AGMHI Research Mentorship Program
Supporting emerging African mental health researchers
The AGMHI Research Mentorship Program supports emerging African mental health clinician-researchers by offering mentorship and professional development opportunities to advance their research skills, develop their innovative research projects, and contribute to the mental health evidence base in Africa.
Watch the video below from our pilot cohort to learn more about what it’s like to participate in the program.
Meet our Fellows
We were honored to welcome our third cohort of seven fellows in September 2026 as part of the Research Mentorship Program. Selected from nearly 120 applicants, these individuals originate from Burundi, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Tanzania.
Check out the individual profiles of current and past fellows below to learn more about each of their backgrounds and areas of study.
Cohort 3 (2026-2028)
Yves Gashugi is a Narrative Therapy Practitioner, Clinical Supervisor, and Mental Health Systems Leader based in Rwanda. He is currently serving as the Executive Director of the Rwanda Psychological Society (RPS). His work focuses on mental health systems strengthening, community-based care, workforce development, clinical mentorship, referral pathways, and translating evidence into practical and sustainable solutions. Yves has contributed to research on mental health integration into primary healthcare, implementation science, culturally grounded interventions, health equity, and strengthening community-to-health-system referral pathways. He is currently working on adapting evidence to local contexts and developing interventions that are feasible, scalable, and sustainable in resource-constrained settings. He holds a BSc in Clinical Psychology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Narrative Therapy and Community Work from the University of Rwanda. He is currently pursuing a Master’s in Global Health Delivery at the University of Global Health Equity and an MBA at Faith Leads University. Yves is passionate about leadership development and collaborative approaches to social change, with a commitment to building equitable, community-centered, and evidence-informed mental health systems.
Dr. Florian Emanuel Ghaimo is a Lecturer in Psychiatry and Mental Health and a practicing psychiatrist at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) and KCMC University (KCMUCo) in Moshi, Tanzania. He holds an MMed in Psychiatry (First Class) from Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS). His research focuses on alcohol use disorder, common mental disorders, and HIV care outcomes in the Kilimanjaro region, anchored by two first-authored 2025 publications in PLoS One and AIDS Research and Therapy. He currently serves as Principal Investigator on a bridge-funded qualitative study examining facilitators and barriers to brief alcohol interventions, under an NIH K43 award. Florian's training spans a clinical observership in substance use disorders at the University of Ottawa and participation in the African College of Neuropsychopharmacology programme in Nairobi. He is active across academic psychiatry networks in Tanzania, including the East African Young Psychiatrists and Trainees Association, the International Society of Substance Use Professionals, and the Tanzania Psychiatrists Association. He is working toward establishing the first dedicated Centre for Addiction Training in Tanzania at KCMC
Dr. Eugene Oppong Kyere is a Ghanaian clinical pharmacist, researcher, academic, and mental health advocate. His professional journey has been driven by a simple belief: good science should ultimately translate into better care for patients. He currently works in the Neuropsychiatry Department of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) and is pursuing a PhD in Clinical Pharmacology (Neuropsychopharmacology) at KNUST. His clinical experience has deepened his interest in understanding how medicines affect people beyond the prescription itself—particularly their safety, tolerability, treatment continuity, and quality of life. His research focuses on first-episode psychosis, psychopharmacology, medication safety, pharmacovigilance, precision psychiatry, and mental health services research. His doctoral research examines antipsychotic-induced extrapyramidal side effects in first-episode psychosis, with the aim of generating evidence that is relevant to Ghana and the wider African context. He is passionate about bridging the gap between research and clinical practice and ensuring that African patients contribute to, and benefit from, global psychiatric evidence. Beyond academia, he is a co-founder of Christ Love Medical Missions, through which he supports medical outreach and mental health advocacy in underserved communities. He remains committed to learning, serving, and making a meaningful difference through my work.
