We are excited to share highlights from our latest RHSP Newsletter, covering January to April 2026! This period was marked by deepening global partnerships, groundbreaking research milestones, and continued growth in our scientific capabilities. From hosting distinguished international visitors to completing landmark studies and publishing influential findings, our teams demonstrated extraordinary commitment to high-impact science. Let's dive into the key achievements!
Key highlights include;
Strengthening Global Partnerships & Collaborations
- Youth-Centered HIV Research: RHSP hosted partners from Columbia University, CUNY, and Mount Sinai University for collaborative discussions around the ROC and ICARE studies, focusing on meaningful adolescent participation in HIV prevention research.
- University of Michigan Partnership: A distinguished delegation including Professors Joe Kolars, Bilal Butt, and Akbar K. Waljee visited RHSP to explore sustainable research collaborations, with key discussions on diversifying funding for the Rakai Community Cohort Study.
- Gates Foundation Engagement: On April 6th, RHSP hosted Dr. Sharon Achilles, Deputy Director of Reproductive Health Technologies at the Gates Foundation, reinforcing their shared commitment to HIV prevention and reproductive health research.
Advancing Institutional Capacity & Infrastructure
- New Liquid Nitrogen Storage System: The RHSP Laboratory received a state-of-the-art Haier Biobank Series Large-Scale Liquid Nitrogen Storage System from NIH, maintaining temperatures below −196°C to safeguard critical biological samples.
- Laboratory Accreditation: On March 19th, RHSP successfully completed its annual SANAS surveillance, reaffirming ISO 15189:2022 accreditation with zero non-conformances — an unconditional recommendation to maintain accreditation.
- Safety Training: The RHSP Safety Committee, supported by Uganda Fire Expert, conducted hands-on fire marshal training, equipping staff with emergency response skills and practical firefighting experience.
Groundbreaking Research Progress
- VICINITY Study Completed: RHSP concluded data collection for the five-year VICINITY Study, which enrolled 7,215 participants examining HIV, environmental exposures, and cardiopulmonary health — paving the way for the new Post-TB Lung Disease Causality Study.
- Post-TB Lung Disease Study Launched: In collaboration with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, RHSP launched a five-year NIH-funded cohort study examining TB's causal impact on long-term lung health across 24,500 participants.
- Lifespan Study: RHSP is enrolling 250 HIV-positive women aged 18–40 to study how pregnancy affects the latent HIV reservoir — the first study of its kind globally.
- LEIDOS Latent HIV Reservoir Study: This long-term longitudinal study continues tracking the latent HIV reservoir in 90 virally suppressed Ugandans annually, now approaching 15 years of follow-up.
Scientific Engagement & Research Visibility
- CROI 2026: RHSP researchers presented work spanning HIV transmission, drug resistance, mother-to-child transmission, and mobile health interventions at this major international virology conference in Denver, Colorado.
- Keystone Symposia 2026: Dr. Edward Kankaka represented RHSP in Breckenridge, presenting two posters on innovative methods tailored to African HIV subtypes alongside NIAID collaborators.
- Media Recognition: RHSP's orphanhood study in Rakai received international coverage on NPR and local coverage in New Vision, highlighting the dramatic decline in AIDS orphans linked to sustained HIV programs.
Scientific Publications
RHSP published over 15 peer-reviewed articles this quarter across journals including The Lancet Global Health, Clinical Infectious Diseases, PLOS Medicine, and Journal of Infectious Diseases, covering HIV reservoirs, drug resistance, TB, cardiopulmonary health, and adolescent research ethics.