The EXPrESSIVE-10 trial is a phase 3 clinical study assessing the safety and efficacy of MK-8527, an investigational once-monthly oral PrEP medication for adolescent girls and young women at five sites in Uganda: Entebbe, Kalangala, Kampala, Masaka, and Mityana.
Computer literate
Have excellent communication skills, coupled with empathy, patience, and the ability to turn a complaint or negative phone call into a positive experience
Good coomuication and interpersonal skiils
Ability to work in teams
Outgoing and willing to work extra hours
Preferably female
Should be a resident of Kalangala
The Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) is a Ugandan not-for-profit organization whose mission is to strengthen strong emphasis on infectious diseases, through research and capacity development. IDI has six operational a achieve its mission: Prevention, Care and Treatment; Training, Research, Laboratory services (including the CA Translational Lab), Global Health Security and Health System Strengthening. With support from the US Government (USAID), IDI is implementing a 5-year (2021–2026) Project- the USAID TB (LPHS-TB) Activity. The project aims at substantially contributing to the reduction of Uganda's TB burden b evidence-based and high-impact interventions towards the achievement of 90% treatment coverage and succ (including the drug-resistant TB) in Kampala, Mukono, and Wakiso districts. Effective October 2024, the direc LPHS-TB Activity was modified to include all the nine districts of Karamoja sub-region in North-Eastern Ugand Karenga, Kotido, Moroto, Nabilatuk, Nakapiripirit and Napak. The USAID LPHS-TB Activity builds on the succe Karamoja project and successes registered in the last three years of Activity implementation to address the re prevention, identification, and treatment. In order to successfully implement the project in the Karamoja sub-region, IDI is looking for a competent and the position of Laboratory Specialist. The laboratory specialist will work closely with development partners, MoH, district, and facility teams in stre USAID LPHS TB Activity in Kotido and Moroto.S/he will jointly work with the district/division health leadershi for laboratory ser
MILK-CENTRE Scholarship Opportunity at IDI
The MILK-CENTRE (Maternal and Infant Lactation pharmacoKinetics: Centre of Excellence for lactatioN Therapeutics Research and Engagement) project funded by the UK National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) at the Infectious Diseases Institute Makerere University is seeking applicants for a fully-funded PhD opportunity to define a bioethical framework for the fair inclusion of breastfeeding mother-infant pairs in clinical trials, focussing on areas of increased vulnerability including adolescent mothers, outbreak settings and mental health.
The MILK-CENTRE team is led by Professor Catriona Waitt, and is a multi-disciplinary group comprising a project manager, research nurses, postdoctoral pharmacokinetic modellers, a public engagement officer, a peer mother, a lab runner and several PhD students. Over the past decade the team has built expertise in performing pharmacokinetic studies and clinical trials in breastfeeding mothers who require medication. However, there remains a need for further bioethical research to support this programme.
Project Description
The Pregnancy and HIV/AIDS: Seeking Equitable Study (PHASES) Working Group led by collaborator Lyerly, has spearheaded a shift from systematic exclusion of pregnant and breastfeeding women in clinical trials towards recognition of the need for fair inclusion. The published framework articulates three ethical foundations:
The guidance advances 12 specific recommendations surrounding: building capacity, supporting inclusion, achieving priority research and ensuring respect [1, 2] including that appropriate pharmacokinetic studies should be integrated into new drug development plans and performed as early as possible, ideally before licensure, for all new preventives and treatments anticipated to be used during pregnancy. Notably, risk-benefit considerations have clear differences between pregnancy and breastfeeding. We need to define ethical frameworks that underpin an inclusive lactation research programme for all therapeutics.
Evidence supporting the wider importance of our community-led priorities
Adolescent mothers: In Uganda, an estimated 25% of women give birth before the age of 18 years. Due to changing physiology, it is essential that we understand drug exposure in this population. Previously, Ugandan recommendations were to include the 14-17 age bracket in our lactation pharmacokinetic protocols [3], although updated guidelines may remove this consideration.
