Alex Kayongo, MD-PhD

Group Leader: Airway Microbiome-Immune Crosstalk Lab
Makerere University College of Health Sciences.
Department of Immunology and Molecular Biology

[Lung Institute, Makerere University @Lung_Institute]

Today, the Director, @brucekirenga held a proactive engagement with Lung Institute staff members who have recently completed their PhD studies at various universities, celebrating years of hard work while exploring how their newly strengthened expertise can contribute to the Institute’s next chapter.

These highly skilled researchers are a valuable resource for advancing lung health, strengthening research capacity and translating evidence into impact.

We hope their journeys inspire more young scientists to pursue research and contribute to addressing Africa’s health challenges. @winterzie @katswincey @alexkayongo @jaspernidoi @Jackynakabira @MORDECAI1992 @NalwangaDamalie

[Lung Institute, Makerere University @Lung_Institute]

Join us for this month’s Day of Lung Science as Edward Kyalo, MBChB, MSc, explores a novel cytokine gene delivery approach designed to restore local immune balance and control airway inflammation on 19th August 2026 at 3pm Via Zoom.
🎤 Presenter: Edward Kyalo
🎙️ Moderator: Dr Alex Kayongo
Register here: https://t.co/3kyoYjM8d9
This is a conversation at the intersection of lung immunity, gene delivery and precision medicine.
@alexkayongo @kyaloEdward1 @brucekirenga @rnantanda @ikimuli2020 @Makerere @cytokine @EuroRespSoc @IPCRG @NIH
#Dayoflungscience

[Alex Kayongo, MD-PhD @alexkayongo]

How can we control damaging inflammation in the lung without suppressing immunity throughout the body?

This August, our Lung Immunity and Infections Research Group will lead the Makerere University Lung Institute's Day of Lung Science (DoLS) webinar.

Dr. Edward Kyalo will discuss an exciting recent advance in lung immunology: the use of targeted gene delivery to produce immunomodulatory cytokines directly within the lung, with the goal of controlling airway inflammation while minimizing systemic immune effects.

Drawing on recently published work in Science Immunology, the presentation will explore how lung-restricted delivery of IL-2, IL-1RA and IL-10 can reshape local immune responses and why the biological consequences differ substantially between cytokines and inflammatory contexts.

I look forward to moderating the discussion.

📅 Wednesday, 19 August 2026
🕒 3:00-4:00 PM EAT
🎤 Presenter: Dr. Edward Kyalo
🎙️ Moderator: Dr. Alex Kayongo
Topic: Engineering Lung Immunity: A Novel Cytokine Gene Delivery Platform for Targeted Control of Airway Inflammation Without Inducing Systemic Immune Reactions
Researchers, clinicians, trainees and anyone interested in lung science are warmly invited to join us.
#LungImmunology #LungScience #Immunology #RespiratoryResearch #GeneTherapy #AirwayInflammation #MakerereUniversity

[Alex Kayongo, MD-PhD @alexkayongo]

Unveiling MALDI-TOF technology in the Bacteriology Laboratory, Department of Medical Microbiology, Makerere University College of Health Sciences.

This platform is transforming our microbiome culturomics workflow through rapid species-level bacterial identification, enabling the development of one of the first cultivable airway microbiome isolate libraries in HIV-associated COPD in Uganda.

These isolate atlases will support future mechanistic and perturbation experiments in airway microbiome–immune research.

Grateful to the NIH Fogarty International Center and collaborators supporting this work in global respiratory immunology.

#NIH #FogartyInternationalCenter #AMICLab #Microbiome #Culturomics #HIVResearch #COPD #AirwayImmunology #MakerereUniversity

[Alex Kayongo, MD-PhD @alexkayongo]

Exploring how airway microbes and immune remodeling shape chronic lung disease in HIV through translational microbiome and immunology research at Makerere University.

Supported by the NIH Fogarty International Center.

https://t.co/Wj7VWEC6sN

#Fogarty #HIVResearch #COPD #Microbiome #AirwayImmunology #Makerere #AMICLab

[Alex Kayongo, MD-PhD @alexkayongo]

Somewhere between bronchoscopy samples, microbiome sequencing, and immune profiling, we are uncovering new biology underlying chronic lung disease in HIV.

Building airway microbiome and immunology research from Uganda through the AMIC Lab.

Grateful for the mentors, fellows, collaborators, and study participants making this work possible.

#HIVResearch #COPD #Microbiome #Immunology #Fogarty #GlobalHealth

[Alex Kayongo, MD-PhD @alexkayongo]

@ProfJDChalmers Absolutely looking forward to it.
Neutrophils remain central to bronchiectasis pathogenesis, especially at the interface of airway infection and inflammation.
Excited to hear your perspective!

[Alex Kayongo, MD-PhD @alexkayongo]

Bronchiectasis research is entering a systems era; integrating microbiology, immunology, imaging, and therapeutics.

Looking forward to the NHLBI workshop (Mar 9-10) discussing mechanisms, host-pathogen dynamics, and translational pathways toward new treatments for non-CF bronchiectasis.

#SystemsImmunology #Bronchiectasis #NHLBI

[Alex Kayongo, MD-PhD @alexkayongo]

Inspiring discussion with Prof. Miriam F. Moffatt & Prof. William Cookson at #AIR2026 on airway microbiome architecture and immune remodeling in chronic lung disease. The systems immunology era in respiratory research is accelerating.
#AirwayMicrobiome #RespiratoryResearch

[Faheem Ullah @Faheem_uh]

When you submit your paper to a journal

This is how reviewer 1 and reviewer 2 treat it

[Alex Kayongo, MD-PhD @alexkayongo]

AIR2026 felt like a defining moment!
Discussed how host-microbiome interactions sculpt airway immune architecture in HIV-associated COPD.
Proud to represent Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Department of Immunology and Molecular Biology and the Lung Institute as we scale next-generation single-cell and immune profiling in Africa.
#AIR2026 #Immunology #Microbiome #ScientificLeadership

[Alex Kayongo, MD-PhD @alexkayongo]

Growing Scientific Careers: UJMT Alumni Lead NIH‑Backed Research https://t.co/LhjNJIEQEw

Thanks to Professor Ben Chi, William Checkley, Trishul Siddharthan, Padmini Salgame and Sofia Forslund for the primary training in basic research, immunology and computational biology which has paved way for this extra-ordinary achievement!

[The Nobel Prize @NobelPrize]

Congratulations to the 2025 medicine laureates!

Watch the very moment Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi received their Nobel Prize diplomas and medals during the 2025 Nobel Prize award ceremony.

#NobelPrize

[Makerere University Biomedical Research Center @Mak_BRC]

🌍 Join us at AIR 2026: Genomic & Systems Approaches to Respiratory Infection, Microbiomes & Immunity!
📅 11–13 Feb 2026 | Hinxton Hall, UK & Online
🔬 Abstract deadline: 17 Nov 2025
💡 Explore genomics, immunity & respiratory biology