Dr. Patrick Orikiriza’s field of expertise is microbiology with a special focus on infectious diseases. He is passionate about innovative pedagogical approaches to medical education and is keen at interrogating new mechanisms exhibited by current and emerging infectious disease pathogens.             

He holds a position as an assistant professor and Head of the Microbiology Department in the division of Basic Medical Sciences at UGHE. In this role, he is responsible for curriculum development, training, and supervision of undergraduate, masters, and Ph.D. students, setting a research agenda and fund acquisition to advance a global and equitable agenda. 

He completed a BSc from Makerere University, Uganda and MSc in Microbiology at Mbarara University of Science and Technology in Uganda. He later completed a Ph.D. in Health Biology at the University of Montpellier in France. His Ph.D. focus was on improving pediatric Tuberculosis diagnosis in limited-resource settings. 

Dr. Orikiriza has practiced and taught Microbiology for more than 10 years. He previously worked with Uganda Virus Research Institute, Joint Clinical Research Centre, Case Western Reserve University Collaboration and Makerere University Department of Microbiology. In his most recent appointment, before joining UGHE, Patrick worked for 10 years as a microbiologist and head of TB research laboratory for Epicentre, a research arm of Médecins Sans Frontières. He supervised research activities in a Biosafety Level three facility, managed staff, and was part of a number of multinational studies involving cutting-edge research on Tuberculosis, Malaria, Brucellosis, and drug resistance where he published over 20 articles in peer-reviewed journals. He was also a lecturer in the department of microbiology at Mbarara University of Science and Technology where he trained, supervised, and mentored medical students.