Current Studies

Ongoing Research Initiatives.

Mbale Clinical Research Institute (MCRI) is dedicated to a diverse range of ongoing projects focused on advancing health outcomes and addressing pressing public health issues. Our projects span critical areas including nutrition, chronic disease management, and infectious diseases, with each initiative aimed at generating evidence-based insights to inform policy and practice. Through local and international partnerships, MCRI continues to drive impactful research and deliver practical health solutions that respond directly to the needs of communities in Uganda and beyond.

MEPIE Study

The Malaria Epidemiological studies in Eastern Uganda, notably the MEPIE study, offer key exploitation avenues to enhance public health, policy, academia, and clinical practice. Opportunities include informing malaria control policies, targeted health education campaigns, and improved hospital diagnostic protocols. Updated treatment guidelines for children, further research, and academic collaborations are crucial.

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IDEA Fellowship

The current non-degree awarding, non-career training programmes in general field epidemiology in Uganda fall short of the WHO International Health Regulations standards. Through a consortium approach, the IDEA Fellowship Programme has involved key stakeholders to implement the first national infectious disease field epidemiology Master’s programme. 

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REACH

Realizing Effectiveness Across Continents with Hydroxyurea (REACH) is a prospective, phase I/II open-label dose escalation trial of hydroxyurea for children with confirmed Sickle Cell Anemia (SCA) between 12 months and 10 years. objectives of the study include:

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GASTROSAM

Gastroenteritis aggressive versus slow treatment for rehydration (GASTRO). Gastroenteritis is a very common cause of diarrhea and vomiting. It is most likely to be caused by a bacterial or viral stomach infection and is particularly common in young children. This trial study is conducted at MCRI. In some cases, it can cause severe dehydration, a condition that requires immediate medical treatment. 

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SMAART

This study is looking at the epidemiology (including features at presentation and the diagnostic and treatment pathway) of severe malaria presenting to hospital for admission in children in Africa today.  We hypothesize that there will be differences in the severity spectrum at the 7 sites across 6 countries, that the median age of presentation of paediatric severe malaria is older than historic descriptions and that children will more frequently present with complications that are more typical of the adult form of severe malaria due to the decline in malaria transmission intensity over the last 2 decades.  In this study, we aim to characterise the contemporary epidemiology (including features at presentation and the diagnostic and treatment pathway) of severe malaria presenting to hospital for admission in children in Africa, through conducting a prospective multicentre observational study across at least 7 sites in 6 countries, enrolling two cohorts of hospitalised children (i.e. stratified) with severe and non-severe malaria

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DR-CPAP

Gastroenteritis aggressive versus slow treatment for rehydration (GASTRO). Gastroenteritis is a very common cause of diarrhea and vomiting. It is most likely to be caused by a bacterial or viral stomach infection and is particularly common in young children. This trial study is conducted at MCRI. In some cases, it can cause severe dehydration, a condition that requires immediate medical treatment. Worldwide, an estimated 2.5 billion cases of acute gastroenteritis causing diarrhea and vomiting occur every year in children under 5 years.

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H-PRIME

In this study, the overarching questions that we wish to address is whether the long-term survival and quality of life among children living with SCD in sub-Saharan Africa could be improved through the pragmatic delivery of simple and affordable interventions? SCD is a major cause of mortality and morbidity during childhood throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa. The main triggers relate to the pathophysiological consequences of the disease itself and to bacterial and malarial infections.

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GTS

Gastroenteritis aggressive versus slow treatment for rehydration (GASTRO). Gastroenteritis is a very common cause of diarrhea and vomiting. It is most likely to be caused by a bacterial or viral stomach infection and is particularly common in young children. This trial study is conducted at MCRI. In some cases, it can cause severe dehydration, a condition that requires immediate medical treatment. Worldwide, an estimated 2.5 billion cases of acute gastroenteritis causing diarrhea and vomiting occur every year in children under 5 years.

