Mbarara University of Science and Technology in collaboration with (1) Massachusetts
General Hospital – MGH, (2) Massachusetts Institute of Technology – MIT, (3) Kwame
Nkurumah University of Science and Technology – KNUST, and (4) College of
Ophthalmologists of Eastern, Central, and Southern Africa – COECSA have won a 5-Year
grant from Fogarty International Center, NIH Grant No. U54TW012043 to set up the Mbarara
University Data Science Research Hub (MUDSReH).
Overall Plan for the Research Hub
Medical images offer great potential for supporting clinical diagnosis and care management;
however, their utility for African researchers and clinicians are limited by the number of images
available, insufficient linkage to relevant clinical data, limited data from African populations for
proper image interpretation, and poor implementation in clinical practice. The Mbarara
University Data Science Research Hub is designed to overcome these barriers through
robust Data Management and Analysis and Administrative Cores, initially supporting projects
in posterior segment eye disease and cervical cancer with plans for expansion to new projects
and sites, as well as training in data science and implementation science.
The research hub will be administered under a multiple PD/PI (MPI) administrative structure
with Dr. Celestino Obua as the contact PD/PI and overall Hub Director. He will work with Drs.
Leo Celi and Jessica Haberer as MPIs for the data science and implementation science
components of the MUDSReH, respectively. Dr. Edith Wakida will serve as the Hub Deputy
Director and lead the Administrative Core to support implementation with Ms. Samantha Mary
as the Hub Administrator.
MUDSReH LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE
Multiple PD/PI 1 and Hub Director: Prof. Celestino Obua (MUST)
Multiple PD/PI 2: Dr. Leo Celi (Data science – MIT)
Multiple PD/PI 3: Dr. Jessica Haberer (Implementation science – MGH)
Hub Deputy Director/ Administrative core lead: Dr. Edith Wakida (Overall program
Implementation – MUST)
Data Management and Analysis core lead: Dr. Fred Kagwa (MUST)
Hub Administrator: Ms. Samantha Mary (MUST)
Co- Investigators
Research Project 1 Ophthalmology
• Dr. Simon Arunga (– MUST)
• Dr. Michael Gichangi (COECSA)
Research Project 2 Gynecology
• Dr. Joseph Ngonzi (MUST)
• Dr. Thomas Konney (KNUST)
Additional research projects will include
• Dermatology
• Radiology
• Etc.
DURATION: 5 Year