Sarah Ssali, is currently a Senior Lecturer in Gender Studies, Makerere University, where she mainly lectures Gender, Politics and the State, Gender and Public Policy, Institutions and Social Transformation and Research Methods. Sarah holds a PhD in International Health and Development, Masters in Gender Studies and a Bachelors Degree in Social Science (Political Science and Public Administration). She has experience researching social sciences dimensions of health, gender, identities, minorities and institutions and social transformation and how public policy informs and is informed by them. As a Social Scientist, she has vast experience in ethnographic research methods, with a particularly interest in studying hidden behaviours and non hetero-normative sexual behaviours and aspects of minorities in society. This has seen her conduct research in Life Histories in health in post conflict situations; Social Networks of people living with HIV; gender law and sexuality, legal aspects of circumcision, femininities and masculinities, gender dimensions of health and wellbeing as well as health financing. Hence, she has wide research experience in multiple areas including Gender, HIV, Health, Health Systems, Public Policy and Politics.

Although most of her research has been focused on Uganda, it has often been undertaken in research consortia involving countries including Sierra Leone, Cambodia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, USA, UK, Norway, Sweden and Ireland. In these studies, She has played different roles including PI, co-PI and Junior Investigator. Funders of these studies have included National Institutes of Health (NIH), DFID, Irish AID, Christen Michelson Institute (CMI) Norway.

Sarah Ssali is also a member of the Makerere University Council Representing Academic Staff; a Member of the Appointments Board; a Member of the Quality Assurance Committee and Chair of the Student Welfare and Disciplinary Committee.

Current Research projects:

• ReBUILDing Post Conflict Health Systems funded by DFID;
• Understanding Mobility and Risk in SEARCH Communities funded by NIH
• Strengthening public administration and policy to be effectively responsive to HIV, funded by Irish AID’s HEA Programme
• Gendered Social Networks of University students and its impact on Service use and Academic Performance funded Mak-SIDA.

Universities I collaborate with:

1. Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, University of Liverpool
2. Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh
3. University of Limerick, Ireland
4. Centre for Gender Studies, University of Rwanda
5. Kenyatta University, Kenya
6. University of Nairobi, Kenya
7. Dalhousie University, Canada
8. University of Durban, RSA
9. University of Cape Town, RSA
10. Ghent University, Belgium

Current Membership to Boards and Committees:

1. Member       -  World Bank’s Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD) Advisory Task Force (UG)
2. Member       -  Mengo Hospital Research Review Committee (2012-)
3. Member       -  The National Bio-Safety Committee of the Uganda National Council of Science and Technology (2006-)
4. Member       -  International Association for Feminist Economics (2003-)
5. Member       -  Makerere University Council
6. Member       -  Makerere University Appointments Board
7. Member       -  Makerere University Quality Assurance Committee
8. Chair            -  Makerere University Students’ Welfare and Disciplinary Committee
9. Member       -  South Africa Sociological Association (SASA)
10. Member       -  Uganda British Alumni Association (UBAA)

Research Interests:

• Health Systems in Post Conflict States
• Mobility and HIV Networks
• Social Networks and Service Usage at Makerere University
• Gender and Change in Post Conflict Situations