying prior to submitting your application.

U.S. University Consortia: ACHIEVE 

Summary of Site

Mildmay Uganda is a national Non-Government Organization established in Uganda in 1998 as a Centre of Excellence for the provision of comprehensive HIV & AIDS prevention, care, treatment, and training services. Over time, Mildmay Uganda has evolved and diversified its services specializing in the delivery of comprehensive healthcare including Treatment Services; Health Systems Strengthening; Other Complementary Social Services; Health Training and Education; and Research.

Mildmay Research Centre Uganda (MRCU) is a subsidiary of Mildmay Uganda (MUg). MUg is a national indigenous, faith-based organization registered under Uganda’s law with the national NGO Registration Board as a non-government organization (NGO) with affiliates in the UK and Kenya. SINCE 1998, MUg has been modeling quality and sustainable prevention, care and treatment of HIV and other health priorities, using a family-centered approach together with training, education and research in Uganda. MUg pioneered specialist paediatric HIV care in sub-Saharan Africa and is one of the two paediatric palliative care Beacon Centres in Africa. For over 21 years now, MUg has been, and is a key player in the HIV epidemic response in Uganda providing prevention, care, treatment and Health Systems Strengthening services across several districts of Uganda and at its Center of Excellence (CoE). MUg has demonstrable capacity to pinpoint and focus her intervention to the most vulnerable people and deploys low-cost models that high impact yet replicable. MUg is one of the National NGOs (NNGOs) operating sub-national programs that contribute significantly to national health outcomes and is currently the PEPFAR comprehensive implementing partner for Central Uganda (the region with highest HIV prevalence of 7.2% compared to 5.8% national prevalence). Mildmay Uganda management systems, including her laboratory, are accredited for ISO 9001:2015 and 15189:2012 respectively.

Primary Contacts

• Chelsea Hand-Sheridan, Training Programs Manager, International Center for Child Health and Development, Washington University in St. Louis/ACHIEVE, c.hand-sheridan@wustl.edu 

Areas of Focus

Fellows would be expected to work with U.S. and Ugandan mentors to develop an independent research project that could be integrated into one of the following projects or in a new area of interest:

• Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH)
• HIV Prevention, Care & treatment
• Key populations
• Infectious Diseases.
• Non-Communicable Diseases.
• Biomedical Research
• Dementia and Mental Health among others

