Isaac John Egesa

Executive Director & Co-Founder | Epidemiologist and Clinical Trials Researcher

Isaac John Egesa is the Executive Director and a co-founder of the Mayuge Institute for Global Health Sciences Research and Innovation (MIHRI). He is an epidemiologist and clinical trials researcher with a background in Nursing and expertise in biostatistics, trial methodology, evidence synthesis and global health research. Isaac trained in epidemiology at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and is currently completing a PhD in Health Data Science specialising in Trial Methodology and Biostatistics, at the University of Liverpool. His doctoral research examines how existing clinical and research data can be used to improve the design of adaptive interventions and treatment strategies in non-communicable diseases, suing epilepsy as an exemplar. Earlier in his career, Isaac worked at KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme in Kilifi, where he coordinated and contributed to studies in epilepsy, neurodevelopment, mental health, and population health. His clinical training and subsequent research career has given him experience across patient care, field and clinical research, evidence synthesis, clinical trials and the application of statistical methods to health research. He also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Research Methods from Pwani University and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Moi University. His research interests include clinical trials, trial methodology, epidemiology, biostatistics, neurological disorders and the use of existing health data to improve treatment decisions and personalised medicine. As an Executive Director of MIHRI, Isaac helping to build MIHRI as an African-led research institution capable of generating rigorous and locally relevant evidence to address important health challenges. His focus is on developing multidisciplinary collaborations, strengthen research capacity, supporting emerging researchers and translating research into better health policy and practice.

Kwana Lechiile

Board Chairperson & Co-Founder | Epidemiologist and Lab Scientific Advisor

Kwana Lechiile is the Board Chairperson and a co-founder of the Mayuge Institute for Global Health Sciences Research and Innovation (MIHRI). She holds a BSc Biochemistry and Human Physiology from University of Cape Town and MSc in Epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. She is currently working on completing her thesis for an MPhil in Medical Sciences with the University of Botswana, while pursuing her PhD studies in Biological Sciences in Public Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She has extensive experience in clinical research working with Botswana-UPenn Partnership and Botswana Harvard Health Partnership as the primary lab scientist for multiple studies which enhanced policy guidelines for improved management of infectious diseases such as antimicrobial resistance, cryptococcus meningitis co-infection with advanced HIV, and rotavirus surveillance in Botswana. In her PhD studies she is currently learning how to apply CRISPR-Cas techniques on the red blood cell to identify and understand key factors that facilitate malaria parasite invasion. As Chairperson she provides leadership to the Board of Directors and ensures effective governance, strategic alignment, and institutional advancement. She also provide technical advisory services on Lab related researches and interventions

Christopher Baleke

Chief Scientific Officer

Christopher Baleke, MSc, is the Director & Chief Scientific Officer of the Mayuge Institute for Global Health Sciences Research and Innovations (MIHRI), where he provides visionary scientific leadership in advancing maternal and child health research across Uganda and sub-Saharan Africa. In this role, he oversees MIHRI’s research portfolio, leading research strategy and overseeing scientific programmes that enhance health systems and strengthen evidence based decision making in low resource settings.

Christopher holds an MSc in Epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and is a doctoral researcher at Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, enrolled in the Molecular, Genetic and Life Course Epidemiology program. His PhD focuses on identifying gaps in postnatal care adherence, characterizing trajectories of cardiometabolic risk factors, and improving the prediction of cardiovascular disease using real world clinical practice data. His research integrates advanced epidemiological methods, health systems evaluation, and applied data science to generate impactful, policy relevant evidence.

As Co-founder and organizational lead of MIHRI, Christopher drives the development of a pioneering linked birth cohort in rural Uganda. This initiative leverages electronic health records (EHR) to strengthen maternal and child health surveillance, improve risk prediction models, and evaluate scalable public health interventions. He also leads a nationwide review of maternal clinical records to assess data quality and establish the foundational infrastructure for a digital birth cohort and future integrated health information systems.

