NIMR

dr.

Rehema Simbauranga

Dr Rehema Hassan Simbauranga is a Research Scientist at the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), Muhimbili Medical Research Centre

Education: She holds degree in medicine from Higher Institute of Medical Sciences Santiago de Cuba, Cuba and Master’s degree (MMed) in Paediatrics from Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences. In addition, she has a certificate in Hospital Management (China) and International Public Health Management (India).

Responsibilities at NIMR – Muhimbili Centre: She has participated in writing research proposals, coordinating health research projects at study sites, conducting health research activities in clinical trials including diagnosis and treatment, supervising, training and mentoring junior researchers and other staffs in study sites, Data collection, Data cleaning and processing, report writing and train the site staff on trial-specific standards and GCP requirements.

Experience and Skills: She has worked for 14 years in clinical research. She has been a study site coordinator in most of the clinical researches conducted at Regional Referral Hospitals.  She has been involved in researches related to HIV associated central nervous system infections and non-communicable diseases. She also performed research on prevalence and factors associated with severe anaemia amongst under-five children hospitalized at Bugando Medical Centre, Mwanza, Tanzania.  She has vast experience in managing study protocols and confirm compliance, ensure conduct of the trial activities according to GCP and regulatory authorities’ requirements (ethical standards), ensure participant safety and data integrity, reporting as well as managing and track progress of adverse and serious adverse events.  She is competent in clinical study operations such as assessment of eligibility criteria, consenting process, recruitment and clinical assessment, sample collection and handling, point of care testing, review of individual patient laboratory results, diagnosis and treatment. Some of the clinical researches involved include ACTA trial, DREAMM project, META trial phase II and META trial phase III. She has also trained health facility care providers on clinical research skills.

Interests:  She has interest in clinical trials and clinical trial monitoring

Achievements: She has participated in the Implementation of Triple therapy for the Management of Cryptococcal Meningitis associated with HIV infection in Tanzanian hospitals and new algorithm for integrating the diagnosis and management of HIV-associated central nervous system (CNS) infections into routine health services at Amana and Mwananyamala hospitals (DREAMM project). Also participated in advanced HIV disease  intercountry  implementation between Tanzania and Lesotho. She has trained trainers of “Triple therapy for the Management of Cryptococcal Meningitis in Tanzania. She was involved in development of CD4 VISITECT technology point of care pilot Program training package & TOT training. She has 3 publications and submitted 1 book chapter for publication.

Professional Registration: She is a Medical Specialist registered by the Medical Council of Tanganyika

Dr. Rehema Simbauranga

Research Scientist