Sample Research

• RIA2017MC-2009 (J. Mukonzo, PI) 06/01/2020 -06/30/2024 EDCTP: Safety and efficacy DTG and EFV400 for pregnant and breast-feeding women: a randomized non-inferiority clinical trial (PREGART).
• RAND Corporation with NIH funding: Studies focused on capacity building among health workers on how to handle gender-related issues to improve ART adherence through implementation research and behavioral studies to improve ART adherence.
• UVRI/IAVI funded by Glaxo SmithKline; Using implementation research to understand the impact and effectiveness of the Paediatric Breakthrough Partnership (PBP)
• GH002046-18033-Mubende (B. Mukasa, PI) 20/11/2017- 20/11/2023 CDC: Baseline, Midterm and End of Project Evaluation Protocol for Mildmay Mubende region:  Midterm Review of Accelerating HIV Epidemic Control in 8 Districts of Mubende Region.
• R01MH110350 (S. Linnemayr, PI) 09/13/2017-10/14/2022 NIH/NIMH-Behavioral Economics Incentives to Support HIV Treatment Adherence in Sub- Saharan Africa.
• R01HD074949(Ssewamala/Sensoy/Nabunya,PI) 09/01/2020- 07/31/2025: NIH/NICHD: Suubi+Adherence-R2: Examining the longitudinal HIV treatment adherence among youth living with HIV (YLHIV) transitioning into young adulthood.
• R01MH115830 (G. Wagner, PI) 08/15/2018-05/08/2023-NIH/NIMH: Depression Care to Improve Adherence to PMTCT Care Continuum & Pregnancy Outcomes.
• R34MH119924-01A1 (L. Bogart, PI) 04/01/2020-03/31/2023 NIH - Implementation of Community-Based PrEP provision for Uganda Fisher Folk.
• R01HD104555 (Huang/Linnemayr, PI) 05/2021 – 01/ 2026NIH/NIMH: Goals for Adherence with Low-cost Incentives (GOALS).
• R34MH122331 (S. Linnemayr, PI) 09/01/2020 -08/31/2023 NIH/NIMH: Incentives and ReMINDers to Improve Long-term Medication Adherence (INMIND).
• HS1273ES (Ndagije/Mukasa, PI) 10/02/2020 – 09/30/2022 Uganda National Drug Authority (NDA): Evaluating the Glycemic Effects of Dolutegravir (DTG) among Patients Receiving Dolutegravir Based Regimens at Mildmay Uganda ART sites.
• 1K01MH121663-01A1 (K. Sileo, PI) 08/01/2020 – 12/31/2023 NIH: A Gender Transformative Strategy with providers to Improve HIV Outcomes in Uganda.
• Improving Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) adherence (Adolescents).
• The WiseMama study was designed to provide evidence on the feasibility and effectiveness of a wise pill device in helping HIV-positive pregnant and post-partum women (PPPW) to maintain high adherence to antiretroviral (ARV) medications.
• Behavioral studies on the Impact of COVID-19 on ART adherence.
• Sexual Reproductive Health: Studies for Delivery of Sexual and Reproductive Health services using community models among vulnerable population in Uganda including urban refugees.
• HIV prevention strategies: Mildmay research center has together with partners implemented research with funding from International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) to test and evaluate new interventions of testing for HIV at community level using the Self Testing approach (Oral quick).
• Non-Communicable Diseases: Past research on Computerized Cognitive Rehabilitation training for Ugandan older persons living with HIV revealed that this rehabilitation approach may be a useful non-pharmacologic intervention for mitigative neurocognitive decline and aging related disability for older African persons especially those living with HIV.

Language Requirement

None

Additional Information 

Please reach out to the program contact to indicate your interest in applying prior to submitting your application.

U.S. University Consortia: ACHIEVE 

Summary of Site

The Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) was established in 1967 as a result of a collaboration between Makerere University, the Ministry of Health and the US National Cancer Institute. It was established as a treatment center for the then recently discovered Burkitt Lymphoma, although it was subsequently expanded to treat other cancers with the Opening of the Solid Tumor Centre (STC) in 1969. The UCI is recognized as the site of the description of Burkitt Lymphoma by Dr. Denis Burkitt and also one of the initial sites for the first use of combination chemotherapy for cancer, which now forms the basis of all cancer chemotherapy.

The Institute is a comprehensive cancer center offering all types of cancer care including radiotherapy, surgery, chemotherapy and palliative and rehabilitative services. The Institute caters for patients of all ages. The Institute currently receives over 7400 incident cases of cancer every year of which about 700 are children (< 14 years of age). The commonest cancers are cervical cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer. Based on the Kampala Cancer Registry (KCR), Uganda has one of the highest cervical cancer incidence rates in the world with an age standardized rate of 47.5 per 100,000 which is three times higher than the global average estimate of 15.8 per 100,000. Prostate cancer is the commonest cancer in men with an annual incidence rate of 20.2% (2,288 cases). Childhood (pediatric) cancers comprise about 10% of the total annual incidence of cancers at the Uganda Cancer Institute.

The Institute has also been designated as the East Africa Centre of Excellence in Oncology and is in the process of establish four regional cancer centers in different parts of Uganda.

Primary Contacts

• Chelsea Hand-Sheridan, Training Programs Manager, International Center for Child Health and Development, Washington University in St. Louis/ACHIEVE, c.hand-sheridan@wustl.edu 

Areas of Focus

The Uganda Cancer Institute was started in the first place to provide room for research and clinical initiatives in cancer. The institute has over the past few years, built capacity to conduct high-quality research including clinical trials, implementation science and community studies. Our research provides avenues for discovery but also additional treatment options for patients such as in clinical trials.