Outbreaks: Uganda has outbreaks of viral haemorrhagic fevers such as Ebola approximately every three years. Historical exclusion of pregnant and breastfeeding women in clinical trials for therapeutics against such disease led to the concept of ‘being protected to death’ [4]. Key priority questions about breastfeeding in this context were highlighted by WHO [5] and a 2020 themed issue of the Lancet [6, 7]. In Ebola, there is a key need to address many research questions relating to breastfeeding mother-infant pairs[8].
Maternal sepsis: Antibiotics are among the most frequent medication prescribed to postpartum women in all settings and are essential to lowering maternal death rates. If the mother develops clinical sepsis, additional physiological perturbations will impact upon drug exposure [9]. The consequences of low-level exposure to the breastfed infant are unknown.
Mental health: Many research protocols contain exclusion criteria leading to people with depression being excluded from clinical trials. Furthermore, a review of 60 studies that measured antidepressants in breastmilk against 2005 FDA guidelines [10], showed major shortcomings in study design and analysis [11]. Notably, there has been a critical failure to consider low-income settings, where the condition is poorly understood.
Fellowship includes:
Successful candidates;
Under this program also have an opportunity to participate in various short structured courses for training in clinical research and skill-building sessions that are on-going at IDI. Through this experience, we hope to expose academically excellent students to a wide programme of academic research.
1. Lyerly AD: The PHASES Working Group. Ending the evidence gap for pregnant women around HIV & co-infections: A call to action. In. Chapel Hill, NC: The PHASES Working Group Pregnancy and HIV/AIDS: Seeking Equitable Study; 2020.
2. Lyerly AD, Beigi R, Bekker LG, Chi BH, Cohn SE, Diallo DD, Eron J, Faden R, Jaffe E, Kashuba A et al: Ending the evidence gap for pregnancy, HIV and co-infections: ethics guidance from the PHASES project. J Int AIDS Soc 2021, 24(12):e25846.
3. Nakijoba R, Nakayiwa Kawuma A, Ojara FW, Tabwenda JC, Kyeyune J, Turyahabwe C, Asiimwe SP, Magoola J, Banda CG, Castelnuovo B et al: -Pharmacokinetics of drugs used to treat uncomplicated malaria in breastfeeding mother-infant pairs: An observational pharmacokinetic study. Wellcome Open Res 2023, 8:12.
4. Gomes MF, de la Fuente-Nunez V, Saxena A, Kuesel AC: Protected to death: systematic exclusion of pregnant women from Ebola virus disease trials. Reprod Health 2017, 14(Suppl 3):172.
5. In: Guidelines for the management of pregnant and breastfeeding women in the context of Ebola virus disease. edn. Geneva; 2020.
6. Thorson AE, Foeller M, Rayco-Solon P, Prinzo ZW, Souza JP, Pena-Rosas JP: Ebola virus disease and breastfeeding. Lancet 2020, 395(10223):491.
7. Ververs M, Arya A: Ebola virus disease and breastfeeding: time for attention. Lancet 2019, 394(10201):825.
8. Waitt C, Gribble K, Waitt P, Imani-Musimwa P, Liang C, Ververs M: Scarcity of research on breastfeeding and Ebola diseases is placing the lives of women and infants at risk: a call to specific action. Lancet Glob Health 2025, 13(2):e364-e371.
9. Hazenberg P, Navaratnam K, Busuulwa P, Waitt C: Anti-infective Dosing in Special Populations: Pregnancy. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2021.
10. Begg EJ, Duffull SB, Hackett LP, Ilett KF: Studying drugs in human milk: time to unify the approach. J Hum Lact 2002, 18(4):323-332.
11. den Besten-Bertholee D, van der Meer DH, Ter Horst PGJ: Quality of Lactation Studies Investigating Antidepressants. Breastfeed Med 2019, 14(6):359-365.
The EXPrESSIVE-10 trial is a phase 3 clinical study assessing the safety and efficacy of MK-8527, an investigational once-monthly oral PrEP medication for adolescent girls and young women at five sites in Uganda: Entebbe, Kalangala, Kampala, Masaka, and Mityana.
