Dr. Tungamirirai Simbini, BSc. MBChB, MS

Professor at the University of Zimbabwe Medical Informatics Department

Tungamirirai Simbini is a trained medical doctor with post graduate qualifications in Health Informatics and Information Systems. He has a BSc and MBChB degrees from the University of Zimbabwe. He has a Master of Science in Health Informatics from Oregon Health & Sciences University, U.S. Simbini has experience in Health Management Information Systems spanning 16 years at national and regional levels. He currently is a lecturer in Health Informatics at Africa University. He is the Principal Investigator for the Zimbabwe Human Resources Information Systems project supported by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Simbini consults for the Republic of Malawi's Health Management Information Systems. He also is running a private company that develops software solutions in the health sector. Simbini is currently studying enterprise architectures for ways to improve the exchange of health information. He mentors university students in health informatics.

Takudzwa Mtisi

University of Zimbabwe

A Medical Research Scientist and Senior Lecturer in the UZ-FMHS, with over a decade of experience in clinical research and a PhD in Translational Medicine. Her career has focused on bridging laboratory science and healthcare delivery, particularly in improving outcomes for people living with HIV and non-communicable diseases (NCDs).  

Dr. Patrick R Matowa, PhD

University of Zimbabwe

Patrick Rutendo Matowa, PhD, a UB-UZ HRTP post-doctoral fellow, is an astute experienced practicing pharmacist, clinical pharmacologist and a health professions educator in the department of Clinical Pharmacology, Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe. He has interests in Clinical Pharmacology and Ethnomedicine. His PhD thesis title read "Anticancer efficacy and safety profile of selected herbal plants used to treat cancer in Zimbabwe: a pre-clinical study" and managed to win awards at the University of Zimbabwe's Annual Medical Research Day (AMRD, 2024). For his post-doctoral study, he intends to research on HIV-associated malignancies and the use of ethnomedicine by the affected population, focusing on the biochemical and immunomodulatory mechanisms exhibited by the medicinal plant extracts. Dr. Matowa has a strong passion in health care service provision and drug discovery and development research, and aims at contributing to the attainment of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number three. 

Ratidzo Chirimo​

University of Zimbabwe

Ratidzo Chirimo is a lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe in the Department of Laboratory Diagnostic and Investigative Sciences in the Medical Laboratory Sciences Unit. She is a biomedical scientist with a specialty in Clinical Biochemistry. Ratidzo is a DPhil student at the University of Zimbabwe. Her current research is on the risk and genomic profiles of insulin resistance of adults living with HIV on dolutegravir (DTG) –-based antiretroviral therapy. This study is part of efforts to strengthen pharmacovigilance in real-life cohorts of people living with HIV. Her research interests are HIV, non-communicable diseases, pharmacogenomics, and biochemical markers in diseases.

Dr. Theresa Netsai Chimponda

University of Zimbabwe

Dr. Chimponda received her doctoral degree from the University of Zimbabwe in 2021, and her undergraduate and master’s degrees were in Biochemistry. She currently works in the Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory at the University of Zimbabwe’s College of Health Sciences. Here research interests include Immunology and Biochemical Pharmacology with an emphasis on biomarkers of inflammation, pediatric schistosomiasis, HIV and the gut microbiome. She has over a dozen peer-reviewed journal publications, written two book chapters and has made several conferences presentations.

 

Faithful Makita-Chingombe

University of Zimbabwe

Current DPhil candidate with UZ and HIVRT Fellow Research interest in ARV nano-formulations for improved HIV treatment. Have gained exposure in fabrication and characterization of nanoparticles, cell toxicity and analytical methods at University at Buffalo & University of Western Cape through research visit programs. Currently involved in developing ARV assays for an International Pharmacology lab based in Zimbabwe

Kudzai Chokuna​​

University of Zimbabwe

Kudzai is an accomplished medical laboratory scientist and public health specialist with over a decade of experience at Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Care. She is currently pursuing a PhD in HIV Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics through the University at Buffalo–University of Zimbabwe partnership. Her doctoral research investigates the pharmacogenetics and neuropsychiatric side effects of dolutegravir among people living with HIV, bridging precision medicine, mental health, and infectious diseases. Holding a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Zimbabwe, Kudzai has developed expertise in health systems research, advanced statistical analysis, and evidence-based policy development. Her research portfolio includes four peer-reviewed publications, including a study in the Journal of Public Health in Africa that examines integrated management of communicable and non-communicable diseases in Manicaland Province. Proficient in designing data collection tools, secondary data analysis, and scientific writing, she has also earned two national public speaking awards. Passionate about implementation research and global health equity, Kudzai is dedicated to translating evidence into impactful interventions in resource-limited environments.