Fellows coming to the Uganda Cancer Institute would be expected to work with U.S. and Ugandan mentors to develop an independent research project that could be integrated into one of the following projects or in a new area of interest:

• Improving pediatric oncology supportive care in a resource-limited setting
• Cancer biology
• Implementation science research
• Oncology/Hematology
• Sociobehavioral and socio-economic cancer research
• Genomics
• Cancer epidemiology and registration
• Early detection and diagnosis

Sample Research

• Addressing the burden of untreated HIV in adult cancer patients in sub-Saharan Africa: Feasibility and planning for a pragmatic clinical trial (Rachel Ignacio Bender (UW), Noleb Mugisha (UCI), Niyonzima (UCI)
• Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on cancer prevention and control service delivery in Uganda (Kirsten Beyer (UM), Nixon Niyonzima (UCI)
• Defining the molecular profile of breast cancer in Uganda and its clinical implications (Manon Menon (Fred Hutch), Jackson Orem (UCI))
• A Pilot Study of Nelfinavir for the Treatment of Kaposi Sarcoma: a Trial of the AIDS Malignancy Consortium (AMC) 098 (AMC, Jackson Orem (UCI))
• Assessing the Clinical Utility of an Automated Molecular Diagnostic Test (GeneXpert Breast Cancer STRATA4 Assay) in the Diagnosis of Women with Breast Cancer in Uganda (Manoj Menon (Fred Hutch), Niyonzima (UCI)

Language Requirement

None

Additional Information 

Please reach out to the program contact to indicate your interest in applying prior to submitting your application.

U.S. University Consortia: GHES

Summary of Site

The Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MaKCHS) is one of the leading health sciences universities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Its mission is to improve the health of people of Uganda through innovative teaching and research and the provision of services responsive to societal needs. Research opportunities with two different research groups at MakCHS are listed below.

Primary Contacts

• Ryan Borg, Global Health Equity Scholars Program Manager, Yale University, ryan.borg@yale.edu, 

Areas of Focus

• Tuberculosis
• HIV
• Non-communicable diseases
• Implementation science

Sample Research Projects

1. Uganda Initiative for Noncommunicable Diseases (UINCD) Projects. UINCD is hosting the following implementation research projects related to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including in the context of HIV:
   • ImpleMEntation of a Digital-first care deLiverY model for heart failure in Uganda (MEDLY Uganda) (funded by NIH)
   • An mHealth implementation strategy to address the syndemic of mental illness, hypertension, and HIV in Uganda (funded by NIH)
   • Implementation of PEN-Plus, a WHO-adopted integrated care strategy to increase the quality of services for severe chronic conditions at referral centers (funded by Partners in Health)
   • For more information, please contact the UINCD PIs:
     • Jeremy Schwartz, MD, jeremy.schwartz@yale.edu, Associate Professor of Medicine (General Medicine) and Epidemiology (Chronic Disease), Yale University,
     • Isaac Ssinabulya, MBChB, MMed: ssinabulyaisaac@gmail.com, Consultant Cardiologist, Uganda Heart Institute and Lecturer, Makerere University College of Health Sciences
2. Uganda Tuberculosis Implementation Research Consortium (U-TIRC) Projects. U-TIRC is hosting the following implementation research projects related to tuberculosis (TB), including in the context of HIV:
   • Human-Centered Design and Communities of Practice for TB Contact Investigation in Uganda (funded by NIH)
   • Expanding provision of TB preventative therapy through home-based services in Uganda (funded by TB REACH)
   • For more information, please contact the U-TIRC PIs:
     • Luke Davis, MD, lucian.davis@yale.edu, Associate Professor of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases) and Medicine (Pulmonary), Yale University
     • Achilles Katamba, MBChB, PhD, achilles.katamba@mak.ac.ug, Senior Lecturer, Department of Medicine, Makerere University College of Health Sciences
3. Makerere University/Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration/Gulu University. The Parikh Lab has a long-standing (20+ years) collaboration with established investigators in malaria and HIV-malaria co-infection based in southeast Uganda and Kampala. There is also an opportunity to work in Northern Uganda with a new collaboration with Dr. Richard Echodu at Gulu University. Research focus areas include trials on antimalarial efficacy, drug resistance, and parasite dynamics in children/pregnant women with and without HIV. One of the most recently launched studies focuses on emerging artemisinin resistance in Northern Uganda.
   • For more information, please contact:
     • Sunil Parikh, MD, MPH,sunail.parikh@yale.edu, Associate Professor of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases) and Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Yale University
     • Norah Mwebaza, MD, PharmD, mwebno@yahoo.com, Lecturer, Department of Pharmacology, Makerere University College of Health Sciences
     • Richard Echodu, PhD, richardechodu2009@gmail.com, Associate Professor, Gulu University

