Christopher Baleke
Christopher Baleke, MSc, is the President and 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.
Alex Daama
Alex Daama is an accomplished public health scientist, strategic leader, and Co-Founder of the Mayuge Institute for Global Health Sciences Research and Innovations (MIHRI). He currently serves as the Chief Strategic and Innovation Officer, where he guides the organization’s vision, develops forward‑looking health research strategies, and champions innovative approaches to improving population health. With over a decade of experience in epidemiology, cohort research, and public health program implementation, Alex brings a rare blend of scientific rigor, leadership skill, and strategic foresight to his work.
Alex has previously served as a Program Director and Epidemiologist at AMBSO, where he played a central role in cohort design, implementation, and scientific leadership. He worked extensively with the Rakai Health Sciences Program (RHSP), contributing to HIV surveillance through the renowned Rakai Community Cohort Study. Alex is a PhD student in Public Health (Epidemiology) in the Joint Doctoral Program at San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego (2025–present). He holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) from Makerere University, Uganda (2022), specializing in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. His academic training has equipped him with strong skills in epidemiological methods, biostatistics, population health measurement, and implementation science.
His research interests span multiple global health priorities, including HIV, non‑communicable diseases, mental health services, sexual and reproductive health, maternal and child health, infectious diseases such as COVID‑19, intimate partner violence, implementation science, and the health impacts of climate change. His scientific work has been showcased at major regional and international meetings, including IAS 2024 (Munich), INTEREST 2022–2023 (Kampala), CROI 2024 (Denver), and IAS 2025 (Rwanda).
Through his work at MIHRI and his leadership as Chief Strategic and Innovation Officer, Alex continues to shape the future of public health research with creativity, scientific integrity, and a deep commitment to community impact. Under his strategic guidance, MIHRI has pioneered community‑based participatory research models, bridging the gap between rigorous science and real‑world solutions, particularly in rural Uganda and across East Africa. His vision emphasizes equity-driven health systems strengthening and the integration of climate resilience into public health programming.
Beyond institutional roles, Alex actively mentors emerging public health researchers and has contributed to over 25 peer‑reviewed manuscripts focusing on HIV epidemiology, implementation science, and NCD prevention. He believes that data must be translated into action, working closely with district health teams and policymakers to shape evidence‑informed interventions. His commitment to capacity building has led to several training workshops in advanced biostatistics and epidemiologic methods for Ugandan early‑career scientists.
As a thought leader, Alex has been invited to speak at several global health symposia about the future of cohort studies in low‑resource settings. He is currently investigating the intersection of climate variability and infectious disease patterns as part of his doctoral research, leveraging longitudinal data from the Rakai community cohort. By combining implementation science frameworks with advanced statistical models, Alex aims to develop adaptive interventions that respond to both epidemiological shifts and environmental stressors. His work has been recognized with early career awards and research fellowships, fueling his drive to cultivate locally grounded, globally relevant health research ecosystems.
Asani Kasango
Asani Kasango is the Co-Director of the MIHRI Data Science Hub, where he provides strategic leadership in data science innovation, develops scalable and reproducible analytic workflows, and supports institutional capacity for high quality, data driven research. In this role, he also mentors emerging data scientists, promotes interdisciplinary collaboration, and advances modern analytic approaches in public health research.
He is an epidemiologist, social scientist, and biostatistician with over a decade of experience in population health research, research management, study coordination, and quantitative analysis. Asani is also a co-founder of the Mayuge Institute for Global Health Sciences Research and Innovation (MIHRI), where he contributes to research capacity strengthening, scientific collaboration, and the implementation of community-centered health research.
He has extensive experience managing complex longitudinal datasets, including the Rakai Community Cohort Study (RCCS), one of Africa’s longest-running HIV surveillance cohorts. His expertise includes data management, data quality assurance, participant recruitment, statistical modelling, and reproducible data analysis using R, SAS, and Stata. His work has contributed to multiple peer reviewed publications spanning HIV, non communicable diseases, tobacco use, and health systems integration.
Asani is currently pursuing a PhD in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Western University, Canada. His doctoral research focuses on the epidemiology of hypertension and type 2 diabetes comorbidity among people living with and without HIV in Uganda, with the goal of informing integrated models of chronic disease care in resource limited settings. He also maintains strong interests in cardiometabolic disease epidemiology, causal inference, and maternal and child health among underserved populations.
His career is grounded in a commitment to rigorous science, high quality data systems, and the production of policy relevant evidence to improve health outcomes and reduce global health disparities.
Denis Ndekezi
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
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
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.
Gerald Kato
Gerald Kato is a Laboratory Services Manager and co-founder of MIHRI. He has over nine years of progressive experience in public health laboratory systems strengthening, quality management, and diagnostic service optimization across Uganda. He holds a Master of Public Health and a BSc in Biomedical Laboratory Technology from Makerere University, grounding his leadership in both advanced technical expertise and a broad public health perspective.
In his current role, he provides strategic oversight for laboratory operations, quality improvement, and service integration, ensuring compliant and high-performing laboratory systems within complex health programs. Previously, he served as a Laboratory Coordinator for the Kampala HIV Project at Reach Out Mbuya Community Health Initiative and as a Laboratory Specialist with the Infectious Diseases Institute for Kampala and Wakiso district.
Gerald's core expertise lies in establishing, strengthening, and sustaining robust Quality Management Systems (QMS) aligned with ISO 15189:2022 standards. He has led multiple laboratories, including Butabika and Kawempe National Referral Hospitals, to achieving SANAS accreditation — demonstrating a strong track record in advancing laboratory excellence. His experience further spans biosafety and biosecurity, where he has authored policies, conducted facility audits, and overseen the procurement of critical safety equipment to enhance laboratory preparedness and risk mitigation.
A certified trainer and mentor in Laboratory Quality Management Systems, diagnostic techniques, and Continuous Quality Improvement, Gerald is deeply committed to capacity building. He is passionate about empowering laboratory professionals to deliver reliable, uninterrupted, and high-quality diagnostic services that strengthen health systems and improve patient outcomes.
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.
Twinomugisha Mariam
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.
