Background & Objectives

Makerere University Lung Institute (MLI) is a semi-autonomous academic research institute within the Makerere University College of Health Sciences. MLI works in partnership with a number of local and international organisations/ universities to provide specialized clinical care to the people of Uganda as well as designing and implementing interventions to improve lung health. MLI is a champion in innovative lung health research that integrates disease prevention, clinical care and training in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Scope of Research Activities

MLI conducts high quality lung health research that integrates disease prevention, clinical care and training in sub-Saharan Africa. The Vaccine and Epidemics Research Centre (VERC) started out as the COVID-19 research group in March 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The group later got involved in several other pandemic/epidemic responsive research which necessitated the transition into a Vaccine and Epidemics Research Centre. VERC brings together a multidisciplinary team of scientists and partner institutions all working together to develop and/or implement biomedical and socio-behavioral innovations for responding to new and emerging disease threats. VERC's research areas cover: 

  • Therapeutics
  • Diagnostics
  • Vaccines
  •  Epidemiology

Publications & Projects

Partners

Local Partners

  • Ministry of Health
  • National TB and Leprosy Programme

International Partners

  • Addis Ababa University
  • European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP)
  • Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD (GRIAC) 
  • GSK
  • IPCRG
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine 
  • Medical Research Council (MRC) 
  • Queen Mary University of London
  • Rutgers University 
  • UC Davis School Of Medicine 
  • University College London
  • University of Cambridge
  • University of Groningen
  • University of Leicester
  • University of Plymouth
  • Vital Strategies
  • World Health Organization

 

Personnel

Full Name Role/Designation Link to Bio
Assoc Prof. Bruce Kirenga Director View Profile
Dr. Winters Muttamba Research Scientist/Monitoring and Evaluation Officer View Profile
Mr. Edrine Akera Data Manager View Profile
Mr. Simon Mugambe Chief Operations Officer View Profile
Dr. Winceslaus Katagira Physician/ Research Scientist Head, Research and Innovation View Profile
Dr. Ivan Kimuli Head, Clinical Services View Profile
Ms. Jackline Nakabira Administrator & Ag. Human Resources Manager View Profile
Dr. Rebecca Nantanda Head, Education and Training Department View Profile
Dr. Simon Walusimbi Senior Research Fellow View Profile
Prof. Rupert Jones Co-Chair View Profile
Ms. Grace Nyakoojo Head, Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs View Profile
Ms. Zahra Namuli Communications Officer View Profile
Mr. Emmanuel Kansiime Muntu Finance Manager View Profile
Mr. James Ninsiima Internal Auditor View Profile