HIV RT SCHOLARS
Dedicated professionals driving our success
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.
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.
Celia M.J Matyanga
Lecturer Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Zimbabwe
Celia MJ Matyanga is a pharmacist with an MSc Clinical Pharmacology. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Clinical Pharmacokinetics, investigating the interactions between antiretrovirals and traditional medicines in people living with HIV/ AIDS. She works as a lecturer in the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Zimbabwe and mentors students. She serves as a member of the National Health Research and Development Committee for the Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe. Celia is an awardee of the Zimbabwe Emerging Faculty Development Program, the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science and other awards stated here: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9799-136X Her research interests are in traditional medicines, pharmacokinetics and pharmacy practice. As a pharmacist, she is passionate about improving the practice of pharmacy to optimize drug therapy. She is passionate about grant writing and hopes to collaborate with senior researchers in securing grants to solve global health problems
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
Dr Patrick R Matowa, PhD
University of Zimbabwe
Patrick Rutendo Matowa, PhD, a UB-UZ HRTP post-doctoral fellow, is an astute experienced practising pharmacist, clinical pharmacologist and a health professions educator in the department of Clinical Pharmacology, Anaesthesia 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.
Kudzai Chokuna
University of Zimbabwe
Dr Takudzwa Mtisi
University of Zimbabwe