Dr Emmanuel IRIMASO

"Emmanuel Irimaso is a faculty member and Deputy Dean at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Rwanda, with over a decade of experience in veterinary education, research, academic leadership, and community engagement. He commenced his academic career in 2012 as a Tutorial Assistant and subsequently served as Head of the Department of Veterinary Medicine from September 2019 to January 2024, where he played a central role in curriculum development, staff mentorship, and strengthening One Health–oriented training programs. He is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, under a sandwich program within the Institute of Microbiology. His doctoral research focuses on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns at the wildlife–livestock interface in Rwanda, with particular emphasis on zoonotic bacteria of public health importance. His work involves handling high-risk pathogens in enhanced Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) laboratory environments and contributes to the development and implementation of biosafety and biosecurity frameworks relevant to emerging One Health threats. Emmanuel holds an MSc in Veterinary Preventive Medicine with a specialization in Field Epidemiology (One Health Track) from Makerere University, Uganda. His research and professional interests span broad-spectrum cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacterales, antimicrobial resistance surveillance, zoonotic disease detection, and transboundary animal diseases, including Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD). He has served as Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator on multiple competitive grants and has made significant contributions to USAID-funded initiatives, including the Emerging Pandemic Threats and One Health Workforce programs. In addition to his academic and research roles, Emmanuel regularly provides consultancy services in epidemiology and public health, with a focus on disease surveillance systems, biosafety and biosecurity, and risk mitigation strategies. He is an active contributor to several national Technical Working Groups under the National One Health Platform, where he supports policy dialogue, capacity building, and multisectoral coordination for health security in Rwanda."