Thematic areas of ACE-Uganda are the key focus areas of research and development that align with our mission to advance health in Africa. These include Research, Training, Visualisation, and Cyber Infrastructure. Each thematic area represents a core component of the work ACE does, in collaboration with the Infectious Diseases Institute, and local and international partners.
Research
The ACE performs innovative bioinformatics and health data science research across areas of Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), Human genomics, and Cancer using Bioinformatics tools, Health data science tools, Mathematical modeling, and simulation
Training
The ACE, in collaboration with Makerere University’s College of Health Sciences (CHS) and the College of Computing and Information Sciences (COCIS), co-hosts an MSc/PhD program. Currently, this program is being restructured to introduce a data science track, with ACE actively participating in the curriculum development and review process. This includes regularly updating the MSc/PhD training program and facilitating student access to research data, particularly from IDI projects. ACE staff supervise MSc and PhD students throughout their research, contributing to the program’s success. To date, five cohorts of students have completed the program, with many securing employment in institutions like the Central Public Health Laboratories (CPHL), the Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration (IDRC), the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), and various government ministries. Some graduates continue working on ACE projects, while others assist with tutoring or pursuing PhDs at both local and international universities. Since 2019, ACE has trained 84 students, comprising 69 MSc and 15 PhD students across four cohorts. Cohort 1 included 34 students (6 PhDs, 28 MSc), cohort 2 had 17 students (1 PhD, 16 MSc), cohort 3 had 15 students (3 PhDs, 12 MSc), and cohort 4 included 18 students (5 PhDs, 13 MSc). ACE staff offer supervision and guidance to these students, contributing to their professional growth. In addition to its degree programs, ACE provides short courses, training sessions, and internship programs, and workshops in areas such as Bioinformatics, Data Science, epidemic modeling, and Virtual Reality. Some of these programs run in partnership with IDI, include participation in the African Genomic Medicine Training Initiative (AGMT) and hosting the Polygenic Risk Scores (PRS) and Bioimage Analysis workshops. These courses are available to a broad range of participants, including researchers and professionals, with the goal of building capacity in bioinformatics and health data science across Africa, supporting epidemic preparedness, and strengthening early warning systems for infectious diseases.
Visualization
Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging technology that creates simulated three-dimensional (3D) experiences through computer-generated environments by projecting a 3D world around you and making you feel like you are in that world. VR has a wide range of applications, from learning, training, research, medical diagnostics, biomedical visualization, 3D-conferencing, psychotic treatment, and so on. The VR lab at the ACE is the pioneer in Ugandan health programming, and it developed and published a series of papers on this effort https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35418070/. With GPU-backed workstations and access to a connected HighPerformance Computing (HPC) environment, the VR lab provides unprecedented dynamic visualization and simulation capacity for different projects and needs in the country, hence establishing for itself a niche as a national and regional resource for further development of VR and similar technology for application in health education and surgery.
i) VR projects (360 degrees for some: just list with a hyperlink to actual content under projects)
Virtual Reality Technology for Optimizing Safety and Competence in Management of Patients with COVID-19 Disease.
This project used virtual reality (VR) technology to train Ugandan healthcare workers in COVID-19 management, addressing the risks of traditional training methods. The VR modules covered Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) use, case management, diagnosis, and contact tracing. VR training proved to be more cost-effective, immersive, safer, and scalable than traditional methods. Completed in six months, the project involved curriculum design, VR module development, and pilot training. The program aims to enhance healthcare workers’ competence, reduce infection risks, lower costs, and expand training reach. Uganda’s rising road accident deaths are being addressed by vMERGE, a project that trains first responders in Basic life-saving (BLS) skills using VR simulations. VR provides realistic training environments, and vMERGE will develop modules specifically for Ugandan responders. The project also plans to create affordable, locally-made VR headsets to increase accessibility. vMERGE aims to save lives and improve Ugandan healthcare by enhancing BLS skills and expanding the pool of trained responders.
ii) Pictures
iii) Do you need to use the VR facility? Click here and submit your request.