Language Requirement

None

U.S. University Consortia: GloCal

Summary of Site

The Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) is a Ugandan non-government organization owned by Makerere University with the mission: “To strengthen health systems in Africa through research and capacity building”. IDI provides comprehensive services for over 250,000 people with HIV and other infectious diseases in Uganda. It is unique in resource-limited settings as a one-stop site for mentees providing access to patients, samples, CAP certified laboratory, translational laboratory, statistic support, a variety training and short courses.

The research program hosts more than 100 research projects. The program has several collaborations with institutions based in the US and Europe; IDI collaborates with UCSF on a U54 project on Kaposi Sarcoma (PI: Martin J). Key areas of research are HIV and HIV related co-infection and cancers (clinical and lab based). Fellows can leverage existing programs, particularly the HIV clinic located at the Mulago site which hosts specialized services and grants on sexual and reproductive health, mental health, non-communicable diseases, treatment failure, Kaposi sarcoma diagnostic, TB co-infections and two ongoing cohorts (along-term outcomes cohort and a geriatric cohort).

While working within their proposed projects, all scholars and research fellows at IDI are offered training through orientation, journal clubs, research fellows peer support club, a short course on scientific writing, monthly soft skills training (e.g. how to formulate a research questions, how to present, PowerPoint skills etc.), and a weekly research forum.

The research capacity building unit within the research department provides infrastructural support, management of finances, administrative and regulatory support and oversight, internal monitoring, and the IDI scholars community for peer support and exchange.

For trainees with lab-based projects, the research translational lab has a microbiology section (BACTEC machine, incubators, biosafety cabinets, fluorescent microscopes (iLED Primostar Zeiss & Zeiss mercury vapor lamp), a molecular section (RT-PCR machine (AB 7500), convectional PCR, bio-fire machines, Gene Xpert) , an immunology section (FACS Canto II flow cytometer, MiniMACs cell separator, Luminex MAGPIX, ELISA washer and plate reader), and a PK section (2 HPLC machines and a mass spectrophotometer).

Primary Contacts

• Dr. Barbara Castelnuovo, GloCal IDI Site PI, bcastelnuovo@idi.co.ug (contact for letter of affiliation)
• Dr. Craig Cohen, GloCal UCSF PI, craig.cohen@ucsf.edu (additional contact)

Areas of Focus

• HIV
• Tuberculosis & related conditions
• Malaria

Language Requirement 

None

U.S. University Consortia: GloCal

Summary of Site

The Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration (IDRC) is a not-for-profit organization, established in 2008 by Ugandan health scientists from Makerere University and the Ministry of Health (MoH) to conduct research in infectious diseases. IDRC has active memoranda of understanding with Makerere University, MoH and UCSF to conduct research in infectious diseases, including malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis. The mission of IDRC is to conduct high-quality research in infectious and other diseases of public health importance through collaboration and partnerships. Specific objectives including: I) To build capacity through training, technology advancement and improvement of local health service infrastructure; II) To conduct research in infectious diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other diseases of public importance; III) To disseminate results of research and promote an evidence-based approach to policy making by linking researchers and policy makers; IV) To support the efforts of the Uganda Ministry of Health, Mulago Hospital and other health institutions in Uganda in prevention, care and treatment of infectious diseases.

