PhD Student
Case Western Reserve University
Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose
Mary Nantongo is a PhD student in Molecular Biology and Microbiology at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. She conducts research in Prof. Robert A. Bonomo’s Lab at the Veteran Affairs Medical Center, focusing on repurposing beta-lactam antibiotics to target Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the bacterium responsible for tuberculosis (TB).
Mary, originally from Kampala, Uganda, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences from Mbarara University of Science and Technology and both a Master’s degree in Immunology and Clinical Microbiology and a Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology from Makerere University.
With nine years of research experience in TB, HIV, and COVID-19 and ten years in clinical laboratory practice, Mary has served in various roles including Research Assistant, Laboratory Manager, and Consultant in Laboratory Systems Strengthening. She is currently a Senior Program Officer at the Science, Technology, and Innovation Secretariat, Office of the President (STI-OP), where she supports clinical trials on natural therapeutics.
Her research aims to develop novel combination therapies for drug resistant TB that could shorten treatment durations and reduce toxicity, especially for vulnerable groups such as people living with HIV, pregnant women, and children. Her commitment to TB research is deeply personal, inspired by her brother’s near-fatal experience with drug toxicity during TB treatment.
Mary received awards, including the scholarships from NIH Fogarty, Muljibhai Madhvani Foundation , Government of Uganda, and the Center for Emerging and Neglected Disease, UC Berkeley. She was also honored with the Best Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Sciences award from Mbarara University in 2014 and the Best Student Poster Presenter award at the International Conference on Immunology in 2018.
Mary plans to pursue postdoctoral studies and continue her research in TB drug development to enhance patient care. In her free time, she enjoys music, watching sports, traveling, and spending time with her family.