Funded Scholarship Opportunities in Infectious Disease Research
The Research Capacity Building Unit at the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), Makerere University, invites applications for funded training scholarships in Infectious disease research for academic year 2025/2026 through the O.R. TAMBO AFRICA RESEARCH CHAIR INITIATIVE.
The program aims to train and retain a new generation of African physician-scientists who will contribute to human and institutional capacity development in prevention, treatment, and research of infectious diseases. It targets highly motivated individuals committed to advancing careers in Infectious Diseases.
Among a myriad of different causes of morbidity, infectious and neglected tropical diseases remain a leading cause of death in Africa. Infections such as meningitis, encephalitis, and meningoencephalitis account for a large portion of neurological disease burden especially among immunocompromised individuals, including those living with HIV/AIDS.
In Sub-Saharan Africa:
Despite the magnitude of this problem, infections remain under-researched and under-diagnosed, leading to delayed treatment and preventable deaths.
This training program is a collaboration between Makerere University, Mbarara University of Science & Technology (MUST), University of Minnesota (USA) and Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA). The program envisages multidisciplinary research training in Immunology, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Pharmacology and Quality Improvement. Trainees will conduct research using existing infectious disease research platforms or other infectious diseases, under expert mentorship.
Additionally, the program aims to establish an Infectious Disease Fellowship within the Department of Medicine at Makerere University, in partnership with the East, Central & Southern Africa College of Physicians. This will contribute to building a local and regional workforce of infectious disease specialists.
Benefits for Successful Candidates
Application Process
Highly motivated individuals, capable of self-directed study and planning a career in infectious disease research are invited to apply for this scholarship at IDI if the
The Research Capacity Building Unit at the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), Makerere University, invites applications for funded training scholarships in Infectious disease research for academic year 2025/2026 through the O.R. TAMBO AFRICA RESEARCH CHAIR INITIATIVE.
The program aims to train and retain a new generation of African physician-scientists who will contribute to human and institutional capacity development in prevention, treatment, and research of infectious diseases. It targets highly motivated individuals committed to advancing careers in Infectious Diseases.
Among a myriad of different causes of morbidity, infectious and neglected tropical diseases remain a leading cause of death in Africa. Infections such as meningitis, encephalitis, and meningoencephalitis account for a large portion of neurological disease burden especially among immunocompromised individuals, including those living with HIV/AIDS.
In Sub-Saharan Africa:
Despite the magnitude of this problem, infections remain under-researched and under-diagnosed, leading to delayed treatment and preventable deaths.
This training program is a collaboration between Makerere University, Mbarara University of Science & Technology (MUST), University of Minnesota (USA) and Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA). The program envisages multidisciplinary research training in Immunology, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Pharmacology and Quality Improvement. Trainees will conduct research using existing infectious disease research platforms or other infectious diseases, under expert mentorship.
Additionally, the program aims to establish an Infectious Disease Fellowship within the Department of Medicine at Makerere University, in partnership with the East, Central & Southern Africa College of Physicians. This will contribute to building a local and regional workforce of infectious disease specialists.
Benefits for Successful Candidates
Application Process
Highly motivated individuals, capable of self-directed study and planning a career in infectious disease research are invited to apply for this scholarship at IDI if they;
Funded Scholarship Opportunities in Infectious Disease Research
The Research Capacity Building Unit at the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), Makerere University, invites applications for funded training scholarships in Infectious disease research for academic year 2025/2026 through the O.R. TAMBO AFRICA RESEARCH CHAIR INITIATIVE.
The program aims to train and retain a new generation of African physician-scientists who will contribute to human and institutional capacity development in prevention, treatment, and research of infectious diseases. It targets highly motivated individuals committed to advancing careers in Infectious Diseases.
Among a myriad of different causes of morbidity, infectious and neglected tropical diseases remain a leading cause of death in Africa. Infections such as meningitis, encephalitis, and meningoencephalitis account for a large portion of neurological disease burden especially among immunocompromised individuals, including those living with HIV/AIDS.
