Autism Speaks welcomes Dr. Angelina Kakooza-Mwesige to the science advisory committee

October 26, 2022
Dr. Angelina Kakooza-Mwesige

Autism Speaks is pleased to announce that Dr. Angelina Kakooza-Mwesige, MB.Ch.B, MMed, Ph.D., has joined our Medical and Science Advisory Committee. The committee provides continual guidance to Autism Speaks leadership on achieving our scientific mission of advancing research into causes and better interventions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related conditions.

Dr. Kakooza-Mwesige is an associate professor and pediatric neurologist in the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health at Makerere University College of Health Sciences in Kampala, Uganda. Her research has focused primarily on the fields of infectious diseases and neurodevelopmental disorders, with a special emphasis on ASD, Cerebral palsy, epilepsy and HIV/AIDS.

She has authored over 80 publications in these fields and has over 20 years of experience in medical practice in low resource settings in Africa. Currently, she manages the pediatric neurology and epilepsy clinic and the in-patient pediatric neurology ward at the Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala.

She is also the co-principal investigator of three critical research studies, including a pilot study of a mobile health application tool to assess the behavioral risk markers of ASD among children in Uganda, Tanzania and South Africa. This research will make earlier autism diagnosis and interventions more accessible to children in Africa.

“Dr. Kakooza-Mwesige is a committed researcher and clinician who is leading the field of neurodevelopmental disorders in Africa,” says Andy Shih, Ph.D., chief science officer at Autism Speaks. “We are thrilled to have her unique perspective on our advisory board as we look to advance our science and public health initiatives to improve lives today and accelerate a spectrum of solutions for tomorrow.”

Additional Resources & Tools