Short Biography

Charles Masembe is a veterinarian and Professor (Molecular Genetics and Evolution) at Makerere University, with teaching and research experience in molecular epidemiology, population genetics, diagnostics, evolution, population genetics and evolution. Charles’ team is actively involved in developing local research capacity in Uganda capable of using state-of-the art molecular genetics technologies in research in population genetics, viral pathogens, antimicrobial resistance, livestock, wildlife, and the evolutionary interplay of pathogens and their hosts. He is a Centre member at the Uganda Virus Research Institute, Adjunct Professor at the University of Tennessee (USA), Guest Professor at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (Austria), Past Finance Director at the Global African Swine Fever research Alliance (GARA), Current Chief Executive (GARA) and external faculty at the Biosciences eastern and central Africa ILRI Hub (Kenya). Charles has been an International Intermediate Wellcome Trust Fellow using Next-Generation Sequencing technologies with emphasis on whole genome sequencing of African swine fever virus at the livestock- wildlife interface to decipher the patterns and dynamics of transmission. He is an affiliate member of the MRC-University of Glasgow’s Centre for Virus Research. Throughout his journey, he has provided exemplary leadership and administration in conducting research and development activities in Africa, Europe, America, and Asia. This is also evidenced by the multinational collaborative scientific publications ( https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9581-0414 and https://tinyurl.com/mpwjf8xm ).

Education Background

2006 PhD (Molecular Population Genetics) Makerere University/Copenhagen
2002 MSc. (ENR – Environment and Natural Resources) Makerere University
1999 Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine – Makerere University

Publications

Peter Ogweng, Courtney F. Bowden, Timothy J. Smyser, Vincent B. Muwanika, Antoinette J. Piaggio & Charles Masembe (2024). Ancestry and genome-wide association study of domestic pigs that survive African swine fever in Uganda. Tropical Animal Health and Production 56:366; https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-024-04195-5.
Yussif, I., Kugonza, D. R., & Masembe, C. (2024). Uganda chicken genetic resources: II. genetic diversity and population demographic history inferred from mitochondrial DNA D-loop sequences. Frontiers in Genetics, 15, 1325569. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2024.1325569
Mark Dinhobl, Edward Spinard, Hillary Birtlery, Nicolas Tesler, Charles Masembe, Paolo Ribeca, Manuel V. Borca, Douglas P. Gladue (2024). African swine fever virus biotype identification tool. Virology, https://doi.org/10.1128/mra.00530-24 .
Renzo F. Balboa, Laura D. Bertola, Anna Brüniche-Olsen, Malthe Sebro Rasmussen, Xiaodong Liu, Guillaume Besnard, Jordi Salmona, Cindy G. Santander, Shixu He, Dietmar Zinner, Miguel Pedrono, Vincent Muwanika, Charles Masembe, Mikkel Schubert, Josiah Kuja, Liam Quinn, Genís Garcia-Erill, Frederik Filip Stæger, Rianja Rakotoarivony, Margarida Henrique, Long Lin, Xi Wang, Michael P. Heaton, Timothy P. L. Smith, Kristian Hanghøj, Mikkel-Holger S. Sinding, Anagaw Atickem, Lounès Chikhi, Christian Roos, Philippe Gaubert, Hans R. Siegismund, Ida Moltke, Anders Albrechtsen & Rasmus Heller (2024). African bushpigs exhibit porous species boundaries and appeared in Madagascar concurrently with human arrival. Nature Communications, 15(1), 172.

Projects /Grants

1. Dispersal of Antibiotic Resistance and antibiotics in Water ecosystems and Influence on livestock and aquatic wildlife (Aquatic Pollutants funding consortium (http://www.jpi-oceans.eu/calls/proposals/aquaticpollutants-joint-transnational-call-2020), (JPIAMR-Sida).
2. Developing innovative and sustainable approaches to prevent the spread of African swine fever in Africa (ASF-RESIST) (African Union Commission).
3. Onsite Laboratory – A collaboration between Makerere University and Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University (Japan Government).
4. African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) severity and viral genomic structural features: opportunities for development of a vaccine in Uganda (MAKRIF).
5. Intermediate Fellowship, Public Health & Tropical Medicine – The transmission dynamics of African swine fever in Uganda (Wellcome Trust).
6. Understanding the Persistence of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in Uganda: the case of western Uganda (RUFORUM).
7. Next generation methods to preserve farm animal biodiversity by optimizing present and future breeding options (EU-FP7).
8. A landscape population genomics approach for conservation of the domestic pig and control of African swine fever in Uganda (Makerere Sida Bilateral)
9. Coordinated Research Project (IAEA_CRP-2016): Early and Rapid Diagnosis and Control of TADs – second phase – African Swine Fever (ASF): Molecular epidemiological surveillance and sequencing of African swine fever for early diagnosis and control.
10. Fisheries and aquaculture adaptation and conservation strategies in Uganda’s changing climate (RUFORUM)
11. Linnaeus-Palme Exchange Programme between Makerere University and the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health (BVF) at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). (Linnaeus-Palme:)
12. Linnaeus-Palme Exchange Programme between Makerere University and the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health (BVF) at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). (Linnaeus-Palme).
13. Improving production and conservation of the Ugandan domestic goat: control of diseases and optimizing present and future breeding options using a landscape genomics approach (GOATGEN) – (NARO).
14. Genome characteristics and transmission dynamics of African swine fever, at the livestock-wildlife interface: pathways to the control of transboundary animal diseases. (RUFORUM).
15. Concerted Fit-for-purpose PhD training in aquaculture and fisheries to improve food security and livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa” project (EuropeAid/AFS/2 EU-ACP EDULINK II).
16. Genome characteristics and transmission dynamics of African swine fever, at the livestock-wildlife interface: pathways to the control of transboundary animal diseases. (RUFORUM).
17. Enhancing productivity of traditional goat varieties among small holder farmers of Uganda. (RUFORUM).

Mentorship / Supervision

PhD students supervised to completion
1) Stella Atim: Epidemiology of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever in Central and North Western Uganda.
2) Peter Ogweng: Innovative Approaches to Managing Livestock Diseases in Uganda: A Case of African Swine Fever.
3) Badamasi Inuwa: Xenoestrogenic substances and sexual disruption in selected fish species from Lake Victoria, Uganda.
4) Muhangi Denis: Investigation of African Swine Fever in wild and domestic swine and factors for its persistence in Uganda.
5) Agapitus Kato Babumba: Molecular population genetics and mating behaviour of Glossina fuscipes fuscipes for improved African Trypanosomiasis control in the Lake Victoria Basin.
6) Martha Kaddumukasa: Morphological and molecular spatio-temporal analysis of mosquito diversity in and around Ziika forest, Uganda.
7) Fredrick Kabi: Characterisation of indigenous cattle genetic biodiversity and endemic diseases resistance in the different Agro-ecological zones of Uganda.
8) Brian Isabirye: Diversity and Distribution of Economically Important Tephritid (Diptera: Tephritidae) Fruit Flies Infesting Mangoes in Uganda.
9) Dell Mary BreeAnna: Emerging Zoonotic Pathogens at the Human-Wildlife Interface in Protected Areas: Wild Game in the Southeastern United States and Bushmeat in Northern Uganda.

MSc. students supervised to completion (22)

For a detailed CV, please click here