Kajumba M. Mayanja

mayanja.kajumba@mak.ac.ug

Kajumba M. Mayanja, PhD

Senior Lecturer

Biography

Dr. Kajumba, holds a PhD in Health Psychology and Neuroscience, and specializes in the neurophysiology of physical and mental illnesses, with emphasis on the brain circuitry and psychoneurophysiological mechanisms involved in the onset and progression of physical and mental illnesses, as well as the psychoneuropharmacology of antidepressants and other drugs. He also conducts research aimed at the identification of explanatory models for physical and mental illness, and the biopsychosocial factors involved in the onset and progression of illness, as well as the development of culturally relevant therapeutic intervention models for addressing the challenges associated with Stress, Depression, PTSD, Epilepsy, and physical illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS.

Education

  • PhD in Health Psychology and Neuroscience

Publications

2025

Kajumba, Mayanja M; Njeru, Paula; Prose, Neil S; Mason, Aryn; Ramasubramanian, Pratamesh; Tebulwa, Joanita Berytah; Kakooza-Mwesige, Angelina; Andrews, Isabelle; Johnson, Tyler; Nshemerirwe, Sylvia; others,

Adolescents’ perspectives on health literacy interventions for reducing epilepsy misconceptions and stigma, and enhancing epilepsy management in Uganda Journal Article

In: BMC psychology, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 689, 2025.

BibTeX

Mpirirwe, Ruth; Makabayi-Mugabe, Rita; Muteebwa, Laban; Kamacooko, Onesmus; Wamono, Felix; Kajumba, Mayanja M; Nangendo, Joan; Semitala, Fred C; Kyambadde, Peter; Davis, Katumba James; others,

Female sex worker preferences for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis delivery in Uganda: A discrete choice experiment Journal Article

In: PLOS Global Public Health, vol. 5, no. 6, pp. e0003848, 2025.

BibTeX

2023

Gyang, Tony; Milly, Grace Kibanja; Kajumba, Mayanja

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as A Predictor of Cognitive Readiness for Community Reintegration Among Internally Displaced Persons in Jos, Nigeria Journal Article

In: International Journal of Research in Education Humanities and Commerce, vol. 04, no. 05, pp. 213–224, 2023, ISSN: 2583-0333.

Links | BibTeX

Projects

  • 2021 - 2026Co-Investigator: Epilepsy in Uganda: Clinical characterization and co-morbidities, their relation to stigma among adolescents and impact of a community-based engagement program (AWE Change project). NIH Grant
  • 2023 - 2024Co-PI: The Perspectives of Adolescents with Epilepsy: Development of a Patient-driven Intervention to Impact Health Literacy in Uganda
  • 2020 - 2022Co-Investigator: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Resilience and Coping Psychosocial Intervention for Families Experiencing COVID-19-associated Psychosocial Stress in Kampala City. Makerere University Research and Innovation fund (MAK-RIF).
  • 2020 - 2022Co-Investigator: Identifying the Psychosocial Impact of COVID-19 and Promising Practices for the Mental Health and Protective Needs of Sex and Gender-Based Violence Vulnerable Populations in Kampala Slums. Makerere University Research and Innovation fund (MAK-RIF).
  • 2017 - 2018Co-PI: Addressing Cultural and Practical Barriers to Epilepsy care in Uganda. In collaboration with Dr. Deborah Attix, Associate Professor, School of Medicine-Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University (USA).
  • 2013 – 2015PI “Pain Modulation by The Amygdala: Hemispheric Lateralization of Pro- and Anti-Nociceptive Properties during the Progression of Inflammatory Pain”. This is the first in vivo study to demonstrate the pain-related functional significance of the neural oscillations of central nucleus of the amygdala, and provides numerous implications, and insight into directions for future research.
  • 2012 - 2013“Inhibition of Spinal Cord Dorsal Horn Neuron Activities by Electrical Stimulation of the Central Nucleus of the Amygdala”.
  • 2012“The Effect of Analgesic Use on Pain, Symptom Distress, and Quality of Life of Lung Cancer Patients”. The aim of this project was to assess the risk-benefit ratio of using separate or combined analgesics, and identify analgesic regimens that can adequately relieve pain, with minimal symptom distress and compromise to the quality of life of lung cancer patients.
  • 2002 - 2003PI: The Subjective Interpretation of Traumatic Experience and Resilience to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder