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A Schizophrenia Study in Africa is Boosting Equity in Global Genetics Research

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The largest psychiatric genetics study ever done in Africa is increasing the diversity of data on mental illness, training a new generation of geneticists, and chipping away at the genetic underpinnings of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

By Tom Ulrich

It was not quite noon yet, but Mirembe had already had a long day. She had come to Butabika Hospital in Uganda early that morning, first to see a nurse and a doctor, and now stepped into a warm, sparsely-furnished office. Sitting down across the table from a research assistant, she wondered how long she was going to be there. But she was curious. The nurse had told her a little about a research study on mental illness and that she was eligible to participate if she agreed to sign up. She was full of questions. 

Mirembe (not her real name) is one of tens of thousands of outpatients seen every year at Butabika, the national mental health hospital for all of Uganda, located on a hill on the outskirts of the capital city, Kampala. Over the next two hours, she would learn in detail what the research study was about and decide whether to participate. If she said yes, she would then answer more than 150 questions about her health, provide some of her saliva for DNA, and become one of more than 19,000 people across four African countries who, over the last two years, have signed on to help scientists in Africa, the United States, and beyond better understand the genetic roots of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other psychiatric illnesses.

That effort, the Neuropsychiatric Genetics of African Populations-Psychosis (or NeuroGAP-Psychosis) project, is the largest study of psychiatric genetics ever conducted in Africa. Bringing together scientists and doctors from Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa, and the United States, the four-year-long project seeks to engage 35,000 Africans in a quest to gain a deeper biological understanding of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder across a diversity of populations.

We could be the first people to have 35,000 DNA samples in Africa. That’s huge.

Dr. Dickens akena, makerere university

Current genetic data on mental illness are mostly from people of European ancestry, and NeuroGAP-Psychosis aims to change that, by ensuring that African science and people are represented in the search for genetic markers for these diseases.

“The world is moving towards precision medicines,” said Dr. Dickens Akena, a psychiatrist and the NeuroGAP-Psychosis lead investigator in Uganda, and a psychiatry lecturer at Makerere University in Kampala. “If we’re going to make medications or diagnostics that are tailored towards certain genetic variations, then we need to include populations from Africa in the genetic data. If we don’t do that, the African continent and its inhabitants will be left behind.”

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Mark Wamai

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Call for Applications: Masters Support in Self-Management Intervention for Reducing Epilepsy Burden

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An aerial photo of the College of Health Sciences (CHS), Makerere University showing Left to Right: The Sir Albert Cook Memorial Library, School of Biomedical Sciences, Davies Lecture Theatre, School of Public Health, Mulago Specialised Women and Neonatal Hospital (MSWNH)-Background Left and Nakasero Hill-Background Right, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

The Makerere University College of Health Sciences and Case Western Reserve University, partnering with Mbarara University of Science and Technology, are implementing a five-year project titled “Self-management Intervention for Reducing Epilepsy Burden Among Adult Ugandans with Epilepsy.”

The program is funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). One aspect of the program is to provide advanced degree training to qualified candidates interested in pursuing clinical and research careers in Epilepsy. We aim to grow epilepsy research capacity, including self-management approaches, in SSA.

The Project is soliciting applications for Master’s Research thesis support focusing on epilepsy-related research at Makerere University and Mbarara University, cohort 3, 2026/2027.

Selection criteria

  • Should be a Master’s student of the following courses: MMED in Internal Medicine, Paediatrics, Surgery and Neurosurgery, Psychiatry, Family Medicine, Public Health, Master of Health Services Research, MSc. Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Nursing, or a Master’s in the Basic Sciences (Physiology, Anatomy, Biochemistry, or any other related field).
  • Should have completed at least one year of their Master’s training in the courses listed above.
  • Demonstrated interest in Epilepsy and Neurological diseases, care and prevention, and commitment to develop and maintain a productive career, and devoted to Epilepsy, Clinical Practice, and Prevention.

Research Programs:

The following are the broad Epilepsy research priority areas (THEMES), and applicants are encouraged to develop research concepts in the areas of: Applicants are not limited to these themes; they can propose other areas.

