THRiVE-1 and THRiVE -2 Alumni
As part of THRiVE-1 (2009-15) there were nine fellows linked to research mentors at the University of Cambridge and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Hinxton. Three held two-year postdoctoral fellowships and six were awarded four-year PhD fellowships. All have now been awarded their PhDs or completed their postdoctoral fellowships. You can view their profiles below.
One of the 12 THRiVE-2 fellows linked to research mentors in Cambridge has also been awarded his PhD and others will follow as THRiVE-2 reaches the end of its activities.
Dr Gerald Mboowa (THRiVE-2 Alumnus)
Mentors: Dr Effrossyni Gkrania- Klotsas and Dr Harriet Groom, University of Cambridge and Makerere University Prof Moses Joloba and Dr David Kateete
Gerald Mboowa is a Human Genetics and Genomics research fellow at the Genomics Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biology and Immunology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Makerere University College of Health Sciences. His interests include utilizing genomics and bioinformatics approaches to understanding the patterns of host genetic determinants of resistance and susceptibility to common infectious diseases. For his PhD research Gerald interrogated NextGen Sequence Genomic data using bioinformatics tools to investigate and identify the pathogenicity of host functional genetic variants/loci in pediatric HIV/AIDS disease progression in sub-Saharan Africa populations. Gerald has now submitted and successfully defended his PhD at Makerere University.
Dr Kennedy Amone-P’Olak (Postdoctoral alumnus)
Mentors: Professor Peter Jones and Dr Richard Meiser-Stedman, University of Cambridge. Gulu University, Professor Emilio Ovuga
Dr Kennedy Amone-P’Olak is a Lecturer at Gulu University in Uganda. Kennedy completed his two-year THRiVE Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in February 2013. His research project focused on War-affected youths in northern Uganda and was a longitudinal study of post-war individual, family, and contextual factors and the course of mental health. After completing his THRiVE postdoctoral fellowship, Kennedy secured the position of a Visiting Scholar at the Centre for Crisis Psychology in Bergen in Norway for six months allowing him to prepare new manuscripts, using the data he generated during his THRiVE postdoctoral research in Gulu and Cambridge.
Dr Roman Saba Ntare (Postdoctoral alumnus)
Mentors: Dr Simon Frost, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Dr Jane Greatorex, Public Health England and Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge
Roman is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Rwanda. Roman's primary career interests revolve around research on infectious diseases. His research focus as a THRiVE fellow was on the role of sexual networks and the transmitted virus in the spread of HIV in Rwandan at-risk populations, results of which, he hopes will significantly contribute towards the zero AIDS infection health agenda.
Dr Sabina Wachira (Postdoctoral alumna)
Mentors: Professor David Spring, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge and Dr Baldywn Torto, icipe
Exploiting Mosquito Phytoceuticals for Malaria Control
Prior to being awarded a THRiVE postdoctoral fellowship at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) in Kenya in 2010, Sabina worked as a Research Officer at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and is currently the Registrar in the Department of Research, Technology Management and Community Linkages at the Dedan Kimathi University Of Technology, Nyeri, Kenya. Sabina completed her two-year THRiVE postdoctoral fellowship in February 2013. Her THRiVE project focused on Exploiting Mosquito Phytoceuticals for Malaria Control (Grant number 087540), supported by the THRiVE Programme, using funds from the Wellcome Trust.
Dr Josephine Bwogi (4 year PhD alumna)
Mentors: Dr Ulrich Desselberger, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge; Dr Miren‐Iturriza Gomara, University of Liverpool; Professor Charles Karamagi and Dr Sam Malamba, Makerere University
Rotaviruses in Uganda: Molecular Epidemiology and potential of zoonotic transmission
Josephine is a Research Officer and Head of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) Laboratory at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) in Entebbe.
Dr Moses Galukande, (4 year PhD alumnus)
Mentor: Professor Sir Michael Stratton, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute; Makerere University Professor Henry Wabinga and Associate Professor Florence Mirembe
Moses is a general Surgeon and an Associate Professor at the Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Uganda. Recently he completed his THRiVE PhD Fellowship during which he researched breast cancer among Ugandan women, their molecular subtypes, delays in diagnosis, risk factors and survival.
Dr Allen Kabagenyi (4 year PhD alumna)
Mentor: Dr Alice Reid, Department of Geography University of Cambridge and Professor James Ntozi; Dr Lynn Atuyambe, Makerere University
Explanations for the high fertility rates in Uganda
Allen is an Assistant Lecturer in the Institute of Statistics and Applied Economics, Department of Population Studies at Makerere University in Uganda. Allen's research project for the THRiVE PhD fellowship was based on the topic: 'Stalling High Fertility Rates in Uganda: is Low Contraceptive Prevalence Responsible?'
Dr Ronald Kiguba (4 year PhD alumnus)
Mentor: Dr Sheila Bird, OBE, MRC Biostatistics Unit, Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge and Professor David Schallenberg a co-mentor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; Makerere University, Professors Charles Karamagi, Elly Katabira and Associate Professor Paul Waako
Preventing Medication Errors and Adverse Drug Reactions among Inpatients in Uganda
Ronald is a Lecturer at the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the School of Biomedical Sciences, Makerere University in Uganda. Ronald's PhD research topic is 'Pharmacoepidemiologic Assessment and Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Interventions aimed at Preventing Medication Errors and Adverse Drug Reactions among Inpatients in Uganda'.
Dr Amos Deogratius Mwaka (4 year PhD alumnus)
Mentors: Professor Martin Roland CBE, and Dr Fiona Walter Institute of Public Health and at Makerere University, Uganda Professor Henry Wabinga and Dr Elizeus Rutebemberwa
Preventing Deaths From Cervical Cancer in Uganda: Cultural Perspectives
Amos is a lecturer at the Department of Medicine in the School of Medicine, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Uganda. For his PhD project, Amos studied 'Preventing Deaths From Cervical Cancer in Uganda: Cultural Perspectives'.
Dr Humphrey Mazigo (4 year PhD alumnus)
Mentor: Professor David Dunne, Department of Pathology and in Africa Dr Nicholas Lwambo (Tanzania) and Associate Prof. Fred Nuwaha (Uganda)
Humphrey is a Lecturer of Medical Parasitology at the school of Medicine of the Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences Weill-Bugando in Mwanza, Tanzania. He is also a visiting Lecturer at the College of Medicine and Nursing at the University of Dodoma, Peramiho Medical School at the St. Augustine University and St. Francis University College of Health and Allied Sciences, all are in Tanzania.
Humphrey completed his PhD research in 2015, and it focused on the: 'Epidemiology of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) and Schistosoma mansoni co-infection and impact on anthelminthic treatment outcome among HIV-1 infected individuals in fishing communities in Mwanza region, North-western Tanzania'.