Prof. Nelson Sewankambo

Co-Director

Prof. Nelson Sewankambo

Professor Nelson K. Ssewankambo is a distinguished physician-scientist and academic leader whose career has shaped the modern landscape of African medical education and research. As the former Principal of Makerere University College of Health Sciences, he pioneered a movement to ensure that African health systems are led by Africans, informed by evidence, and respected globally.

Professor Ssewankambo’s influence extends far beyond the borders of Uganda. As the President of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences and Vice President of the Network of African Science Academies, he serves as a primary bridge between the continent’s scientific community and global policy forums. His leadership is recognized by the world’s most prestigious institutions, evidenced by his honorary doctorates from Johns Hopkins University and McMaster University, as well as the Grand Silver Medal from the Karolinska Institute.

With specialized training in Internal Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology, Professor Ssewankambo has spent the last 18 years refining the methodology of Knowledge Translation. His work is the reason ACRES can speak with such authority on health systems strengthening; he has spent a lifetime optimizing care delivery in resource-limited settings and ensuring that research informs national health agendas.

At the heart of Professor Ssewankambo’s scholarship is a commitment to Medical Education Reform. He believes that the most sustainable evidence tool is a trained leader. By championing adaptive curricula and innovative training models, he has cultivated a generation of health professionals who view research as a strategic necessity rather than an academic luxury.

His role at ACRES ensures that every tool we build and every policy we influence is rooted in this deep tradition of academic excellence and real-world rigour.

Selected Publications

Sewankambo, N., Gray, R. H., Wawer, M. J., Paxton, L., McNairn, D., Wabwire-Mangen, F., … & Konde-Lule, J. (1997). HIV-1 infection associated with abnormal vaginal flora morphology and bacterial vaginosis. The Lancet, 350(9077), 546-550.
Gray, R. H., Kigozi, G., Serwadda, D., Makumbi, F., Watya, S., Nalugoda, F., … & Wawer, M. J. (2007). Male circumcision for HIV prevention in men in Rakai, Uganda: a randomised trial. The lancet, 369(9562), 657-666.
Quinn, T. C., Wawer, M. J., Sewankambo, N., Serwadda, D., Li, C., Wabwire-Mangen, F., … & Gray, R. H. (2000). Viral load and heterosexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1. New England journal of medicine, 342(13), 921-929.
Chen, L., Evans, T., Anand, S., Boufford, J. I., Brown, H., Chowdhury, M., … & Wibulpolprasert, S. (2004). Human resources for health: overcoming the crisis. The lancet, 364(9449), 1984-1990.
Wawer, M. J., Gray, R. H., Sewankambo, N. K., Serwadda, D., Li, X., Laeyendecker, O., … & Quinn, T. C. (2005). Rates of HIV-1 transmission per coital act, by stage of HIV-1 infection, in Rakai, Uganda. The Journal of infectious diseases, 191(9), 1403-1409.
Gray, R. H., Wawer, M. J., Brookmeyer, R., Sewankambo, N. K., Serwadda, D., Wabwire-Mangen, F., … & Quinn, T. C. (2001). Probability of HIV-1 transmission per coital act in monogamous, heterosexual, HIV-1-discordant couples in Rakai, Uganda. The Lancet, 357(9263), 1149-1153.
Serwadda, D., Sewankambo, N. K., Carswell, J. W., Bayley, A. C., Tedder, R. S., Weiss, R. A., … & Dalgleish, A. G. (1985). Slim disease: a new disease in Uganda and its association with HTLV-III infection. The Lancet, 326(8460), 849-852.
Lavis, J. N., Lomas, J., Hamid, M., & Sewankambo, N. K. (2006). Assessing country-level efforts to link research to action. Bulletin of the World health Organization, 84(8), 620-628.