Ojara Williams Francis

Lecturer

Ojara Williams Francis, PhD is a Ugandan pharmacologist and academic dedicated to advancing clinical pharmacology and pharmacometrics. He is a lecturer in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at Gulu University, where he teaches, mentors, and supervises student research.

Dr. Ojara completed his doctoral studies in 2022 at the Freie Universität Berlin and has held postdoctoral fellowships at the Infectious Diseases Institute in Kampala. His research spans maternal and infant drug exposure, infectious diseases, oncology, and pharmacokinetic modeling, with over 30 publications in leading international journals. He has contributed to building collaborative research networks across Africa and Europe, strengthening capacity in pharmacometrics and clinical pharmacology.

Since 2023 Dr. Ojara has been a research fellow within the Berlin University Alliance initiated Global Resist project, evolving into the Einstein Research Unit Technologies in Global Health (ERU TeGH), project in which Gulu University is a Global South partner. These initiatives aim at development and implementation of antimicrobial resistance forecasting techniques as a novel approach to tackling the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance

In addition to his academic work, Dr. Ojara is a guest editor for the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and an active participant in global scientific conferences. His career reflects a commitment to research excellence, mentorship, and advancing equitable access to healthcare innovation.

Qualifications

Institution Period Degree obtained
Pharmacometrics Africa – Blended Onsite / Online 02/2024-07/2024 Fellowship in Applied Pharmacometrics
Infectious Diseases Institute, Kampala, Uganda 04/2022-03/2025 Post Doc fellowship in Pharmacometrics
Freie Universitaet, Berlin, Germany 06/2016-02/2022 Doctorate in Natural Sciences with a focus on Pharmacometrics
Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda 09/2012-10/2014 MSc in Pharmacology
Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda 08/2006-06/2009 BSc in Biochemistry

Research Interests

• Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic Modelling
• Community Engagement Research
• Maternal and Child health
• Oncology
• Biomarker Research
• Diabetes

