Dr. Gertrude Namazzi recently completed her PhD  from Makerere University focusing on neurodevelopmental outcomes among high risk newborn babies. She also holds a masters degree in Public Health (MPH) and a bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) of Makerere University, Uganda. She is a Research Fellow at Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) in the department of Health Policy Planning and Management, and a member of the centre of excellence for maternal, newborn and child health. Gertrude has expertise in maternal and newborn implementation research ranging from community mobilization for institutional service utilization to health systems strengthening for improved quality of care. She is currently the project manager for the East Africa Preterm Birth Initiative (PTBi) in Uganda, a collaboration between MakSPH and University of California San Francisco (UCSF). Gertrude was a PI on an innovative research project looking at improved identification and care of high risk newborn babies funded by Grand Challenges Canada, and a Co- PI on a maternal and newborn health project funded by WHO aimed at improving quality of health services across a network of hospitals. She has participated in two WHO technical advisory Group meetings on preterm rates, and Postnatal Care.

Previously, Gertrude worked as an expatriate hospital director and District medical officer in post conflict Rwanda and East Timor respectively under World Bank funded health projects.