Celebrating Graduate Milestones in Tanzania: Congratulations to Dr. Grace Ruselu and Crispin Mukerebe

This May, the Center for Global Health (CGH) proudly celebrates the successful thesis defenses of two outstanding members of our research team in Mwanza, Tanzania: Dr. Grace Ruselu and Crispin Mukerebe.

Both researchers received support for their graduate training from the NIH Fogarty International Center, reflecting CGH’s ongoing commitment to building sustainable research capacity and training the next generation of global health leaders.

Dr. Grace Ruselu, MPH

Thesis Title: “Associations of Early Reproductive Aging with Excess Heart Age and Diastolic Dysfunction among Women Living with and without HIV in Mwanza, Tanzania.”

Dr. Ruselu successfully defended her Master of Public Health (MPH) thesis at the Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences-Bugando (CUHAS-Bugando). Over the past four years, Dr. Ruselu has served as a study coordinator for the NIH-sponsored Mwanza HIV & CVD Cohort. Her exceptional master's research advanced the cohort's mission by examining the complex relationships between pre-menopause, menopause, and cardiovascular disease outcomes among Tanzanian women.

Crispin Mukerebe, MSc

Thesis Title: “Prevalence, Genotypic Distribution, and Persistence of High-Risk Human Papillomavirus (HR-HPV) and their Association with Selected Co-infections Among Women of Reproductive Age in Selected Districts of Mwanza Region, Tanzania.”

Mr. Mukerebe earned his Master of Science (MSc) in Molecular Biology from the University of Dar es Salaam. His research provides critical epidemiological insights into the prevalence and persistence of high-risk HPV genotypes and their intersection with other co-infections, offering valuable data to improve reproductive health interventions in the region.

The Center for Global Health congratulates Dr. Ruselu and Mr. Mukerebe on these major academic milestones. We are immensely proud of their accomplishments and look forward to their continued contributions to advancing women’s health and clinical research in Tanzania.