Publications

Adeagbo BA, Asiimwe IG, Chaba L, Kawuma AN, Ojara FW, Orherhe OM, Asiimwe SP, Pillay-Fuentes Lorente V, Sawe S, Phogole CM, Waitt C, Mouksassi S, Pillai GC . (2026) . Advancing Pharmacometrics in Africa: Insights and Perspectives From the 2025 Pharmacometrics Africa Conference
Richardson K, Kiptoo J, Mpora Odongkara B, Ojara FW, Waitt C . (2026) . Maternal-to-Infant Transfer of Medications for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Via Breastmilk: A Systematic Review of Available Evidence and Clinical Guidelines . Clin Pharmacol Ther, 119(5)
Otieno D, Ojara FW, Richardson N, Waitt C, Zhao P, Hartman D . (2026) . Treating Pregnant and Lactating Women: Insights from Clinical Pharmacology . Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol, 66(1), pp. 191-210
Laker F, Okot J, Ojara FW, Akello F, Amone D, Pebolo FP, Awor S, Atim P, Bongomin F . (2025) . Emergency contraceptive utilization and associated factors among adolescents and young adults in Northern Uganda. Women’s Health
Bunalema L, Ocan M, Ojara FW, Nsobya S, Odongo CO, Odia G, Lubega A . (2025) . Medicinal plants traditionally used for management of malaria in rural communities of Uganda
Sekaggya-Wiltshire C, Agnes Laker Odongpiny E, Williams Ojara F, Kyohairwe I, Kiggundu R, Mackline H, Waitt C, N Kawuma A, Kengo A, Buzibye A, Owarwo N, Kakooza F, Kambugu A . (2025) . Therapeutic drug monitoring for antimicrobial agents for people living with HIV (TAP) . Available at: https://wellcomeopenresearch.org/articles/9-694
Rowland Yeo K, Gerhart J, Sawant-Basak A, Ojara FW, Kawuma AN, Waitt C . (2025) . Clinical lactation studies. Acting on key recommendations over the last decade , p. 19
Twimukye A, Nabukenya S, Kawuma AN, Bayigga J, Nakijoba R, Asiimwe SP, Byenume F, Ojara FW, Waitt C . (2024) . Some parts of the consent form are written using complex scientific language’: community perspectives on informed consent for research with pregnant and lactating mothers in Uganda . BMC Med Ethics, [online] Volume 25(1), p. 149. Available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12910-024-01147-4
Waitt C, Asiimwe SP, Ojara FW, Nakijoba R, Kawuma AN, Castelnuovo B . (2024) . Attaining Equity of Access to Research: Perspective on Research in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Following Dolores Shockley Lecture at ASCPT2024 . Clin Pharmacol Ther, 116(6), pp. 1506-1512
Ojara FW, Kawuma AN, Nakalema S, Kyohairwe I, Nakijoba R, Lamorde M, Pertinez H, Khoo S, Waitt C . (2024) . Population pharmacokinetic modeling of paired plasma-breast milk lamivudine data for estimation of infant exposure in breastfeeding mother-infant pairs , pp. 1978-1989
Kawuma AN, Ojara FW, Buzibye A, Castelnuovo B, Tabwenda JC, Kyeyune J, Turyahabwe C, Asiimwe SP, Magoola J, Wiesner L, Nakijoba R, Waitt C . (2024) . Interim analysis, a tool to enhance efficiency of pharmacokinetic studies: Pharmacokinetics of rifampicin in lactating mother-infant pairs
Nakijoba R, Kawuma AN, Asiimwe SP, Turyahabwe C, Tabwenda JC, Kyeyune J, Magoola J, Ojara FW, Waitt C . (2024) . Recruitment of pregnant and breastfeeding women in pharmacokinetic studies: strategies, opportunities, barriers, and recommendations , p. 312
Nakijoba R, Nakayiwa Kawuma A, Ojara FW . (2024) . Pharmacokinetics of drugs used to treat drug sensitive-tuberculosis in breastfeeding mother-infant pairs: An observational pharmacokinetic study . Available at: https://wellcomeopenresearch.org/articles/8-216/v4
Ojara FW, Henrich A, Frances N, Nassar YM, Huisinga W, Hartung N, Geiger K, Holdenrieder S, Joerger M, Kloft C . (2023) . A prognostic baseline blood biomarker and tumor growth kinetics integrated model in paclitaxel/platinum treated advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients . CPT Pharmacometrics Syst Pharmacol, 12(11), pp. 1714-1725
Felix Bongomin, Winnie Kibone, Jerom Okot, Simple Ouma, Grace Madraa, Francis Williams Ojara, David Musoke, Pebalo Francis Pebolo . (2023) . Pre-exposure prophylaxis use among female sex workers in Gulu city, Uganda: a community-based cross-sectional study . Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37693859/
Ojara F.W, Kawuma . (2023) . A systematic review on maternal-to-infant transfer of drugs through breast milk during the treatment of malaria, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases
Najjemba L, Kawuma AN, Ojara FW, Obura B, Sekaggya-Wiltshire C, Arinaitwe W, Kikonyogo R, Mukonzo J, Pillai GC, Waitt C . (2023) . A commentary on establishing a local centre of excellence for research and training in pharmacometrics: Lessons from the pharmacometrics Africa-Uganda chapter
Ojara, F. W. et al., . (2022) . CPT Pharmacometrics Syst Pharmacol , pp. 1393-1393
Muth M, Ojara FW, Kloft C, Joerger M . (2020) . Role of TDM-based dose adjustments for taxane anticancer drugs
Ojara FW, Henrich A, Frances N, Huisinga W, Hartung N, Joerger M, Kloft C . (2020) . Time-to-Event Analysis of Paclitaxel-Associated Peripheral Neuropathy in Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Highlighting Key Influential Treatment/Patient Factors , pp. 430-438
. (2015) . Trimester-Specific Population Pharmacokinetics and Other Correlates of Variability in Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine Disposition Among Ugandan Pregnant Women , pp. 351-62
Bisaso KR, Owen JS, Ojara FW, Namuwenge PM, Mugisha A, Mbuagbaw L, Luboobi LS, Mukonzo JK . (2014) . Characterizing plasma albumin concentration changes in TB/HIV patients on anti retroviral and anti -tuberculosis therapy , p. 3

Projects

Einstein Research Unit – Technologies in Global Health (TeGH) – From Innovations to Users (and back)
    Ojara Williams Francis
STI – PLASMO
    Ojara Williams Francis

Supervision

S/N Name of Student Institution Qualification Research Topic Status
1 Lakop Christine Ojul Gulu University Masters Medication literacy and associated factors amongst patients receiving dispensed medicine in selected health facilities in Omoro district Northern Uganda ongoing
2 Angeyo Samantha Gulu University Masters Prevalence of self-medication and associated factors among pregnant women receiving antenatal care in agago district, northern uganda Ongoing
3 Atocon Churchill Daramoi Gulu University Masters Antimicrobial use and associated factors among livestock farmers in kitgum district, northern uganda Ongoing
4 Opio Bob Gulu University Masters Glycemic control and associated factors among children with type 1 diabetes following the transition from human insulin to insulin analogue therapy at gulu regional referral hospital and st. Mary’s hospital lacor, northern uganda Ongoing
5 Davies Otieno Makerere University PhD Development of a maternal sepsis model using a physiologically-based pharmacokinetic approach Ongoin

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