CYBER INFRASTRUCTURE
The ACE-Uganda has various cyberinfrastructure facilities that help in the smooth running of its activities to achieve its mission and vision. They include the High-Performance Computing (HPC) servers, the Tele-learning center, and the Visualization lab.
High-Performance Computing (HPC)
The ACE HPC is the only unit at Makerere University that is well-equipped to meet the demanding bioinformatics and health data science tasks, and it provides an advanced platform for deploying specialized tools in these fields. The HPC runs on the latest version of open-source software, hence ensuring efficiency and flexibility. Researchers intending to use HPC should first submit their request here, and they can choose from popular package managers (Anaconda and Spack) to access hundreds of relevant software packages. There is a backup power supply, which ensures minimal downtime during outages and automated monitoring, which safeguards the HPC against abrupt power surges and internet issues. The current HPC configuration consists of 40 nodes, offering 1.25TB RAM and 640 cores for computation. Additionally, extensive storage options are available (150TB Synology and 1.5PB NetApp) and plans are underway to upgrade the system through HPC donations, hence potentially enhancing the cooling capabilities.
Projects supported by the HPC
| Project | Funder/Collaborator | Timeline |
| National Sickle Cell Registry | Sickle Pan-African Research Consortium (SPARCO) | Nov-21 to Oct-26 |
| DS-I Africa community (eLwazi Open Data Science Platform: ODSP) | National Institute of Health (NIH) | Sep-21 to June-26 |
| The Epilepsy App | Duke University | Mar-23 to Feb-26 |
| Duke University Cancer genomics and genomics data science | Uganda Cancer Institute & Fred Hutch Cancer Institute | |
| CAMO-NET (Centers for Antimicrobial Optimization Network) | Wellcome Trust | Mar-23 to Feb-26 |
| Acute Respiratory Interventions Study (ARISE Africa) | Busitema University | |
| AI for Health Equity: Transforming Pandemic Preparedness in Uganda (HEAL) | Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) | |
| Pathogen detection in children living with HIV presenting with nonmalarial febrile Illness using metagenomic sequencing at Baylor Uganda (PHICAMS) | European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) – | Nov-21 to Oct-24 |
| SHEDS: She Data Science | Institute of Global Health Sciences University of California San Francisco (IGHS-UCSF) | |
| SPARCO (Sickle Pan-African Research Consortium) Uganda: Strengthening Capacity For Clinical Care | National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLB) of the National Institutes of Health United States of America |
Visualization lab
Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging technology that creates simulated three dimension (3D) experiences through computer-generated environments by projecting a 3D world around you and making you feel like you’re in that world. VR has a wide range of applications from learning, training, research, diagnostics, biomedical visualization, 3D-conferencing, psychotic treatment, and so on. The VR lab at the ACE is the pioneer in Ugandan health programming, and it developed and published a series of papers on this effort (e.g., https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35418070/). With GPU-backed workstations and access to a connected HighPerformance Computing (HPC) environment, the VR lab provides unprecedented dynamic visualization and simulation capacity for different projects and needs in the country, hence establishing for itself a niche as a national and regional resource for further development of VR and similar technology for application in health education and surgery.
VR projects (360 degrees for some: just list with a hyperlink to actual content under projects)
Pictures
Do you need to use the VR facility? Click here.
Tele learning centre
The ACE houses a telelearning center with audio-visual capabilities that facilitate remote collaboration activities both locally and internationally, including remote training. The ACE’s telelearning center (audio-visual and networking facility) is a catalyst for local and international cross-exchange through remote collaboration. This enhances the quality of content and delivery of all its programs and activities. The facility boasts of its state-of-the-art technology, including 24 high-end workstations with high-capacity Nuc units ( i7 processor, 8th generation, processor speed of 2.7 GHz 8 Cores, and 32 GB of RAM each). The facility is supplemented with sound acoustics to prevent echoes thereby providing a conducive environment for remote collaboration