Damalie Nakanjako (MBChB, MMED, PhD) is a professor of Medicine, current Principal for Makerere University College of Health Sciences and was the 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.

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE: Professor Nakanjako has over 4 years of leadership and administration experience; as deputy Dean and subsequently Dean of the School of Medicine (SOM) where is part of college of health sciences administrative board, chair of SOM appointments and promotions committee as well admissions committee and the School boards. She has led several collaborative research and training programs over the last 12 years collaborating with academic and research institutions in Uganda, and overseas. As the first vice chair of the Uganda Cancer institute Research and Ethics committee, she led various initiatives to regulate research and protection of human subjects.

Professor Nakanjako is co-director of the Makerere University -Uganda Virus Research Institute (MUII) plus program for capacity building in infection and immunity in Africa https://www.muii.org.ug/ She is also a working group member and country coordinator of the Afya Bora consortium for global health leadership training in Africa. The is a consortium of 4 Academic institutions in USA (University of Washington, Seattle, University of San Francisco, Johns Hopkins University and university of Pennsylvania) and 5 academic Institutions in Africa (Makerere University, University of Nairobi, University of Botswana, University of university of Buea, Cameroon and and Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Tanzania http://www.afyaboraconsortium.org/workingGroup.html. She is a member of various steering committees including the GloCal fellowship at University of San Francisco. She is winner of the 4^th 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.