The collaboration includes over thirty faculty at MU and UCSF, with a budget of $10 million and over 50 publications annually. Some of the important projects that could be leveraged for training future GloCal fellows include:

• A Multisectoral Strategy to Address Persistent Drivers of the HIV Epidemic in East Africa.
• Program for Resistance, Immunology, Surveillance, and Modeling of Malaria in Uganda.
• Optimal chemo-preventive regimens to prevent malaria and improve birth outcomes in Uganda.
• Integrated HIV/HTN, (Leveraging the HIV platform for hypertension control in Uganda).
• Programs studying immune responses to malaria infection, antimalarial drug resistance and treatment efficacy, antiretroviral therapy initiation, HIV-associated pneumonia, and TB.

FIC, GloCal, K43 and G11 funded programs have trained and built capacity of over 80 Ugandan junior scientists and administrators. IDRC has facilities and resources with over 20 administrators to support trainees. The facilities include office space at its headquarters and research sites in Tororo, Mbale and Mbarara; a reference malaria laboratory; a research infrastructure for clinical, translational, and molecular research; and modern data management centers in Kampala and Tororo.

Primary Contacts

• Dr. Moses Kamya, GloCal IDRC Site PI, mkamya@idrc-uganda.org (contact for letter of affiliation)
• Dr. Craig Cohen, GloCal UCSF PI, craig.cohen@ucsf.edu (additional contact)

Areas of Focus

• HIV
• Tuberculosis & related conditions
• Malaria

Language Requirement 

None

U.S. University Consortia: GloCal

Summary of Site

Established in 2008, the Uganda TB Implementation Research Consortium (U-TIRC) is a collaboration of research scientists at Makerere University led by Dr. Achilles Katamba, public health officials at the Uganda Ministry of Health and the Uganda National TB and Leprosy Programme in Uganda, and research scientists at UCSF and other institutions. U-TIRC focuses on improving TB diagnosis and care by undertaking high-quality clinical, epidemiological and implementation science research that seeks to identify barriers to TB prevention and care, develop strategies to address the barriers, and evaluate the uptake and impact of these strategies.

U-TIRC facilitates higher-level training of Ugandans through the NIH D43 Pulmonary Complications of AIDS Research Training (PART) program, which supports a number of trainees currently pursuing PhD or Masters degrees. PART trainees are paired with a mentor to work on a project focused on pulmonary complications of HIV/AIDS and are provided funding and mentorship support for up to 3 years. In addition, trainees have an opportunity to attend modular courses on mixed methods and implementation science (ImS). Both courses are organized in a series of four workshops spread over the course of one-year with work in-progress sessions in between.  The mixed methods course covers mixed methods design, data collection and analysis and manuscript writing. The ImS course covers introduction to ImS, individual/ organizational behavior change strategies; stakeholder engagement, implementation frameworks; study design and evaluation; and manuscript writing. U-TIRC currently supports 20 PART trainees and has over 25 alumni from the program.

In 2019, U-TIRC shifted its administrative base from Makerere University to WALIMU, a local non-government organization. Walimu/U-TIRC provides in-country logistical, personnel/human resources, grants management, accounting, procurement, customs clearance, computing/ information technology, secretarial and ancillary support. Walimu/U-TIRC maintains dedicated office space for investigators with access to telephone service, desktop computer, scanner, printer, and locked file cabinets. Conference call facilities to support interactions with US-based investigators and staff are available using a voice-over-internet protocol connection provided by Zoom. Current research staff include 10 project coordinators, 45 research assistants and 7 administrative staff. Current projects have developed research infrastructure at >40 health centers in 30 districts of the country.

