David K Tumusiime

"I am a Professor of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Rwanda, College of Medicine and Health Sciences and Deputy Director of the East Africa Regional Centre of Excellence in Biomedical Engineering and eHealth. I have experience in Higher Education training and leading, conducting and publishing of Health research for more than 23 years, and research ethics reviews, regulations and monitoring for the last 12 years. I have led and supported more than 20 donor and AfDB financed projects. I have also authored and co-authored more than 50 peer reviewed scientific paper publications. I have been involved in the University leadership; such as being Director of Research, Ethics and Consultancy at the former Kigali Health Institute (one of the higher learning institution merged to form the University of Rwanda); 2011 – 2012, Dean School of Health Sciences and currently the Deputy Director of the East African Community (EAC) Regional Centre of Excellence in Biomedical Engineering, eHealth, Rehabilitation and Mobility Sciences hosted by the University of Rwanda. I was a member and Secretary of Rwanda National Ethics Committee with appointment by Minister of Health of Rwanda since 2013 up-to- March 2024. I am also a member of Board of Governors of the University of Rwanda, where I participate in high level decision making of the University of Rwanda, including making laws and policies governing the University. Professionally, I obtained PhD in Medical Rehabilitation Sciences (Physiotherapy) in 2014 from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg South Africa. My PhD studies included a randomized controlled trial with physical exercise intervention for treatment and rehabilitation of people with peripheral neuropathy and functional limitations of lower extremities, associated to HIV and Antiretroviral therapy. I am leading various research projects; to mention a few, I am the Principal Investigator (PI) of the study regarding “the use of smartphone in self – management of type 2 diabetes; an academic – industry collaboration study; funded by NCST; studies to assess and evaluate population level interventions to mitigate risk factors for hypertension and diabetes in Rwanda. These are research studies within a wider project known as “Collaborative for Evidence Based Healthcare in Sub Saharan Africa (CEBHA+). It is a collaborative project (south - south collaboration) with University of Rwanda, Makerere University in Uganda, University of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Stellenbosch University and Cochrane Centre, in South Africa. The project is funded by Germany government. Also, I am also a PI of the Social Innovation in Health Initiative Hub project in Rwanda; project funded by WHO and being done in partnership with Malawi University. Importantly, I am also one of the Multiple PIs who recently won an NIH grant regarding Data Sciences for Health and Innovation in Africa (DS-I Africa), collaborating with USA; Washington University. In addition to my basic training in Medical Rehabilitation; Physiotherapy, I am also trained in Public Health, specifically in Evidence Based Public Health/Evidence Based HealthCare, Global health and I am a trainer for these courses at the University of Rwanda College of Medicine and Health Sciences. I am also current the country PI of Rehabilitation for All through Digital Innovation Competencies” (RADIC) project. The overall objective of the project is to contribute towards increased capacity of higher education to support and scale digital transformation in Eastern Africa, with the aim to ensure rehabilitation services for all. The project is funded by ERUMUS through Capacity budling for higher education. Again, the country of the Digital Rehabilitation Global Marketplace (DIRECT)” project. The Project is financed by Business Finland. The overall objective of the project is to increase access to affordable rehabilitation through digital innovations. In addition, and importantly, I have vast knowledge and experience in Research ethics review, regulations, and clinical monitoring and evaluation of the implementations of research. I also conduct trainings and capacity building of ethics review committee members, and researchers as a trained person to train in Good Clinical Practice. More to that, I was trained during COVID – 19 by WHO through Multiple Regional Clinical Trial (MRCT) and African Vaccine and Regulatory Forum (AVAREF), in Clinical trial ethics reviews; to cope up with efficient reviews, evaluation and monitoring of clinical trials regarding the pandemic such COVID – 19 vaccine trials. I was the national focal person for the review of Clinical Trial on COVID -19 vaccine, jointly with other experts, coordinated by AVAREF and WHO. I have acquired vast knowledge and skills of ethics regulation documents development and reviews, for example, I developed the ethics review documents for the UR – CMHS and was consultant to develop harmonized ethics review framework for East African Community (EAC) partners states. I have a postgraduate certificate in Bioethics, certificate of training of trainers in Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and research ethics review processes. I have been one of the leaders for research ethics committee since 2011 as the chairperson, and also as a member of the Institutional review board (IRB) at the University of Rwanda. I have worked also as a member of the Rwanda National Ethics Committee (RNEC) for the 11 years. I have passion to promote ethics for the rights of research participants and for the conduction of quality health research. Lastly and importantly, I have led various projects in Rehabilitation Sciences with current focus on the use digital rehabilitation interventions to promotion easy accessibility, availability and affordability of Rehabilitation services to the less privileged community, in Rwanda and East Africa, in general. I conduct trainings and research in Rehabilitations sciences post graduate programs including PhD supervisions in the same areas and digital health. "