  • The epidemiology of Epilepsy and associated risk factors.
  • Determining the factors affecting the quality of life, risk factors, and outcomes (mortality, morbidity) for Epilepsy, epilepsy genetics, and preventive measures among adults.
  • Epilepsy in childhood and its associated factors, preventative measures etc.
  • Epilepsy epidemiology and other Epilepsy related topics.
  • Epilepsy interventions and rehabilitation

In addition to a formal master’s program, trainees will receive training in bio-ethics, Good Clinical Practice, behavioral sciences research, data and statistical analysis, and research management.

The review criteria for applicants will be as follows:

·      Relevance to program objectives

  • Quality of research and research project approach
  • Feasibility of study
  • Mentors and mentoring plan; in your mentoring plan, please include who the mentors are, what training they will provide, and how often they propose to meet with the candidate.
  • Ethics and human subjects’ protection.

Application Process

Applicants should submit an application letter accompanied by a detailed curriculum vitae, two recommendation letters from Professional referees or mentors, and a 2-page concept or an approved full proposal describing your project and addressing Self-Management Intervention for Reducing Epilepsy Burden Among Adults or an epilepsy-related problem.

For more information, inquiries, and additional advice on developing concepts, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the following:

Makerere University College of Health Sciences

Prof. Mark Kaddumukasa:  kaddumark@yahoo.co.uk

Mbarara University

Ms. Josephine N Najjuma: najjumajosephine@yahoo.co.uk

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for Interviews.

A soft copy should be submitted to the Administrator of the Epilepsy Project. Email: smireb2@gmail.com; Closing date for the Receipt of applications is 5th July 2026.

Mak Editor

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Health

ALLSTAR Training Program: Applications Open for AI and Machine Learning Course in TB Research

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Officials pose for a group photo with participants in the specialized short course on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) focused on their application in tuberculosis (TB) research, held from June 23–27, 2025, ResilientAfrica Network (RAN), Kololo MakSPH Annex. Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), through the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, in collaboration with the Global Health Institute at the University of Georgia, USA, is inviting applications for an intensive five-day short course on the Foundations and Applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in Tuberculosis (TB) Research.

Date: June 22–26, 2026
Time: 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM (EAT)
Venue: ResilientAfrica Network (RAN), Kololo MakSPH Annex

The course is designed for Master’s and PhD students, research fellows, junior researchers, and professionals in public health, medicine, digital health, TB/HIV, biostatistics, bioinformatics, computer science, geography, nursing, and related fields.

Participants will gain hands-on exposure to AI/ML applications in TB and TB/HIV research, including Generative AI, LLMs, Computer Vision, GeoAI, ethical AI use, data management, and model deployment.

Limited scholarships are available.
Application deadline: June 1, 2026

Read more and apply here: https://sph.mak.ac.ug/anouncement/allstar-training-program-applications-open-for-ai-and-machine-learning-course-in-tb-research/

John Okeya

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MNCH e-Post Issue 132: Reimagining Africa’s Health Systems Takes Centre Stage at World Health Summit

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Prof. Peter Waiswa (C) with participants at the World Health Regional Summit on 29 April 2026 in Nairobi Kenya. Photo: MNCH. Makerere University Center of Excellence for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH), based at the Makerere University School of Public Health in Kampala Uganda

Prof. Peter Waiswa was among key experts who featured at the World Health Regional Summit in Kenya. The high-level meeting ran under the theme Reimagining Africa’s Health Systems, bringing together researchers, policymakers, and health leaders to discuss how the continent can build resilient and equitable health systems in the face of climate and environmental shocks.

Prof. Waiswa participated in a panel discussion under the sub-theme Women, Adolescents, Child Health and Nutrition, which took place on Wednesday, 29 April 2026, from 09:30 to 11:00 EAT in Room CR3.

The session, chaired by Dr. Malachi Ochieng Arunda, focused on the growing intersection between environment, climate change, and health outcomes for mothers, adolescents, and children.

During the panel, Prof. Waiswa highlighted the urgent need to integrate climate adaptation into maternal and child health programming. He noted that rising temperatures, food insecurity, and extreme weather events are already disrupting health services and worsening nutrition outcomes across Africa. The discussion emphasized practical solutions, including strengthening primary healthcare, protecting vulnerable groups, and promoting cross-sector partnerships.

Click here to View the full MNCH e-Post Issue 132

Mak Editor

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