Board Chairperson & Director

Peter Waiswa, MBChB, MPH, PhD

Hailing from the Busoga Region of eastern Uganda, Dr. Peter Waiswa is a renowned Ugandan medical doctor and researcher who has made significant contributions to the field of maternal-newborn-child health and health systems. He is an associate professor at Makerere University College of Health Sciences, and has led several innovative initiatives that aim to improve newborn health and development in low- and middle-income countries, using evidence-based approaches and community engagement. He has also served as an advisor for various global organizations such as the World Health Organization, UNICEF, Save the Children and others on maternal-newborn-child health issues.

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Director

Yang Jae Lee, MD

Jae is a psychiatrist, global mental health researcher, and founder of Empower Through Health. He has worked in the Busoga region of Uganda since 2015, developing long-term collaborations with Ugandan public health leaders, clinicians, researchers, and community members. These relationships helped lay the foundation for Empower Through Health, which was established in 2018 to advance health, education, and community-led development in rural Uganda. He is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Global Health at the University of Washington. His research focuses on how community structures can be leveraged to improve mental health outcomes in underserved populations, particularly in low-resource settings. He completed his psychiatry residency at Yale University and received his medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, where he was the inaugural McDonnell Scholar and Distinguished Alumni Scholar.

Director

Peter Muwereza

Peter holds a Master of Public Health and a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda. He is a Project Implementation Specialist on the Community in which Mothers and newborns Thrive Project in Luuka District, East-central Uganda. Peter previously worked as a Senior Medical officer, in charge of a health Sub-district in Iganga District Local Government, in East-central Uganda. He has also served as a Health Center Manager and contributed to projects for the national government. Peter has special interest in maternal and child health and Quality Improvement.  Peter’s focus now is RMNCH research and implementation of best practices with the aim of learning and improving the health of mothers, newborns, Children and Adolescents in Uganda.

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