Dr Andrew Abaasa
Associate Professor
MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit
Plot 51-59, Nakiwogo Road Entebbe
Entebbe
Uganda
+256 417 7044000
Andrew Joined the School in 2022, and is the Head of Statistics and Data at the school’s MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit. Prior to joining the School, Andrew worked at the MRC Unit in Uganda for over 15 years. He studied Statistics for his undergraduate, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics for MSc, and Epidemiology and Population Health for PhD at LSHTM.
Andrew never wanted to be a banker but banking was seemingly the only available Job when he completed his undergraduate training. Lack of career guidance in Africa makes a lot of bends in one’s career. At high school, Andrew loved and excelled in mathematics but could not connect his performance in math to any career. By the time he completed undergraduate training, he had never heard of Medical Statistics. It was in 2005 when he linked up with Professor Jim Todd at LSHTM through a reference for a Medical Statistics career, like they say the rest is history. Jim went on to supervise his MSc and PhD and developed a father-son relationship.
Andrew never wanted to be a banker but banking was seemingly the only available Job when he completed his undergraduate training. Lack of career guidance in Africa makes a lot of bends in one’s career. At high school, Andrew loved and excelled in mathematics but could not connect his performance in math to any career. By the time he completed undergraduate training, he had never heard of Medical Statistics. It was in 2005 when he linked up with Professor Jim Todd at LSHTM through a reference for a Medical Statistics career, like they say the rest is history. Jim went on to supervise his MSc and PhD and developed a father-son relationship.
Affiliations
MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit
Teaching
Andrew teaches Epidemiology and Medical Statistics within and beyond the LSHTM family. With colleagues at MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, he organizes, beginners, intermediate and advanced courses in Epidemiology, Medical Statistics, Study Designs and data management.
Research
Andrew’s research interest is in the design, conduct and analysis (DCA) of randomised controlled trials. He has keen interest in DCA of trials in the era of widespread use of active controls in HIV preventions field. He has collaborated on many intervention trials and observational studies in Africa working with European and American partners. His major area of work has been in early to late phase intervention studies in HIV (vaccines, PrEP, vaginal microbicides etc.) and of late SARS-CoV-2 (vaccines). Lately, he has developed interest in research in adolescents’ health.
Selected Publications
Non-uptake of COVID-19 vaccines and reasons for non-uptake among healthcare workers in Uganda: a cross-sectional study.
2024
BMC health services research
Data for: "COVID-19 vaccine roll-out in Uganda: a case study of uptake and associated factors among health care workers and older people"
2024
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