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About

Ms. Adyango Catherine is a Human Resource Manager and Senior Grants Professional with over 15 years of experience in managing multimillion-dollar donor portfolios, project operations, and organizational systems strengthening. She currently serves as Human resource Manager at Mbale Clinical Research Institute (MCRI), where she leads in Human resource management,  donor compliance, project operations, and institutional capacity building.

At MCRI, Catherine has combined her expertise in grant management and human resources to establish efficient systems that support both research and staff welfare. She played a pivotal role in championing organizational culture reforms, developing HR policies, strengthening staff welfare schemes, and promoting inclusive recruitment processes. She also streamlined adoption of a Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS/ESS), which reduced administrative bottlenecks and improved efficiency across teams.

Her academic background includes a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management (Uganda Management Institute), an MSc in Health Services Management, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration & management. Catherine is also pursuing ACCA training, demonstrating her commitment to continuous professional growth.

Catherine’s career reflects a strong commitment to strategic leadership, staff development, and inclusive programming, with a proven ability to balance donor expectations and human resource needs. Her work at MCRI has significantly contributed to building sustainable research capacity, enhancing compliance systems, and creating a supportive work environment that empowers both researchers and administrative staff.

About

Denis Amorut serves as the Study Site Coordinator at the Mbale Clinical Research Institute’s Soroti Site. He is a qualified Registered Nurse with a Bachelor of Science in Health Services Management from the Islamic University in Uganda and a Diploma in Comprehensive Nursing from Soroti School of Registered Comprehensive Nursing. Additionally, he is currently pursuing an Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Research & Quality Assurance at James Lind Institute, showcasing his commitment to advancing his expertise in clinical research. Denis has an extensive professional background with 12 years in clinical nursing practice and 11 years dedicated to clinical research. He is registered with the Uganda Midwives and Nurses Council, highlighting his professional standing in the healthcare sector.
 
Throughout his career, Denis has held significant positions such as Trial Manager since November 2021 and previously as Study Site Coordinator at Soroti Regional Referral and Teaching Hospital from 2008 to October 2021. He also serves as a member of the Medicine and Therapeutic Committee at the same hospital since 2018. Denis has enriched his knowledge and skills through numerous online courses and certifications in areas like research ethics, data management for clinical studies, Good Clinical Practice (GCP), and managing health emergencies like Covid-19. His involvement in various research studies, including the TRACT study, and his roles in hospital committees further demonstrate his dedication to both practice and research in healthcare, focusing on improving patient care through evidence-based practices.

About

Ms. Linda Isabirye serves as the Public and Community Engagement Officer at MCRI, where her role encompasses a variety of tasks aimed at enhancing the Institute’s interaction with both internal and external communities. Her work is divided into two primary focuses: public engagement, where she communicates the Institute’s research and ideas to the public, and community engagement, where she assists others in conducting research and achieving their objectives.

In her community engagement efforts, Linda is involved in developing and sustaining a public engagement and involvement framework for the research program. She identifies local opportunities for community collaboration, nurturing relationships with MCRI’s research scientists, staff, and the broader community.

With over two years of experience, she has worked extensively with diverse community stakeholders. Her responsibilities include coordinating activities for the Community Advisory Board (CAB), designing, and overseeing the execution of Community Engagement (CE) initiatives. These initiatives are crucial for identifying, recruiting, and retaining volunteers, engaging community leadership, and supporting the formation and operation of community peer groups. This includes working with study participants, family support groups, and youth and adolescent groups, among others.

About

Rita Muhindo holds a MSc. Molecular Biology from Staffordshire University, UK. She attained her BSc. Biomedical Laboratory Science and Technology degree from Makerere University and an Advanced Diploma in Health Services Management from Islamic University in Uganda. She joined Mbale Clinical Research Institute in July 2011 as a laboratory technologist participating in setting up various laboratory assays for all clinical trials at the MCRI.

She is currently the laboratory manager of MCRI, a role which involves supervision all laboratory research activities at MCRI main and satellite laboratories. She has over twelve years of experience in managing laboratory clinical research and diagnostics service delivery across several key disciplines including molecular, immunology, hematology, microbiology and clinical chemistry.