Christopher brings extensive experience as a research team leader and epidemiologist, having managed large population based cohorts and major research programs, including randomized controlled trials. He has led multidisciplinary scientific teams, supervised complex field operations, and guided the design, implementation, and analysis of high impact public health studies across diverse settings.

His research interests span maternal and child health, infectious disease prevention, digital health innovation, and the application of advanced statistical, epidemiological, and data driven methods to evaluate interventions in low- and middle-income countries. Through his leadership and scientific contributions, Christopher is committed to generating robust, actionable evidence that strengthens health systems and improves health outcomes for vulnerable populations.

Denis Ndekezi

Program Coordinator

Denis is a Social Scientist and a member of the Mayuge Institute for Global Health Sciences Research and Innovation (MIHRI). He holds a BSc in Population Studies from Makerere University and an MPH with a focus on health promotion from Uganda Martyrs University.

As a behavioural social scientist and public health practitioner, Denis specializes in sexual and reproductive health services for adolescents, young people, and persons with disabilities. He is currently leading a project to develop an intervention for improving sleep health among Ugandan secondary school students.

Alice Nassanga

Program Adminstrator

Alice is a Program Administrator and Research Data Administrator at the Mayuge Institute for Global Health Sciences Research and Innovation (MIHRI). She is a Social Scientist with a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and Social Administration from Uganda. With more than six years of experience in health research, she specializes in sexual and reproductive health among adolescents, young people, and individuals living with HIV.

In her previous work, she has contributed to several major research initiatives, including the Entebbe Mother and Baby at 21 cohort study (EMaBs@21), which explores young people’s perceptions of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, examining social, environmental, and lifestyle influences, sources of information on non-communicable diseases, and strategies for reducing risk. Her portfolio also includes epidemiological and interventional work such as the multi-country Long-Acting Treatment in Adolescents (LATA) clinical trial evaluating long-acting injectable HIV treatments, and studies on menstrual and mental health among Ugandan schoolgirls.

In her role as a Program Administrator, Alice brings strong expertise in research administration, data management, and research systems. She provides leadership in study coordination, data quality assurance and regulatory compliance to enhance research efficiency, accuracy, and integrity.

Ratifah Batuusa

Data Manager

Ratifah Batuusa is a skilled Data Manager overseeing data collection, cleaning, and database management at MIHRI. She ensures high-quality data for research using tools like REDCap, ODK, R, and Python, contributing to reliable evidence for maternal and child health studies.

Twinomugisha Mariam

Research Assistant

Mariam is an enrolled midwife and Research Assistant at the Mayuge Institute for Global Health Sciences Research and Innovation (MIHRI). At MIHRI, Mariam leads a team responsible for field data collection, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and high standards of data quality assurance. Her responsibilities include overseeing data collection processes, conducting data cleaning and review, and supporting performance evaluations across maternal care services.

Mariam trained at Mityana Institute of Nursing and Midwifery, where she obtained a Certificate in Midwifery. She further enhanced her research competencies through Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and research methodologies. This training strengthened her ability to safeguard the rights, integrity, and confidentiality of research participants. She has strong practical experience in using REDCap for efficient and secure data collection.

Mariam's long term goal is to strengthen maternal and child health systems by improving care across the continuum from preconception through early childhood while contributing to efforts aimed at reducing congenital abnormalities.

Adellah Ainembabazi

Adellah is an Assistant Data Manager at the Mayuge Institute for Global Health Research and Innovation (MIHRI). In this role, she oversees data cleaning processes and supports health facility teams through training in data quality improvement. Her role focuses on strengthening the reliability and use of routine maternal health data to support evidence based decision making.

Adellah is a statistician with a strong foundation in quantitative research and health information management. She holds a BSc in Economics and Statistics from Kyambogo University. Adellah attended graduate training at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Uganda, where she advanced her skills in data analysis using R and STATA, as well as data quality management through REDCap.

Her professional goal is to enhance the quality of maternal care data and help health teams identify service gaps early and make appropriate interventions.