Biography
Prof. Mutesa, is an MD, PhD and full professor of human genetics, currently working as Director of Center for Human Genetics that he created in 2006 at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences-University of Rwanda. He obtained his MD from the university of Rwanda in 2003 and his PhD in 2009 from the university of Liege-Belgium where he also completed his post-doc in 2011. Throughout his career he has been immensely involved in clinical services, academics, research, capacity building, and management in the health sector. He served as the Director of Department of Clinical Laboratory Dept. at the Kigali University Teaching hospital, which is the largest referral hospital. He has been Director General of Medical Research Center in Rwanda Biomedical Centre under Ministry of Health, where he coordinated health related research activities in all national medical institutions. He developed several research policies within the health sector and founded the Rwanda health research commission which reviews research grants and studies before approval by Rwanda National Ethics Committee. Prof Mutesa serves as PI of NIH/H3Africa grant–National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-Transgenerational Epigenomics of Trauma and PTSD in Rwanda (U01MH115485) with aim to characterize the transgenerational transmission of epigenomic impact of genocide exposure and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in women survivors of the Rwandan genocide and their offspring.
Education
- MD – University of Rwanda ()
- PhD – University of Liège ()
- Postdoctoral Research – University of Erlangen ()
Research Interests
Selected Publications
Pharmaceutical quality of artemether-lumefantrine in Rwanda’s public health supply chain: a cross-sectional post-market surveillance study
Malaria Journal (2026-07-27)
A Novel Pathogenic Variant in EXT1 Causing Autosomal Dominant Multiple Hereditary Exostoses in a 5-Year-Old Rwandan Patient
Rwanda Medical Journal (2026-07-17)
A Novel Variant of ARID1B-Related CSS in a Rwandan patient: A Case Report
Rwanda Medical Journal (2026-07-17)
Feeding Experiences Among Caregivers of Children With Down Syndrome in Rwanda: A Qualitative Exploratory Study
Public Health Challenges (2026-04-10)
Congenital Heart Defect Screening Among Children with Down Syndrome in Rwanda: A Cross-Sectional Study
Pediatric Health, Medicine and Therapeutics (2026-08-30)
Etiologies of Early-Onset Hearing Impairment in Rwanda
Genes (2025-02-23)
Building vaccine and biotherapeutics manufacturing capacity in Africa: a practical approach
Discover Medicine (2025-04-22)
Artemisinin-resistant malaria in Africa demands urgent action
Science (2024-07-19)
Vaccination and vaccine-preventable diseases in Africa
Scientific African (2024-06-01)
Community Engagement in Epigenomic and Neurocognitive Research on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Rwandans Exposed to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi: Lessons Learned
Epigenomics (2022-08-25)
A genetic research story of giving back and returning to the country of a thousand hills
Nature Genetics (2022-03-01)
Use of trained scent dogs for detection of COVID-19 and evidence of cost-saving
Frontiers in Medicine (2022-12-01)
African genetic diversity and adaptation inform a precision medicine agenda
Nature Reviews Genetics (2021-05-01)
Monitoring mosquito nuisance for the development of a citizen science approach for malaria vector surveillance in Rwanda
Malaria Journal (2021-01-10)
A pooled testing strategy for identifying SARS-CoV-2 at low prevalence
Nature (2020-10-21)
What do people benefit from a citizen science programme? Evidence from a Rwandan citizen science programme on malaria control
Malaria Journal (2020-08-06)