She has keen interest in understanding the prevalence of red cell polymorphisms present in Ugandan donor populations. Her main focus of her MSc project was on the prevalence of Glucose-6-Phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, α-thalassaemia and Haemoglobin S among Ugandan donors. Rita is also keen to explore the effects of these polymorphisms on the resolution of severe anaemia.

About

Dr. Charles Benard Okalebo is a highly qualified professional with a B. Pharm, an MPH, and currently a fellow in Infectious Disease and Field Epidemiology under the EDCTP-funded IDEA fellowship. His background as a pharmacist and public health specialist, combined with his role as a Quality Assurance Officer, has provided him with extensive experience in clinical research. This diverse training has honed his skills in assessing healthcare gaps, identifying problems, and designing projects to address these deficiencies. Dr. Okalebo values accuracy, integrity, quality, and career growth above all.
 
He is an experienced and determined professional in conducting clinical trials for both infectious and non-infectious diseases. With eight years in the research field, he has served as a Pharmacist and Quality Assurance Officer at the Mbale Clinical Research Institute, focusing on various types of clinical trials related to infectious diseases. His involvement spans across all phases of clinical trials (I-III), including protocol design, review, and implementation; navigating regulatory approval processes; managing investigational medicinal products (IMP); monitoring studies; establishing and implementing Quality Management processes; pharmacovigilance; and leading training sessions on the ethical conduct of research. The trials he has participated in include TRACT (ISRCTN84086586), GASTROSAM (ISRCTN76149273), PAC (ISRCTN11594437), FLACSAM (ISRCTN18051843), MIMBLE (ISRCTN10309022), and TABS (ISRCTN49726849) studies.
 
Dr. Okalebo is a dedicated researcher with a keen interest in advancing his career in pharmaco-epidemiology, statistics, and pharmacovigilance.

About

Felix Opio joined the Mbale Clinical Research Institute (MCRI) in April 2014 as Data Manager under the REACH (Realizing Effectiveness Across Continents with Hydroxyurea) ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01966731) which is a prospective, Phase I/II open-label trial of hydroxyurea designed to evaluate the feasibility, safety, long-term risks and benefits of hydroxyurea treatment for children with SCA in four sub-Saharan African countries (Mable Uganda,Kilifi Kenya, Luanda Angola and Kinshasa DRC).

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Gulu University, a post graduate diploma in Monitoring and Evaluation from Uganda Management Institute (UMI), Certificate in Project Management Professional from Devimpact Institute Kenya and various other certification in Clinical database development.

He Has 9 years of experience in Clinical Database design and Management, He is Currently overseeing data management work for the REACH study and all the day to day activities of the Project, He is also a member of the internal Clinical Trial Monitoring Unit and A chairperson Procurement Committee for Mbale Clinical Research Institute.

About

Ebitu Caleb Daniel serves as an I.T Support Officer at the Mbale Clinical Research Institute. He is recognized as an accomplished network and systems administrator, who takes pleasure in applying his skills to support and contribute to the technological advancement of research within the institution.
 
Ebitu graduated from Uganda Christian University Mukono with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. Over the years, he has also acquired various certifications including CCNA, Information Security, Google Cloud Developer, PMP (Telecom), and Federated Identity Management.

About

Laban has accumulated over four years of experience in managing research financial processes since joining the Mbale Clinical Research Institute on July 1, 2019, as an Accounts Assistant. This experience complements his extensive background of over ten years in the banking sector, where he has previously worked for two banks in roles involving people management, cash management, internal controls, and accountability.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Studies, specializing in Accounting, from the Islamic University of Uganda. He is currently pursuing a Certificate of Public Accountants (CPA) from the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU), with only two papers remaining to complete the course.

Driven by an ambition to advance his career in accounting and expand his experience in research-related accounting managed by well-established systems and processes, he believes that MCRI is the ideal place for his professional growth.