1. Department of (Name) / Project Name

Department of General Virology

The Department of General Virology is mandated to conduct research, surveillance, diagnostics, and capacity strengthening on viral diseases of public health importance in Uganda, the region, and globally. The department focuses on understanding the epidemiology, transmission dynamics, evolution, pathogenesis, prevention, and control of both endemic emerging, new or novel and cancer-causing viral infections. The department hosts advanced laboratory and sequencing platforms and collaborates extensively with national and international partners to strengthen laboratory capacity, pathogen surveillance, and public health response systems. 

The department is host to the national HIV testing reference laboratory that supports all the HIV national sero-surveys by performing reference HIV testing as well as associated tests including syphilis serology. This includes provision of quality control and quality assurance for HIV and syphilis testing for both public and private testing sites. The department hosts the WHO National and Regional HIV Drug Resistance Reference Laboratory that ensures quality testing for patient care. It also plays a leading role in training and mentoring scientists, laboratory personnel, postgraduate students, and public health professionals in virology, genomics, bioinformatics, and outbreak response. Through its research, innovation, and partnerships, the Department contributes to national, regional, and global efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to viral disease threats while advancing scientific knowledge and public health preparedness.

2. The Department/Project Focuses On

Research

• Viral disease surveillance and outbreak investigations of endemic, emerging and re-emerging pathogens
• Molecular epidemiology of HIV and other viral infections
• Pathogen discovery and characterization
• Viral evolution, transmission dynamics, and phylogenetics
• Monitoring HIV drug resistance and treatment outcomes
• Development and evaluation of molecular and serological diagnostics.
• Biospecimen collection, biobanking, and laboratory quality systems
• One Health and zoonotic disease research

Capacity building

• Capacity strengthening in virology, genomics, bioinformatics, and outbreak response
  Training and mentorship of scientists, students, and laboratory personnel

Partnerships and policy

• Regional and international collaborative research programmes
• Translation of research evidence to support public health policy and practice.

3. General Goal

The Department of General Virology is mandated to conduct research, surveillance, diagnostics, diagnostics quality assuarance and capacity building and strengthening on viral diseases of public health importance in Uganda, the region, and globally.

4. Specific Objectives of the Department/unit/project

• To conduct basic, translational, and applied research on viral diseases of public health importance.
• To investigate the molecular epidemiology, transmission dynamics, evolution, pathogenesis, and immune responses associated with viral infections.
• To conduct surveillance and outbreak investigations for endemic, emerging, and re-emerging viral diseases.
• To support the development, evaluation, and validation of diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics, and other public health interventions for viral diseases.
• To undertake genomic surveillance using next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics to characterize pathogens and monitor viral evolution.
• To conduct research on HIV, viral hepatitis, filoviruses (Ebola, and Marburg viruses), Mpox, SARS-CoV-2, dengue, yellow fever, and other epidemic-prone pathogens.
• To monitor HIV drug resistance and contribute evidence to inform treatment and prevention policies.
• To establish and maintain biobanking, biospecimen management, and laboratory quality systems that support research and public health response.
• To strengthen national and regional capacity in virology, genomics, bioinformatics, clinical research, and outbreak preparedness and response.
• To provide scientific evidence and technical advice to government and public health agencies for policy development and disease control.
• To foster national, regional, and international research collaborations and partnerships.
• To train and mentor scientists, postgraduate students, laboratory personnel, and public health professionals in virology and related disciplines.
• To promote innovation and translation of research findings into public health practice, preparedness, and response strategies.

5. Activities Include

• Conduct surveillance of endemic, emerging, and re-emerging viral diseases.
• Investigate and respond to viral disease outbreaks and public health emergencies.
• Perform molecular diagnosis and characterization of viral pathogens.
• Conduct genomic sequencing and bioinformatics analyses of viruses.
• Monitor viral evolution, transmission dynamics, and molecular epidemiology.
• Undertake HIV research, including studies on viral diversity, transmission networks, superinfection, and drug resistance.
• Evaluate vaccines, diagnostics, therapeutics, and other public health interventions through clinical and laboratory studies.
• Support national and regional genomic surveillance programmes.
• Collect, process, store, and manage biospecimens and biobanks for research and public health response.
• Develop and validate laboratory assays and diagnostic tools.
• Generate evidence to inform public health policy, guidelines, and disease control programmes.
• Strengthen laboratory, sequencing, and bioinformatics capacity in Uganda and the region.
• Train and mentor scientists, postgraduate students, laboratory personnel, and public health professionals.
• Coordinate and participate in national, regional, and international research collaborations and networks.
• Support One Health approaches for surveillance of zoonotic and emerging viral threats.
• Disseminate research findings through scientific publications, policy briefs, technical reports, and stakeholder engagements.

6. Recent Impact / Achievements by the Department/Unit/Project

• Generated nationally and internationally recognized evidence on HIV molecular epidemiology, viral diversity, transmission dynamics, superinfection, immune correlates of protection, and drug resistance, informing HIV prevention, treatment, and vaccine research.
• Established and expanded advanced pathogen genomics and next-generation sequencing capacity, positioning UVRI as a regional leader in genomic surveillance and outbreak response.
• Played a central role in genomic characterization and surveillance of emerging and re-emerging viral threats, including identification and reporting of the early cases of SARS-CoV-2, Mpox, hepatitis viruses, and other epidemic-prone pathogens.
• Supported national and regional surveillance systems through molecular diagnostics, sequencing, and bioinformatics for epidemic preparedness and response.
• Contributed to the establishment of regional laboratory networks and genomic surveillance platforms across East Africa.
• Participated in major international collaborations including H3ABioNet, PANGEA-HIV, CEPI-supported programmes, and other global pathogen surveillance initiatives.
• Strengthened national and regional capacity through training and mentorship of scientists, postgraduate students, laboratory personnel, and bioinformaticians.

• Published numerous peer-reviewed scientific papers and technical reports that have advanced understanding of viral diseases and strengthened global health security.

   

7. Acknowledgement of Funders

• Government of Uganda
• Ministry of Health, Uganda
• World Health Organization (WHO)
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta
• The German Government through the KfW Bank 
• MRC/UVRI and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Uganda Research Unit
• Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)
• Other regional and international collaborators