Dr. Alarakol Simon Peter

Senior Lecturer


Dr. Alarakol Simon Peter, (PhD). He is a Deputy Dean/ Senior lecturer of Medical Biochemistry/Molecular Parasitology/Genomics, Faculty of Medicine,Gulu University. He graduated with Bachelor of Biomedical Laboratory Technology (BBLT), Msc degree in molecular Biology from Makerere University and PhD in Molecular Parasitology from Gulu University. He is a post doctor Fellow, a distinguish Senior Researcher and Genomic specialist in Global Health focusing on one Health approach. He served as the Head, of Department of Biochemistry for eight years. He has over 15 years work experience of teaching in the University. Since 2008, he has been teaching in Faculty of Medicine and supervised several undergraduate, Masters and PhD students. Additionally, he has been involved in Faculty mentored research and conducted a number of studies especially in areas of Neglected Tropical Diseases and Infectious Diseases. He has wealth of experiences as a member of Gulu University Research Ethic Committee (GUREC) and has greatly played significance roles in ensuring responsible conduct of research in the University. Dr. Alarakol is the current chair of Faculty Higher Degrees Committee at Faculty of Medicine and member of mature age and Pre-entry Diploma Schemes at the University. His research interests are in Neglected Tropical Disease studies focusing areas of Molecular parasitology/Genomic analysis, population genetic structure, immuno-biology, Health systems strengthening and Global Health. He has published articles in these areas in peer reviewed journals. Dr Alarakol has several networks with international partners and currently is a Co-principle investigator of SUSTAIN project, a 5 years Clinical trial Cysticercosis project housed at Faculty of Medicine. With this exciting and vast experience in research, He has served as a Guest Editor, technical reviewer (assessor) for research protocols for many institutions and journals.

Download CV

Qualifications

Institution Period Degree obtained
Gulu University 2009-2016 PhD in Molecular Parasitology
Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda 2004-2007 Master of Science in Molecular Biology
Makerere University 1999-2003 Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Technology

Research Interests

Global Health focusing on Neglected topical Diseases and Infectious disease in areas of  Molecular parasitology/Genomic analysis, population genetic structure, immuno-biology, Health systems strengthening, Genomic and Public Health Disease surveillance,  Molecular epidemiology, health systems research and community Health.

