Mbarara data hub to improve medical imaging and cancer detection in Uganda
Official title: MUST Data Science Research Hub (MUDSReH)
Funded at Mbarara University/science/ Technology · NIH-11400156 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Using AI and mobile phone imaging to help health workers in Uganda spot cancers and eye problems earlier.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mbarara University/science/ Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Mbarara, Uganda) |
| Project start | September 15, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $96,024 |
| NIH project number | 3U54TW012043-05S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11400156 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are people in Mbarara and nearby regions who have symptoms or risk factors for cancer or eye disease, or who can have medical images taken at participating clinics.
✕Less likely to help
People outside the partner regions, those without access to imaging at participating sites, or people with conditions not detectable by imaging are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
From my perspective as a patient in Uganda, this hub will collect medical images such as mobile phone photos and retinal (fundus) pictures and apply AI and machine learning to find signs of disease. The project will train local clinicians and data scientists and use implementation science to bring those tools into everyday care at clinics. Initial work focuses on better posterior fundus imaging for eye disease and improving mobile-image capture, with regional partnerships and summits to expand impact. The effort aims to make diagnostic imaging more available across different healthcare levels in sub‑Saharan Africa.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could get faster, more accurate detection of cancers and eye conditions using affordable imaging and AI, enabling earlier treatment.
How similar studies have gone: AI for retinal imaging and some cancer-screening imaging tools have shown promising results in other settings, but local validation in sub‑Saharan Africa is still limited.
Where this research is happening
-
Mbarara University/science/ Technology
Mbarara, Uganda Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kaggwa, Fred — Mbarara University/science/ Technology
- Study coordinator: Kaggwa, Fred
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.