Professor Celestino Obua (MD, MSc, PhD) is a Professor of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Fellow of the Uganda Academy of Sciences (FUNAS) and the current Vice Chancellor, Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Uganda. He lectured Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University for over 12 years before serving as the Deputy Principal, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University for 4 years, after which he was appointed as the Vice Chancellor of MUST to date. Prof Obua has a strong passion for research and capacity building at individual and institutional levels, yielding over 100 publications. He is the Principal Investigator/Program Director on several previous and current extramural research grants/projects at Mbarara University of Science and Technology.

Mary Karooro 0kurut currently a Senior Presidential Adviser / Public Relations, holds a B.A. in Literature and Mass Communication, a diploma in Education and a masters in Literature. Formerly a Literature lecturer at Makerere University, she later joined politics. She served as Press Secretary to Vice President Specioza Kazibwe then became Press Secretary to President Museveni. She later became Woman Member of Parliament for Bushenyi District and served as minister in different portfolios; Information and National Guidance, Gender and Social Development, National Security and General Duties in the office of the Prime Minister. During the covid pandemic, she was appointed Chairperson of the Covid Response Committee which was in charge of donations. She is the founder and Patron of the Uganda Association of Women Writers (Femrite) and is the most published author in the country. She has a passion for traditional medicine and was appointed as Adviser to Rukararwe Rural Development Partnership, a local NG0 that specializes in the promotion and advancement of herbal medicine. Hon. Mary Karooro Okurut is also the founder and chairperson of the Karooro 0kurut Foundation, a non-profit making organisation geared at empowering local communities in different areas.

Dr. Casim Umba Tolo is the Director of Pharm-Biotechnology and Traditional Medicine Center (PHARMBIOTRAC), under the Eastern and Southern Africa Higher Education Centers of Excellence (ACE II) at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Uganda. He has wide research experience and published articles in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters in the areas ranging from Conservation Biology, Ecology, Environment, Natural Resources Management, Green Enterprises for Rural Development and Livelihoods, Climate Change Adaptation and Indigenous Knowledge Systems. His responsibilities among others include; curriculum development, facilitating professional trainings, supervision of masters and PhD students, commissioned research/consultancy and conducting community outreach.

Dr. Tolo gained broad experience through undertaking a number of collaborative research and consultancy work (e.g. Lake Victoria Research Initiative, VicRes a SIDA-SAREC Program for East African Region) with regional and international colleagues in the areas ranging from Climate Change Adaptation and Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Sustainable Agriculture, Climate Change Risks to Ecosystems and Biodiversity, Biodiversity Conservation Strategies in a Changing Climate, Primate Ecology and Conservation, Rangeland Ecology and Management, Human-Environment Interactions, Conservation and Management of Biological Resources, Solid Waste Disposal and management. For example, he consulted with Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)/International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), The Uganda National Commission for UNESCO (UNATCOM), The Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) and SNV-Netherlands Development Organisation. Dr. Tolo is a seasoned expert in project proposal development and project management. He has a vast experience in successfully managing multi-millions donor grants with excellent results. Currently he is the local promoter of the Uganda component of “Action Towards Reducing Aquatic snail-borne Parasitic diseases (ATRAP located in Western Uganda. ATRAP is a joint initiative between MUST, Uganda and the Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA), Tervuren, Belgium.

Dr. Tolo is serving/served on various boards and committees, among others: The National Committee of the Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme, Uganda National Commission for UNESCO, Kampala-Uganda, The Board of Trustees of THETA-Uganda as a Chair Programmes and Research Committee, Director of Education and Environment of Anzoa Humanitarian Foundation Ltd, Adjumani, Uganda, Steering Committee on “Developing Herbal Alternatives to the Chemical Drugs used in the Dairy Sector, mainly with respect to tick control, but also animal diseases such as mastitis” of the SNV-Netherlands Development Organisation, under The Inclusive Dairy Enterprise (TIDE) Project.

Further details of publications on ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1807-3438

Contact Information:
Telephone: +256-772-837055
E-mail: ctolo@pharmbiotracfoundation.org
Skype: casim.tolo

Professor Tamukong is Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacy practice and Chair of postgraduate research and training in the department of pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Uganda, where he engages in teaching, research, supervision & examination of students, curriculum development, clinical practice, community engagement, administration, leadership, mentorship and consultancy in healthcare and academia. He also serves as program coordinator of the first ever Master of Pharmacy in Clinical Pharmacy program in Uganda, which he conceived in 2017 and accredited by the Uganda National Council of Higher Education in 2018.

Prof Tamukong holds a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) degree obtained from the University of Minnesota, in the USA, as well as a PhD. His teaching, research and practice interests are in the areas of pharmacy practice, clinical pharmacy/pharmacology, toxicology, pharmacotherapy, therapeutics, & pharmaceutical sciences, veterinary pharmacy, curriculum planning, design, and implementation, pedagogy for healthcare professionals, pharmacovigilance & drug safety, antimicrobial stewardship, nutrition support for critical care patients, nosocomial-acquired infections, and other areas.

Prior to coming too Uganda, Professor Tamukong served as a clinical pharmacy specialist at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Minneapolis in the USA, with teaching, research and practice areas in emergency and critical care, internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, oncology, obstetrics & gynecology, and psychiatry.

