Dr. Arthur Tugume is a Ugandan scientist based at Makerere University, Uganda. He is an Associate Professor of Plant Pathology and Virology at the Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology, where he has served in various academic, administrative, and management capacities since 1999. He is a two-time Head and Chair of the Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology (2012-2015 and 2020-2022). He is currently the Dean, School of Biosciences in the College of Natural Sciences, Makerere University (2022-2026).
Dr. Tugume holds a PhD in Plant Pathology from the University of Helsinki, Finland (2010). He also holds an M.Sc in Agriculture (Crop Science) (2003) and B.Sc (Botany and Biochemistry) (1999) both from Makerere University. Dr. Tugume is involved in scientific research with collaborative networks in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Finland, Czech Republic, Poland, Japan, Germany, UK and USA. He has been a PI, Co-investigator, Coordinator, Champion, or Scientific advisor of projects with budgets ranges of US$18,000 to US$6.2million. For details, see the list of on-going and past projects below.
Dr. Tugume’s research group works on plant-pathogen interactions, associated biotic stresses and disease management on crop commodities sweetpotato, cassava, banana, watermelons, and pumpkins. They focus on virus ecology, evolution, diagnostics, vector transmission, agro-ecosystem disease dynamics in these crops, and banana xanthomonas wilt pathosystem evolution. In addition, he is interested in sexual reproductive development of vegetatively propagated crops (banana, cassava and sweetpotato). For details, please see the list of publications below.
Dr. Tugume has over 30 scientific publications in international peer-reviewed journals generated in 12 years (2008-2022). He is an author, reviewer, and an editor. He is has supervised, mentored and/or examined 10 PhDs, 12 MSc, and over 30 BSc students’ research work. He has kin interest in science leadership and is fond of raising and motivating early career scientists, which is reminiscent of his broad reach in the crop commodities and subject themes of plant pathology, virology and sexual and vegetative reproductive development. Lately, he is at the helm of designing recommendations to Uganda government of Uganda on strategies for integrating science, technology and innovations (STIs) as a catalyst for national economic transformation and development.