Kunuya Kunno is a psychiatry nursing lecturer, clinician, researcher, and mental health advocate from Ethiopia. He holds a BSc in Psychiatry Nursing and an MSc in Integrated Clinical and Community Mental Health. He currently serves as a Lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry Nursing at Wollo University, Ethiopia, where he contributes to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, research, student mentorship, and community mental health initiatives. His research interests include community mental health, substance use and mental illness prevention, suicide prevention, psychological distress, adolescent and youth mental health, and strengthening evidence-based mental health services in low-resource settings. He has been involved in multidisciplinary research projects addressing mental health and substance use and has experience in clinical practice, quantitative and qualitative research, data collection and analysis, psychosocial support, and training of health professionals. He is passionate about translating research evidence into practical, culturally responsive interventions that can improve mental health outcomes and strengthen health systems in Ethiopia and across Africa. Through the CORE-MH Fellowship, he aims to further develop his research, leadership, mentorship, and community-engagement skills while building meaningful collaborations with African clinician-researchers and contributing to the advancement of global mental health.
Rachel Adanki Martey is a Counselling Psychologist and researcher based in Accra, Ghana, working at the intersection of clinical care, research, and advocacy to advance mental health support for military and vulnerable populations across Africa. She practices at the 37 Military Hospital, delivering individual, couples, and group therapy alongside psychoeducational assessment and vocational counselling. She holds an MPhil in Counseling Psychology and a BA Honors in Social Work with Political Science, both from the University of Ghana, Legon, and serves as a research assistant in the Department of Psychology supervising practicum students and undergraduate research. Her research investigates the socioecological determinants of mental health help-seeking and trauma among military personnel, young adults, and other vulnerable populations in Ghana, with a parallel focus on suicide prevention in low-resource settings. Her advocacy work spans the Ghana Psychological Association, AGMHI's Advocacy & Policy Working Group, and the Association for Suicide Prevention, Ghana (GASP). Her goals include pursuing a PhD, deepening her research and shaping policy that strengthens mental health systems across the continent.
Dr. Yves Jacket Nsavyimana is a Burundian medical doctor, implementation researcher, and emerging mental health researcher with interests in community mental health, HIV-related stigma, digital health, and health systems strengthening. He holds an MSc in Applied Health Social Science (Implementation Research) from the University of Ghana, supported by the WHO/TDR Postgraduate Training Scheme. Since medical school, he has used his clinical background, along with skills in health communication, health education, advocacy, community engagement, and leadership, to promote mental health awareness and reduce stigma. His engagement has included supporting mental health communication campaigns through blogging with YAGA Burundi, contributing to the NABACU community mental health project, where he supported implementation and community-oriented activities and others. His current research focuses on the mental health consequences of HIV-related stigma among people living with HIV in Burundi and on exploring feasible digital strategies to improve access to confidential mental health support. Yves is particularly interested in integrating (improving) mental health into HIV and primary health care services, strengthening community-based models of care, and ensuring that interventions are culturally grounded and responsive to lived experiences. His long-term goal is to help build sustainable mental health research capacity in Burundi, mentor emerging researchers, and generate locally relevant evidence that can inform policy and improve equitable access to mental health care across Africa.
Dr. Adeoye Temitope Titilayo is a young female medical doctor who was born 36 years ago in Nigeria and hails from Kogi State in Nigeria. She has over 10 years of clinical experience, and currently work as a Consultant Psychiatrist, Clinical Researcher and Lecturer at Bowen University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Nigeria. Her professional interests include mental health advocacy, substance use disorders, movement disorders, clinical research, and community mental health. She has demonstrated leadership in psychiatric residency training and She is committed to clinical research, teaching, mentorship, and strengthening mental health services in resource-constrained settings. She has attended several local and international conferences and contributed to international discussions on women’s health and mental health, including serving as a speaker at a global event hosted by the Young Branch of the Medical Women’s International Association during the 69th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. Beyond clinical and academic practice, Dr. Adeoye hosts mental health podcast on her YouTube channel, through which she promotes mental health literacy, challenges stigma, and encourages help-seeking. Her work reflects a commitment to advancing accessible, evidence-informed mental healthcare in Nigeria and across Africa.
Cohort 2 (2025-2027)
Regina Banda is a clinical psychologist, lecturer, and researcher based in Zimbabwe. She has a special interest in autism and ADHD. She teaches applied psychology at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), supervises student dissertations, and mentors postgraduate placements. She is also a Clinical Psychologist Supervisor at UZ Psychology Services & Teaching Clinic (PSTC) and a Drug and Substance Use Counsellor at Population Solutions for Health Zimbabwe, providing individual, group, and couples therapy while training lay counsellors. Regina volunteers at Sally Mugabe Hospital, offering psychotherapy and psychometric assessments. She holds an MSc in Clinical Psychology, is pursuing a PhD in trauma-integrated therapy, and is trained in EMDR and Internal Cohesion Psychotherapy. Her work combines clinical expertise, research, and community engagement to advance mental health care and psychosocial support in Zimbabwe, particularly for low income community settings.
