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HIGHLIGHTS “There are no shortcuts to success. Know your vision and keep at it. Do not give up on your dream, regardless of what people may say.” She said, as she encouraged young academicians to also follow suit and make their contribution to the body of science.
Dr. Catherine Nassozi Lwanira (PhD) Completes PHD in Medical Biochemistry. By Daphne Bukirwa
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Dr.Nassozi Lwanira is a Lecturer and an established researcher in the field of Medical Biochemistry. She has been a lecturer at CIU since 2009, where she teaches Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the School of Nursing and Midwifery. Dr. Nassozi says her desire to peruse a Ph.D came from her yearning to contribute and build knowledge toward the Biochemistry/Chemistry body of work by doing research. Some of the individuals that have inspired and spoke this calling for her include: Professor. Kironde, the Dean of the School of Medicine at Islamic University of Uganda (IUIU), and Prof. Gote Swedberg from Sweden. They both supervised her study and encouraged and pushed her to complete her research. As a wife and mother, Dr. Nassozi says she found that completing a Ph.D requires an enormous amount of social support. She credits a lot of her success to her family especially her husband, who supported her when she felt emotionally drained and alone. She also found support from her peers and her CIU family. In particular the Vice Chancellor Dr. Rose Clarke Nanyonga, and Professor Okiria were very instrumental in getting her to the end of the road.
Dr. Nassozi’s Ph.D thesis focused on studies of the influence of human genetic variations on incidence of uncomplicated malaria among children living in malaria vaccine trial villages in Iganga district, Uganda. She found a high prevalence of sickle cell trait (26.6%) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) A- variant (22.7%) among the children. She also found that the heterozygous nitric oxide synthase 2 variant (NOS2 -954 G>C) was associated with lower incidence of acute malaria infections in children aged 0.5 to 9 years. These findings are important for guiding health provider awareness of the potential for hemolytic anemia during medication or clinical trials and of the need for community education on hemoglobinopathies. The