In Sub-Saharan Africa:
Despite the magnitude of this problem, infections remain under-researched and under-diagnosed, leading to delayed treatment and preventable deaths.
This training program is a collaboration between Makerere University, Mbarara University of Science & Technology (MUST), University of Minnesota (USA) and Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA). The program envisages multidisciplinary research training in Immunology, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Pharmacology and Quality Improvement. Trainees will conduct research using existing infectious disease research platforms or other infectious diseases, under expert mentorship.
Additionally, the program aims to establish an Infectious Disease Fellowship within the Department of Medicine at Makerere University, in partnership with the East, Central & Southern Africa College of Physicians. This will contribute to building a local and regional workforce of infectious disease specialists.
Benefits for Successful Candidates
The Medical Officer will work closely with the GHS's Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) technical team leads to develop and implement strategies for Uganda’s and regional AMR mitigation efforts.
The Laboratory Scientist will support the Global Health Security department in its agenda to strengthen laboratory systems and enhance biosafety and biosecurity capacities. The role involves providing technical assistance, implementing laboratory quality management systems, promoting safe laboratory practices, and supporting national and regional initiatives, and building sustainable capacity for outbreak preparedness and response.
The candidate will support the GHS department programs in defining scientific questions, refining analysis methods, and identifying literature and data sources for the project. Working closely with a senior statistician and epidemiologist, the Senior Mathematical Modeller will be responsible for conducting literature searches, scoping reviews, and synthesising findings into high-level scientific reports. The primary objective of this role is to utilise mathematical modelling to inform health programming, planning, and policy decisions on the African continent.
The IDI's GHS department seeks to hire a bioinformatics scientist graduate trainee who will support the department to develop bioinformatics solutions, conducting data analysis, and advising on genomics-related aspects of the project. Additionally, the scientist will provide leadership in the bioinformatics domain, support proposal development for follow-up projects, and contribute to the analysis, documentation, and dissemination of study findings.
The Statistician will support the Global Health Security (GHS) Department by providing advanced statistical expertise for designing, analysing, interpreting, and presenting data related to infectious disease surveillance, outbreak preparedness and response, and health systems resilience. The ideal candidate will collaborate with epidemiologists, data scientists, public health specialists, and both national and subnational partners to generate actionable evidence for decision-making in the prevention, detection, and response to public health threats.
The Computer Scientist Graduate Trainee will support digital health innovations, software development, and data-driven tools to strengthen global health security. The role includes building and maintaining digital systems for disease surveillance, analytics, and emergency response. The trainee will work closely with multidisciplinary teams to design solutions that enable efficient data capture, analysis, and decision-making across GHS programs.
The IDI's GHS deaprtment seeks to hire a quantitative economist who will work with the technical team leads to utilise the existing GHS department data to develop cost-effective models for program implementation, health emergencies, preparedness, and response.
The Monitoring and Evaluation officer will be support to design, implement and review of the project’s monitoring and evaluation interventions. She/he will ensure data-driven decision-making by producing high-quality evidence to support project planning, implementation, learning, and reporting. The role requires strong analytical and communication skills, experience with data systems, and a commitment to strengthening GHS outcomes.
The epidemiologist will work with the Global Health Security department at IDI to support the documentation of success stories, generation of hypotheses and scientific writing efforts. The role shall also include supporting capacity-building efforts to establish knowledge management hubs and working with the program academic consortium to maximize scientific and scholarly output from the GHS programs.
The IDI's Global Health Security Department seeks to recruit a clinical biostatistician who will provide hands-on experience in applied biostatistics within the context of health security, outbreak response, and research across the GHS department’s seven program areas. The Clinical Biostatistician graduate trainee/intern will support the GHS statistical and modelling unit to analyse clinical and surveillance data to generate evidence for infectious disease control studies and strategies.
The GHS's vaccines and Medical Countermeasures program area supports the development, evaluation, deployment, and monitoring of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics targeting priority pathogens. The Project Pharmacist will play a critical role in ensuring the safe, effective, and quality-assured management and use of medical countermeasures during clinical trials, emergency preparedness, and public health response activities.