Biography

Dr. Shadia Nakalema is a Physician and Research Scientist at the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), Mulago. Her work focuses on implementation science and improving health service delivery for women living with HIV. She is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Liverpool, where her research examines family planning among women living with HIV, with a particular emphasis on the integration of emerging long-acting antiretroviral therapies into reproductive health care. Her work draws on implementation science, pharmacogenomics, and clinical pharmacology to strengthen person-centered, evidence-based services in resource-limited settings.

Dr. Nakalema is a member of the DolPHIN-3 consortium, which is assessing the efficacy, safety, feasibility, and acceptability of injectable cabotegravir and rilpivirine among breastfeeding women living with HIV. At IDI, she has contributed to multiple studies involving special populations, and through her role in the Contraceptive Implant Research Consortium for Low-Income Countries, she has helped generate critical evidence on drug–drug interactions and the safe use of hormonal contraception alongside antiretroviral therapy.

Her long-term goal is to become a leader in implementation research and health systems innovation, advancing equitable, high-quality HIV and reproductive health services for women living with HIV in Uganda and similar settings.