Dr. David Meya Awarded as Honored International Academician
Dr. David Meya, Senior Lecturer, College of Health Sciences at Makerere University and Adjunct Associate Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine at the University of Minnesota, who has been awarded the Honored International Academician award from the University of Minnesota GPS Alliance.
Dr. Meya has been an invaluable contributor to the University’s international research and education mission for over a decade through his research collaborations, mentorship of students, and hosting of visiting scholars. He has proven to be a brilliant researcher and outstanding teacher and continues to play a fundamental role in the success of Uganda as a hub of innovation, research, and learning for the Academic Health Center.
Throughout his career, Dr. Meya has distinguished himself through his ongoing dual commitment to translational research and health education. His current research focus is centered on HIV Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome (IRIS) and cryptococcal meningitis, including epidemiological, basic science, and clinical interventional studies in Uganda, which he has conducted through strong collaborations with researchers from the University of Minnesota.
Since the Uganda Hub was formalized in 2015, Dr. Meya has shaped Hub priorities by serving as a co-chair for the MN-Uganda Partnership Group, and by facilitating stakeholder input from Ugandan institutions. His advocacy and commitment have resulted in improved engagement and collaboration between UMN and MU, a significant factor in the Hub’s success.
As a research mentor, Dr. Meya is involved in HIV, infectious diseases, and immunology training programs for graduate students from both Makerere and Minnesota. He also provides mentorship and supervision as part of formal global health research programs sponsored by the University of Minnesota and funded through the Fogarty Center of NIH and the Doris Duke Foundation.
Dr. Meya has recently applied his experiences and vision in global health research toward shaping the Uganda Research Training Collaborative (URTC), an innovative new pilot program for students in the University of Minnesota’s Academic Health Center and Makerere University. The URTC has the potential to be a catalyst for future collaborations between students and mentors while equipping students in both countries with skills and experience in global health research. Dr. Meya has been a champion for this program by recruiting mentors, developing research tools, and connecting teams with local resources.
Dr. David Meya consistently demonstrates a commitment to the global community through innovative and important research, and his dedication to the next generation of researchers, regardless of home institution, is unmatched. We thank Dr. Meya for his contributions and partnership, and congratulate him on this award.