Dr. Kim Madundo is a psychiatrist, lecturer, and Head of Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. He is one of only six psychiatrists practicing in Northern Tanzania and has an interest in psychological trauma, depression and suicide, and developing interventions targeting these mental health challenges among young adults. He has experience in practicing medicine across various parts of Tanzania and has completed clinical attachments and observerships in Canada, USA, and Qatar. He has served as an investigator on multiple local and cross-country research grants to investigate suicidality and depression, harmful alcohol use, and to develop telehealth-based and brief negotiational counselling interventions to address these conditions. He is now a Fogarty fellow, co-mentored by researchers at Muhimbili and Boston Universities. In his career, he has mentored PhD level nurses, medical students, and junior nurses, and now also teaches Undergraduate and Master's level students.
Dr. Muthoni Muthiga is a psychiatrist based in Nairobi, Kenya currently practicing at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital. She obtained her MBChB from the University of Nairobi in 2013 and completed her MMED in Psychiatry in 2023. Over the past decade, her clinical work has concentrated on children and adolescents in low- and middle-income settings, combining frontline care with advocacy at the system level. Her research to date has focused on youth mental health, particularly autism diagnosis in LMICs. She has two first-authored papers—one published in BMC Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, and another forthcoming preprint on healthcare worker knowledge and diagnostic barriers. Muthoni is committed to developing inclusive mental health systems, especially for young people affected by neurodevelopmental conditions and developmental trauma. She was awarded the 2024 IACAPAP travel grant to attend the World Congress in Rio de Janeiro, where she leveraged the platform to advocate for children with autism in Kenya. She aspires to subspecialize in child and adolescent psychiatry and pursue a PhD focused on scalable, evidence-based solutions. Her work is driven by a deep curiosity and an urgent desire to improve outcomes for young people and their families through research, collaboration, and strategic initiatives.
Dr. Bives Mutume Nzanzu Vivalya graduated as psychiatrist from Kampala International University in Uganda. Before specializing in psychiatry, he had five-years’ experience as a general practitioner and held managerial and supervisory roles at Masereka Health district in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where he chaired the implementation of mental health and HIV/AIDS programs. Currently he serves as a multicenter Head of Psychiatry Department in Uganda and DRC. He coordinates undergraduate and postgraduate programs and provides clinical services to psychiatric patients. With an extensive administrative record in psychiatry and medical education, he led the implementation, assessment, and revision of the curricula and academic programs in institutions of higher education. Being a Microresearch International Canada Fellow, Bives serves as a coach of research teams working on community-based studies. He has more than thirty publications in peer-reviewed journals. Bives’s future goals include pursuing his PhD, making clinically and academically meaningful contributions to the field of psychiatry, while integrating mental health into primary health care in conflict-affected regions of DRC. His research focuses on relapses, length of hospital stays, early-onset dementia with a special interest on the interplay between trauma exposure, religious involvement, biomarkers changes and mental health outcomes among individuals living in war-tone zones.
Juwairiyya Paruk is a lecturer at the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of the Witwatersrand, in Johannesburg, South Africa. She graduated with a master’s degree in occupational therapy from the University of Pretoria in 2023. Her research interests explore the intersectionality of mental health influences on engagement in meaningful occupations using qualitative methodologies and scoping reviews to capture the nuances of individuals’ experiences. Her previous publications focus on public health and populations not typically considered by healthcare and social systems (such as caregivers and more broadly, secondarily affected population groups). Her interest is expanding to explore the influences of generational trauma on occupational engagement across individuals and communities in the African context. Her future work aims to highlight and address occupational injustices rooted in transgenerational experiences through the use of approaches rooted in feminism and trauma-informed care. In her current role as an occupational therapy lecturer, Juwairiyya teaches across the subject areas of mental health and occupational group therapy in undergraduate and postgraduate curricula.
Ms. Benita Dooshima Aki
Dr. Selamawit Alemayehu
Dr. Tigist Zerihun Kebede
Dr. Claire Kwagala
Dr. G. Nduku Wambua