Damalie Nakanjako
Damalie Nakanjako (MBChB, MMED, PhD) is a professor of Medicine, and Deputy Dean of the school of Medicine at Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda. She has over 16 years' experience in Infectious Diseases care, research and training at different platforms including community trials with simple interventions such as safe water and cotrimoxazole prophylaxis to reduce morbidity and mortality among people living with HIV (PLHIV), hospital-based studies to evaluate the implementation of basic tools like provider-initiated HIV testing and routine TB screening to improve access to HIV diagnosis, management of TB-HIV co-infections and timely initiation of anti-retroviral therapy in a hospital setting, epidemiological studies to understand immune recovery in long-term HIV treatment cohorts, laboratory-based studies to understand cellular mechanisms of suboptimal immune recovery, as well as clinical trials on innovative interventions of adjuvant therapy to maximize the benefits of antiretroviral therapy among PLHIV. She is currently involved in translational research in infection and immunity at Makerere University’s infectious Diseases Institute, to build local capacity to utilize basic science research to improve patient care.She trained in leadership and management in health at University of Washington, Seattle, USA (2015). She is currently a group leader of a translational immunology research group under the Makerere University UVRI (MUII) program and scientific director of the translational laboratory at Makerere University’s Infectious Diseases Institute. Her research group focuses on chronic inflammation and its complications among HIV-infected adults on life-long antiretroviral therapy in sub-Saharan Africa. She is a trainer, supervisor and mentor of other upcoming scientists, to build the next generation of scientists that will combat current and future challenges to global health in Africa and worldwide. She is winner of the 4th Fourth Annual Merle A. Sande Health Leadership Award 2013. Link: http://www.accordiafoundation.org/news/dr-damalie-nakanjako-named-winner-of-fourth-annual-merle-a-sande-health-leadership-award/index.