Primary Contacts

• Dr. Achilles Katamba, GloCal U-TIRC Site PI, amkatamba@gmail.com (contact for letter of affiliation)
• Dr. Craig Cohen, GloCal UCSF PI, craig.cohen@ucsf.edu (additional contact)

Areas of Focus

• Tuberculosis diagnosis and care

Language Requirement

None

U.S. University Consortia: HBNU

Summary of Site

Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) is located in Mbarara Municipality, southwest of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. MUST is a public university accredited by the National Council for Higher Education in Uganda. It has acclaimed national and international recognition for best practices in outreach and community relations from Association of Commonwealth Universities, European Union, Civil Society of Uganda, and produces exceptional development workers and health care professionals. Its vision as a leading institution is to be a center of academic and professional excellence in Science and Technology with the goal of providing quality and relevant education at national and international level with particular emphasis on Science and Technology and its application to community development. 

MUST shares a campus with Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH). It is the sole teaching and referral hospital for southwest Uganda and the Ministry of Health provides MRRH with regular medical supplies, free antiretrovirals and medications, and diagnostic equipment. The Immune Suppression Syndrome (ISS) Clinic, a PEPFAR-funded clinical site, serves as the hospital’s HIV outpatient clinic, and is run primarily by the Department of Internal Medicine at MUST. The HIV clinic at MUST and MRRH cares for 12,000 active patients living with HIV, with approximately 1,000 patients initiating ART each year.

Harvard University and Boston University have worked in partnership with MUST for many years to conduct important research and train early-career researchers. Research collaborations have addressed a variety of basic science, clinical research, and implementation science topics, including projects to examine HIV co-morbidities, malaria case management, and maternal mental health, amongst others. HBNU is seeking to continue this history of collaboration through the hosting of Fulbright-Fogarty Fellows. Fellows would be expected to work with their US and Ugandan mentors to develop a research project related to ongoing work or in a new area of interest.

Primary Contacts

• HBNU Project Contacts:
  • Professor Wafaie Fawzi, Professor of Global Health, Nutrition, and Epidemiology; Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard Chan School of Public Health, mina@hsph.harvard.edu 
  • Elizabeth Fine, Training Programs Coordinator, efine@hsph.harvard.edu
• MUST Site Director:
  • Francis Bajunirwe, Senior Lecturer, Department of Community Health, fbaj@must.ac.ug

Applicants should first notify the HBNU Project Contacts of their interest, and then pursue a letter of affiliation/support from the Site Director.

Areas of Focus 

• Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition 
• Adolescent Health 
• Infectious Disease 
• Mental Health 
• Non-communicable Diseases

Sample Research Projects

To receive examples of past projects or information on available/active projects at MUST, please contact the site director, Prof. Francis Bajunirwe.

Language Requirement 

None

Additional Information 

Please visit https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/global-health-research-partnership/sites-2/mbarara-university-of-science-technology/ for a complete list of HBNU-affiliated site mentors at MUST.

U.S. University Consortia: INSIGHT

Summary of Site

Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation-Uganda (Baylor-Uganda) is a not-for-profit organization established in 2006. The organization is a leading provider of integrated high quality and high impact HIV, TB, Maternal and Child Health services, health professional training, and research in Uganda. Baylor-Uganda has grown its portfolio from managing only 3 grants (< 1 million USD) in 2006 to over 34 grants worth about 40 million USD. Other program areas include Global Health security, nutrition, and social support to orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). The research directorate conducts clinical trials (industry including vaccines), implementation research, and cohort studies. 

