Uganda Virus Research Institute

Temporal organization of the Plasmodium falciparum transcriptome prioritises genetic polymorphisms associated with artemisinin response

Abstract Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) have substantially reduced the global burden of malaria, but the emergence and spread of artemisinin partial resistance (ART-R) threatens these gains. Although mutations in Plasmodium falciparum kelch13 (pfk13) are establish...

Adjusting for medication status in genome-wide association studies

Abstract When conducting genome-wide association studies, addressing medication status that is relevant to the trait of interest can prevent biases that could distort estimates of the true genetic effect. Here, we introduce the genetic empirical medication reduction adjustment (G...

A systematic review of evidence on weight change following initiation of long‐acting cabotegravir for the prevention or treatment of HIV

Abstract Background Weight gain is an increasingly recognized concern among people receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) and may increase the risk of non‐communicable diseases. Integrase inhibitors (INSTIs) such as dolutegravir (DTG) have been associated with weight gain, but th...

Barriers and facilitators to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy among patients with dyspepsia at two national referral hospitals in Uganda: a prospective cohort study

Uganda has a high prevalence of over 50% of uninvestigated dyspepsia, which delays the timely diagnosis of potentially curable diseases like early gastric and oesophageal cancer. Notably, more than 90% of dyspepsia patients in Uganda have structural causes, underscoring the impor...

Enhancing the utility of exploratory ‘factors associated with’ studies in global mental health: the importance of context in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract “Factors associated with” studies, exploratory multivariable regression analyses that do not begin with a prespecified primary exposure, have recently come under increasing criticism, with some arguing that they are methodologically weak and contribute little to scientif...

Early insights into predicted efficacy of Ebola monoclonal antibodies for the 2026 Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak

The 2026 Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) outbreak in the DRC and Uganda raises urgent questions about the efficacy of existing Ebola virus (EBOV) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against Bundibugyo virus (BDBV). Here, we perform genomic and structural analyses of 44 BDBV sequences, in...

Empiric tuberculosis treatment and 12-month mortality among sputum GeneXpert-negative adults living with HIV in Uganda in the era of widespread antiretroviral therapy: A prospective cohort study

Abstract Background In sub-Saharan Africa where both tuberculosis (TB) and HIV are prevalent, empiric TB treatment in people living with HIV (PLHIV) persists due to limited sensitivity of sputum-based TB tests. We evaluated mortality among molecular test-negative presumptive TB a...

Proteomic Immune Signatures of Severe HIV-Associated Tuberculosis in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Prospective, Multicenter Analysis From Uganda

Abstract Objective Severe tuberculosis (TB) is a major cause of critical illness and death in people living with HIV (PLWH) worldwide. Despite this, the immunopathology of severe HIV-associated TB (HIV/TB) is poorly understood. We aimed to identify an immunopathologic signature o...