During his time at MUST, Professor Tamukong has been able to lead the curriculum development and implementation of the first ever Masters of Pharmacy in Clinical Pharmacy degree program in Uganda. He has provided mentorship and guidance to students and teaching staff, as well as rendered Clinical Pharmacy Services to patients at the Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital.

Professor Tamukong is a highly motivated Academic, with passionate, considerable and extensive experience in teaching, clinical practice, and research. He has authored several peer-reviewed publications, book chapters and poster presentations, including delivering numerous invited lectures, workshops and professional presentations, both nationally and globally. He has also completed several masters & PhD graduates and many sponsored projects including various bilateral projects. He has a track record of working with various international institutions in universities across the world. He is Board Certified, and licensed to practice in the states of Minnesota and Ohio in the USA. His research interests are centered on outcomes of critically ill patients related to drug therapy, specifically in the areas of pain, agitation and delirium, nosocomial-acquired infections, and antimicrobial stewardship. Outside of work, his hobbies include cooking, reading, hiking, golfing, travelling and the outdoors.

Contact:
Mobile/WhatsApp: +256-773-225785
Email: rtamukong@must.ac.ug

Anke Weisheit is an Agricultural Engineer and holds a Master degree in Agricultural Science and Resource Management in the Tropics and Subtropics (ARTS) with more than 20 years of experience in tropical agriculture, value chain development, and agri-business in Eastern and Southern Africa. She is the lead innovator and co-founder and currently, serving as the Chair of Innovation and Business Management of the Pharm-Biotechnology and Traditional Medicine Centre (PHARMBIOTRAC) at Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda. Anke is co-founder and serving on the board of the Friends of PHARMBIOTRAC Foundation (FPF). She has vast experience in innovation incubation, business mentoring, product development and is conducting project and proposal evaluations, strategic planning, feasibility studies, and organization development. Anke is also an External Expert to the European Commission Horizon 2020, a Member of the Governing Council of the Sub-Saharan Open University (SSOU), and serving on the WHO Regional Expert Advisory Committee on Traditional Medicine for COVID-19 Response (REACT). Anke had previously lead teams for evaluations, need assessments and feasibility studies. Previously, she served on the Board of Trustees of THETA Uganda as the Chairperson of Programs and Research Committee, and the Uganda Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (UFAAS) board as a founding team member. She has researched and consulted for the United Nations Development Programme, World Bank, World Health Organization, World Agroforestry Centre, and German Agency for International Cooperation among others.

Contact:
Telephone: +256-772-788096
Email: aweisheit@pharmbiotracfoundation.org
Skype: ankweis
LinkedIn

Charles is a 2003 graduate of software engineering of the University of St. Thomas, St Paul Minnesota, USA. He recently took an early retirement from the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) where he served as the Manager Business Intelligence and analytics. He is a social entrepreneur and received the 2016 humanitarian year award of the University of St Thomas, St Paul Minnesota USA and a 2023 social entrepreneurship award of the Friends of East Africa Foundation, St Paul Minnesota.

Currently, he is the Chairperson of the board and Country Directors of Hope Medical Clinics Uganda, a not-for-profit organization that owns and Operates Gary Holmes Hospital Maganjo and Gary Holmes Pharmacy Uganda Limited. He additionally serves as the Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Friends of East Africa Foundation based in St Paul Minnesota USA, he additional serves on the Board of St Savio Junior school, Kisubi. He has previously served as the Chaiman URA SACCO Limited, Vice Chairperson board of governors of St. Kizito Minor seminary, Nandere, Luwero Diocese;
His life and personality have been shaped by the challenges he has faced and has drawn life experiences to develop and enhance his social entrepreneurship goals of creating a better world for all. Charles derives his livelihood from the short-term consultancies he conducts with the International Monetary Fund, Washington DC, USA.

Ajay Pal is the current CEO of Cipla Quality Chemical industries. He previously worked at Cipla South Africa as a Senior Director- Head of Manufacturing SA.

Ajay holds a Master of Business Administration in Management and Leadership from Nelson Mandela University Business School, South Africa, and a Bachelor of Pharmacy from the Rajiv Ghandi University of Health Sciences in India.

He has over 15 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry spreading across South Africa, India and Uganda

Felix Amanya Magyezi is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and is the University Bursar of Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST). He is responsible for the financial administration and planning of the University and maintenance of the financial accounts in a form determined by the University Council. The University Council appoints him on the recommendation of the Appointments Board on terms and conditions that the University Council may determine.

He is responsible to the Vice Chancellor through the University Secretary who is the Accounting Officer and the Deputy Vice Chancellor Finance & Administration.

Previously he had held the portfolio of University Internal Auditor responsible for internal reviews of the financial and other operations of the university to provide assurance on whether there is value for money (Efficiency, effectiveness and economy) in all the operations of the university.
He has a wide range of experience in community development more especially microfinance development. He had worked as extension officer for Southwestern Uganda under Uganda Co-operative Alliance and has been involved in leadership of fast and developing MUSHANGA SACCO, a fast growing and developing micro finance institution as chairman of Board of Directors.
He is an active member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU), He regularly attends continuous professional development training workshops and seminars.