Publications

Alex Olia1*, Felix Bongomin 1, Robert Ocakacon 2, Michael Dfendu2, Simon Peter Alarakol3, Emmanuel Igwaro Odongo Aginya1, Stephen Ochaya1,4 . (2025) . Antimicrobial Susceptibility Patterns of Bacterial Isolates from Children with Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media in Northern Uganda . Open Journal of Medical Microbiology, [online] Volume 15(2), pp. 110-124 . Available at: https://www.scirp.org/journal/ojmmISSN Online: 2165-3380,
D.Acan, R.Opiro, B.Musinguzi, B.B.Agaba, S.P.Alarokol . (2025) . Prevalence of malaria and associated risk factors among febrile under-five refugee children attending Panyadoli Health Centre III, Kiryandongo District, Mid-western Uganda. Malaria Journal . Malaria Journal, [online] Volume . Kampala, Uganda: BMC. Available at: https://malariajournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12936-025-05404-8
D.Acan, R.Opiro, J.Okot, S.Peter Alarokol . (2025) . Point-of-Care Evaluation of Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test (mRDT) for Detection of Plasmodium falciparum Among Children Under 5 Years of Age Attending Panyadoli Health Center III in Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement, Mid-Western Uganda . Journal of Parasitology Research, [online] Volume . Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/japr/9956261
Geoffrey Olok Tabo, Alarakol Simon Peter, Pamela Atim, Derrick Amone, Yagos Onen Walter . (2024) . Attitudes of female market vendors of reproductive age towards use of mobile phones and access to family planning self-care interventions in Northern Uganda: a cross-sectional study . BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, [online] Volume . Available at: https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12911-024-02565-5.pdf
Eunice Achiro 1, Lawrence Okidi 1, Richard Echodu 2, Simon Peter Alarakol 3, Juliet Anena 1, Duncan Ongeng 1 . (2023) . Prevalence of aflatoxin along processing points of locally made complementary food formulae in northern Uganda: Safety and children’s exposure across seasons
Eunice Achiro, Lawrence Okidi, Richard Echodu, Simon Peter Alarakol, Prossy Nassanga, Duncan Ongeng . (2023) . Status of food safety knowledge, attitude, and practices of caregivers of children in northern Uganda . Food Science and Nutrition
Francis Atube, Geoffrey M. Malinga, Martine Nyeko, Daniel M. Okello, Simon Peter Alarakol & Ipolto Okello-Uma . (2021) . Determinants of smallholder farmers’ adaptation strategies to the effects of climate change: Evidence from northern Uganda . Available at: https://agricultureandfoodsecurity.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40066-020-00279-1
Francis Atube, Geoffrey M. Malinga, Martine Nyeko, Daniel M. Okello, Simon Peter Alarakol and Ipolto Okello‑Uma (2021) . (2021) . Determinants of smallholder farmers’ adaptation strategies to the effects of climate change: Evidence from northern Uganda . Agriculture & Food Security, 10, p. 6
Francis Atube, Geoffrey M. Malinga, Martine Nyeko, Daniel M. Okello, Simon Peter Alarakol and Ipolto Okello‑Uma; Agriculture & Food Security. (2021) . (2021) . Determinants of smallholder farmers’ adaptation strategies to the effects of climate change: Evidence from northern Uganda . Agriculture & Food Security, 10(6)
S. P. Alarakol, B. S. Bagaya, Walter Onen Yagos, E. I. Odongo Aginya . (2021) . Prevalence and risk factor associated with Taenia solium cysticercosis among pig farmers in two districts (Amuru and Gulu) in Northern Uganda , pp. 25-34. Available at: https://academicjournals.org/journal/JPVB/article-abstract/B0AD2A265938
S. P. Alarakol1*, B. S. Bagaya2, Walter Onen Yagos3 and E. I. Odongo Aginya . (2020) . Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Communities towards Neurocysticercosis in the districts of Amuru and Gulu, Northern Uganda . Journal of Parasitology and Vector Biology, 12(2), pp. 17-28
S.P. Alarakol, J.L. Nakavuma, P. Odongo, M.L. Joloba . (2019) . Evaluation of PCR for direct detection of mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in sputum samples in Kampala, Uganda . East African Medical Journal, 95(4)
S. P. Alarakol, J. L. Nakavuma, P. Odong and D. K. Byarugaba . (2018) . Evaluation of microbial quality of water in Kawempe Division, Kampala Surburb . East African Medical Journal, 9(8)
Simon Peter Alarakol, Moses Lotokome Joloba, Walter Yagos, Emmanuel Odongo Aginya . (2018) . Evaluation of metacestode of Taenia solium antigens for detection of anti-cysticercal IgG among patients with epilepsy in three districts of Northern Uganda . Journal of Parasitology and Vector Biology, 10(8), pp. 107-114
Simon Peter Alarakol1*, Constantine Steven Labongo Loum2, Walter Onen Yagos3 and Kenneth Luyramamoi4 . (2017) . Assessment of impediments affecting health systems response to neurocysticercosis in two districts (Gulu and Amuru), Nothern Uganda: A cross sectional study . Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology, 10(40), pp. 87-96
Simon Peter Alarakol, Moses Lotokome Joloba, Emmanuel Odongo Aginya . (2017) . Seroprevalence of Taenia solium cysticercosis among people with epilepsy epileptic patients in three rural districts of Northern Uganda . Journal of Parasitology and Vector Biology, 9(5), pp. 47-56
Schmidt V1, Sikasunge CS2, Odongo-Aginya E3, Simukoko C2, Mwanjali G5, Alarakol S4, Ovuga E4, Matuja W6, Kihamia C5, Löscher T1, Winkler AS7, Bretzel G1 . (2015) . Taenia solium metacestode preparation in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa: a source for diagnosis and research on cysticercosis . African Health Sciences, 15(1), pp. 58-67
Moses L. Joloba a 1, Benson R. Kidenya a 1 2, David P. Kateete a, Fred A. Katabazi a, Julian K. Muwanguzi a 3, Benon B. Asiimwe a, Simon P. Alarakol a 4, Jessica L. Nakavuma b, Saralee Bajaksouzian c d, Anne Windau c d, Michael R. Jacobs c d . (2010) . Comparison of transformation frequencies among selected Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes

Projects

Supervision

Supervised 10 masters and 2 PhD Students on different research topics

More Information

Research Grant support

  1. Currently, I’m a Co.-principle investigator of 5 years Clinical Trial (Sustainable Taenia Intervention (SUSTAIN) project, a One Health Project, funded by MRC UKNRIH (355,694 British Pounds for Gulu). This is a multi-institutional project comprising of five Universities in Europe and Africa namely, University of Edinburg, Imperial College London, Makerere University, Gulu University and International Livestock Research Institute, in Nairobi (Total grant 2,000,000 British Pounds).

 

  1. Awarded a 10,000 USD grant from THRiVE-2 Career Development Award (THRiVE-2 CDA) supported through the DELTAS Africa Initiative grant # DEL-15-011 (2018-2019). The DELTAS Africa Initiative is an independent funding scheme of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS)’s Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa (AESA) and supported by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development Planning and Coordinating Agency (NEPAD Agency) with funding from the Wellcome Trust grant # 107742/Z/15/Z and the UK government. THRiVE-2 CDA project was housed at Faculty of Medicine, Gulu University and Dr. Alarakol Simon Peter was the principal investigator (PI).

 

  1. Awarded a WHO AFRO/TDR Small Grant (15,000 USD) to support for conducting research on Neglected Tropical Diseases (TDR Grant) (2016-2018). The TDR project was housed at Faculty of Medicine, Gulu University and Dr. Alarakol was the team leader and the principal investigator of the project. Grant number: SR PO201553050

 

  1. Awarded Research Innovation Grant (25,000 USD) for Covid-19, through Collaboration with Makerere University. This fund was to support the research Covid-19.  Alarakol was the Co-PI in this project and lead the team for Gulu University on Covid-19 in two refugee settlement in Northern Uganda.

 

  1. Awarded 5,000 USD Grant from Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene for conducting porcine cysticercosis in Omoro district, 2022. The project was housed at Faculty of Medicine and Dr. Alarakol was the principle investigator for this project.