Baylor Uganda is headquartered at Mulago Hospital where it runs a Pediatric and Adolescent family-centered HIIV/AIDS/TB Clinic with close to 8500 clients. Under comprehensive HIV programs, Baylor-Uganda supports the Ministry of Health, 3 Regional Referral Hospitals, and 47 District Local Governments through a health system strengthening approach to include combination prevention strategies (PreP, VMMC), HIV testing services, MNCH, HIV care & treatment. In 2022, the organization’s programs supported over 420 health facilities reaching 217,000 clients on ART in the Kampala, Fort Portal, Hoima, and Mbale regions – as a result, we reached 961000 persons with HIV testing services, 406000 pregnant women with PMTCT services, 25000 OVC, 17000 TB patients and 38500 KPs.

Primary Contacts

• Bridgette Naik, bcnaik@bcm.edu
• Dithan Kiragga: dkiragga@baylor-uganda.org 
• Maral Gurbanova: maral.gurbanova@bcm.edu 

Applicants are required to obtain a letter of support from the site contact. When emailing project contacts, please include both contacts and attach a current CV and a concise statement (less than 500 words) about your interest in the program (especially your primary research interest).

Areas of Focus

• HIV
• TB
• Orphans and Vulnerable Children services  
• Clinical trials and implementation research 
• Global Health Security 
• Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Newborn Child and Adolescent health

Sample Research Projects

Tuberculosis (TB) is the world’s leading infectious cause of mortality and responsible for one third of deaths in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Children and adolescents living with HIV (CALHIV) are disproportionately affected due to inadequate preventive services, large case detection gaps, treatment and adherence challenges, and knowledge gaps. The TB GAPS project, funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and implemented by Baylor College of Medicine’s Global TB Program, is generating evidence to inform interventions targeting several of these weaknesses in the TB/HIV cascade of care through: 

1. Evaluation of novel screening and diagnostic strategies for CALHIV. 
2. An assessment of a client choice-based approach to TB Preventive Treatment (TPT) uptake with randomization to enhanced vs. standard treatment support through bi-directional texting.
3. Determination of the cost-effectiveness of successful screening and diagnostic strategies and TPT regimens. 

TB GAPS is being implemented across five sub-Saharan African countries including Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda. 

Language Requirement 

None

U.S. University Consortia: INSIGHT 

Summary of Site

Mbarara University of Science & Technology (commonly known as MUST), a public university in Uganda commenced student intake and instruction in 1989 and is one of the ten public universities and degree-awarding institutions in the country. MUST is accredited by the National Council for Higher Education in Uganda and has acclaimed national and international recognition for best practices in outreach and community relations from Association of Commonwealth Universities, European Union and the Civil Society of Uganda. The Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH) is the sole teaching hospital for the MUST Medical School and is the referral hospital for the Western Region of Uganda. The 320 bed referral hospital provides outpatient and inpatient clinical care, training, and research infrastructure in southwestern Uganda - a region 36,870 square kilometers in size with a population of over 5 million representing about 18% of the national population. MRRH houses the Immune Suppression Syndrome Clinic (ISS Clinic), a PEPFAR-funded clinical site, which serves as the hospital’s HIV outpatient clinic.

Primary Contacts

INSIGHT Program Managers, University of Alabama at Birmingham 

• Anna Helova, ahelova@uab.edu 
• Tayyaba Khan, khan14@uab.edu 

Areas of Focus

• HIV care
• HIV prevention
• Reproductive health
• Health sciences education
• Human medicine
• Nursing
• Medical laboratory sciences
• Pharmacy
• Pharmaceutical sciences
• Physiotherapy
• Interdisciplinary healthcare delivery through community-based education, research, and service (COBERS)

Language Requirement

None

U.S. University Consortia: NPGH

Summary of Site

The University of Minnesota has a long-standing research relationship with multiple colleges at Makerere University (Infectious Disease Institute, College of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, and the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources, and Biosecurity) starting in 2005 and with Mbarara University starting in 2010 regarding neuro-infectious disease research. The University of Minnesota has enabled training for 7 PhDs and 13 master’s Ugandan trainees through nested projects of NIH-sponsored clinical research. Since 2012, 20 Fogarty Scholars and Fellows have been trained in this capacity through 1-year global health fellowships (1 at MUST, 19 at Makerere). Additionally, three Ugandan principal investigators have obtained independent NIH funding. 

