Clara, MBChB, MMED (Internal Medicine) is a project leader with the MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit on AIDS with a research career spanning over a decade. Her first exposure to research was in 2007 when she joined Makerere Mbarara Joint AIDS Program as a medical officer. As part of a team, she evaluated factors associated with nevirapine hypersensitivity. Subsequently, Clara was placed at the weekly sub-specialized tuberculosis clinic that conducted studies within the clinic.
CLARA WEKESA
THRiVE-2 PhD Fellow
For her PhD being undertaken at Makerere University, Clara is examining the burden and correlates of liver fibrosis among urban dwellers in Uganda and assessing for any differences by HIV status. Additionally, she is comparing the yield of combination serum bio-markers to elastography for liver diagnosis. Findings of this study may be used as reference data as country specific data is yet to be collected. This could also assist in harmonization of clinical practices of liver disease and HIV in the region.
In 2009, Clara won a study grant supported by Fogarty and conducted a research project on use of Gene Xpert® technology in the diagnosis of smear negative tuberculosis. The research findings from this study have since been written up and published in a peer-reviewed journal. Since joining MRC in 2013, she has overseen a number of Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) studies which have included rural population-based surveys to determine cardio metabolic risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia. Other studies included collection of data on liver function profile and the burden viral hepatitis (both B and C). Currently, she is the study coordinator for the H3A type 2 diabetes study in Uganda, a multi-centre study, with sites all over Africa.
- Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala Uganda. P.O.Box 7072
- +256 (0) 772342181
- clara.wekesa@gmail.com
- THRiVE