Dr Julia Mwesigwa is a Clinical Scientist and PhD student in epidemiology with a strong interest in translational epidemiology and focused on better understanding of the transmission dynamics of malaria in Africa. Her professional background is in clinical medicine and she completed an MSc in Clinical Epidemiology at Makerere University. She also has over ten year’s research experience in Malaria and HIV research in The Gambia and Uganda.
In October 2016, Julia was awarded the prestigious MRCG-funded PhD Training Fellowship. Her PhD is at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Antwerp, Belgium, supervised by Prof Umberto D’Alessandro and Prof Jean-Pierre Van geertruyden. One of the cardinal goals of her PhD research is to define the “spatial and temporal spread of malaria in a setting of high coverage of malaria control interventions” which involves epidemiology, parasitology and entomological aspects. During her PhD, Dr Julia Mwesigwa will gain important skills and in-depth knowledge on clinical research that are key elements for an early career scientist to transition towards an independent scientist. She is passionate about research and under the guidance of her mentors, both within the MRC Unit The Gambia and outside The Unit, she has been able to channel her motivation to learn more and excel at what she does. She hopes that her research will generate results able to positively influence policies on malaria control and management in sub-Saharan Africa.

Dr Julia Mwesigwa has several peer-reviewed publications of which she is a lead author on four and has presented her research findings at major international conferences.

When asked to comment on Julia’s research output, Prof Umberto D’Alessandro Unit Director and PhD Supervisor said, “Julia has gained a lot of field experience over the last few years. She now needs to develop her skills in data analysis and their interpretation on a broader context. Her PhD offers the ideal opportunity to develop such skills.”