The University of Minnesota has strong resources to support research fellows through an extensive network of researchers at all three institutions committed to advancing research training.

Primary Contact

• Dr. Shailey Prasad, pras0054@umn.edu, University of Minnesota 

Areas of Focus

• HIV and Cryptococcal Meningitis 
• Epidemiology and surveillance systems for infectious disease and zoonotic infection
• Mobile health interventions (women’s health and HIV)
• Immunology
• Neuropsychology
• Nutrition (primarily pediatric) and infectious disease 
• Vaccine research

Language Requirement

None

U.S. University Consortia: UJMT

Summary of Site

Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) is a Ugandan not-for-profit organization owned by Makerere University. Its mission is “to strengthen health systems in Africa, with a strong emphasis on infectious diseases, through Research and Capacity building.” IDI supports the Ministry of Health through providing both direct prevention, care and treatment services as well as technical assistance and health systems strengthening support in over 70 districts of Uganda. IDI has established long term international research collaborations with major academic centres worldwide (e.g., JHU, Harvard Medical School, UCSF, and many others) which provide a widening global dimension to research at IDI. IDI also participates in international networks such as such as the International Epidemiologic Databases to Evaluate AIDS: East Africa network (IeDEA); the East African Consortium for Clinical Research (EACCR), a European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP)-supported initiative; and Training Health Researchers into Vocational Excellence in East Africa (THRiVE), a Welcome Trust funded initiative (under the Makerere University umbrella).

Primary Contact

• Barbara Castelnuovo, bcastelnuovo@idi.co.ug 

Areas of Focus

Fellows would be expected to work with U.S. and Uganda based mentor groups to develop an independent research project that could be integrated into one of the following projects or in a new area of interest:

• ID epidemiology particularly STIs, tuberculosis, acute febrile illness
• Emerging infections and surveillance
• HIV, opportunistic infections, aging, and malignancies
• Programmatic implementation science – research to practice and policy

Language Requirement

None

U.S. University Consortia: UJMT

Summary of Site

The Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Africa, with over 40,000 students. It is the leading institution for medical instruction and research in the East, Central and Southern Africa (excluding South Africa). MakCHS has a strong track record of successful collaborative research with local, American and European universities and institutions and has participated in many of the early trials of HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria interventions in the region.

Primary Contact

• Bruce Kirenga, brucekirenga@yahoo.co.uk 

Areas of Focus

Fellows would be expected to work with U.S. and Uganda based mentor groups to develop an independent research project that could be integrated into one of the following projects or in a new area of interest:

• Cancer
• Child health
• Communicable diseases (both non-HIV and HIV/AIDS)
• Noncommunicable diseases 
• Neurologic disorders
• Trauma and injury
• Women’s health
• Pulmonary health

Language Requirement

None

U.S. University Consortia: UJMT

Summary of Site

MU-JHU CARE Ltd (also known as ‘Makerere U.-Johns Hopkins U. Research Collaboration’) was first established in 1988 as a collaboration between investigators in the Departments of Obstetrics/ Gynaecology and Paediatrics at Makerere Univeristy School of Medicine and U.S. HIV Investigators. The MU-JHU Research Collaboration became incorporated as a not- for- profit local Uganda entity in 2006. For over 30 years, MU-JHU has been a leading research institution in Uganda with a sustained focus on HIV and women/maternal and pediatric health.

Primary Contact

• Philippa Musoke, pmusoke@mujhu.org 

Areas of Focus

Fellows would be expected to work with U.S. and Uganda based mentor groups to develop an independent research project that could be integrated into one of the following projects or in a new area of interest:

• HIV/AIDS
• Prevention of maternal to child transmission of HIV

Language Requirement

None