Uganda Collaboration

Relationships between Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals, and Ugandan institutions have led to the development of an extensive research, education, and training collaboration with Uganda. All research procedures and laboratory facilities are directed on-site by Ugandan scientists, many of whom have received advanced degrees from CWRU through training program grants. 

Joint Clinical Research Centre

CWRU Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) operates a Uganda Core Laboratory at the JCRC. Additionally, the CWRU School of Dental Medicine recently funded the development of a full operating dental unit within the JCRC for purposes of both increasing patient care and enhancing research capabilities.

The CWRU-JCRC research laboratory is directed on-site by Dr. Immaculate Nankaya, who obtained her PhD in molecular virology from CWRU with a highly competitive NIH Fogarty AIDS Training Grant. The laboratory recently relocated to a new facility at Lubowa, Kampala and now provides expanded services and assays for mycobacteriology, clinical chemistry, immunology, and virology under CPAT certification. VQA, TAQAS, and WHO certify the advanced virology and DNA sequencing services. The laboratory currently houses seven research scientists and supports over ten CWRU projects and processes more than 3000 clinical samples and performs more than 5000 assays annually.

Makerere University

Makerere University School of Health Sciences is the sole institution within Uganda that trains and certifies dentists. Its Department of Dentistry has been in existence since 1987 and employs both highly trained academic dentists and researchers. It has contributed to more than 90% of Uganda’s professional dentists, who alleviate the nation’s oral health problems. The WHO reports the ratio of Ugandan dentists to general population is less than the African continent average of 1:150,000. Mulago Hospital, the academic teaching medical center of Makerere University, is an exceptionally busy clinical facility and serves as the national teaching hospital of Uganda. The lack of available dentists has created problems for oral health among the general Ugandan population and led to collaboration between Makerere University and CWRU School of Dental Medicine. The partnership serves to develop the academic, clinical, and research capacities of Makerere University as well as mutually benefit both institutions through faculty and student exchange programs. 

Uganda Cancer Institute

Ongoing collaborations between CWRU, University Hospitals, and the UCI have aided in Ugandan oncology research efforts, as well as disseminating on-site results to increase cancer care and treatment in Uganda. Drs. Chad Zender and Jeff Otiti collaborate to organize biannual surgical camps at UCI to provide training and updated equipment for UCI surgical theatres and pathology facilities, as well as receive valuable insight from Ugandan clinicians. Accompanied by CWRU faculty, staff, and medical residents and students, Dr. Zender’s Uganda site visits foster future research collaborations and reinforce the importance of such international research efforts.

Uganda Team