Prof. Nelson Sewankambo is a Professor of Medicine and former Principal (Head) of Makerere University College of Health Sciences a position which he took up after serving as Dean of Makerere University Medical School for 11 years. He has devoted the last 20 years of his professional life to the advancement of medical education, research and capacity development.

He is the Principal Investigator of NURTURE: Research Training and Mentoring Program for Career Development of Faculty at Makerere University College of Health Science D43TW010132 (08/31/15-08/31/2021) which has supported 70 junior and mid-level faculty with appropriate mentorship, research support and skills training that has enabled them to transform into independent research leaders. He has led teams of academicians composed of experts in Europe, North America and Africa to develop and manage a very successful model for strengthening a medical school in the developing world – the Infectious Diseases Institute at Makerere and there are now plans to replicate this in Nigeria.

He also initiated a successful research capacity building consortium currently involving six African institutions (3 universities and 3 research institutes) and two universities in the UK, Cambridge University and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He provided leadership for an Africa wide initiative for Strengthening Research Capacity in Africa (ISHReCA).

He was the Principal Investigator of a 5 university Consortium a capacity-building Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI). He was the founder Principal Investigator in Uganda for the internationally re-known Rakai Health Sciences Program (formerly Rakai Project) where he continues to be an active researcher/investigator and has contributed to a large volume of scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals together with providing mentorship and development of many Ugandan junior and mid-level researchers.