Prof. Annettee Nakimuli

Theme Lead – Maternal Health

Annettee Nakimuli is Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and the Dean of the School of Medicine at Makerere University, in Uganda. She is a previous Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Makerere University and a leading maternal health researcher and also clinically active as an obstetrician. Her clinical expertise is high risk obstetrics and works at Mulago Specialized Womens and Neonatal Hospital and Kawempe National Referral Hospital. Annettee trained as a medical doctor at Makerere University, Kampala and then underwent specialist training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the same University. Her PhD on pre-eclampsia was undertaken with mentorship from Professor Ashley Moffett in the University of Cambridge, Professor Florence Mirembe at Makerere University, Professor Pontiano Kaleebu at the Medical Research Centre (MRC) in Uganda and Professor Alison Elliott at the MRC in Uganda/London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Prof Nakimuli’s research group’s primary research interest is pre-eclampsia, a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. In particular, the group is interested in identifying genetic and other risk factors for pre-eclampsia in order to improve pregnancy outcomes. Her group is also interested in functional characterization of other pregnancy complications common in Ugandan women such as fetal growth restriction, preterm birth, intrauterine fetal death and pathogen infections during pregnancy. These studies aim at development of tools that will improve prediction, management and prevention of these pregnancy complications. Annettee is currently a recipient of the Calestous Juma Science Leadership Award by the Bills and Melinda Gates Foundation. She is an International Fellow at Wellcome Sanger Institute in the UK and also a FLAIR Fellow (Future Leaders-African Independent Research fellow) under the Royal Society and African Academy of Sciences. Prof Nakimuli serves on several national and international committees, including the National Safemotherhood Expert Committee (NASMEC). She also sits on various International grant review/funding committees. She currently serves as the President of the East Central and Southern Africa College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (ECSACOG) which was established in 2017. Annettee is committed to building maternal and newborn research capacity in Africa, working with African and International colleagues.