Collaborator Spotlight-Jafes Pulle

Jafes Pulle

Program Lead: Science and Regulation

Jafes working at an echo screening event.

Jafes is involved in every RRCU project at some point or another. His main duties include establishing project sites (including community engagement, staff onboarding, logistics and supplies procurement, administrative documentation) and ensuring that RRCU’s work complies with protocols, and Ugandan and funder regulations.

Jafes first got involved with RRCU in 2017 when a friend suggested he apply for a Research Nurse position at the Uganda Heart Institute (UHI). He recalls being excited about working with top cardiologists from Uganda and around the world. Reflecting on his beginning with RRCU, Jafes remarks, “when I left my previous employment, I was joining a small RRCU. But it was a dynamic RRCU, under the visionary leadership and foresight of Dr. Emmy Okello and Dr. Andrea Beaton.”

In his first role, Jafes collected data for an Acute Rheumatic Fever project and provided care for RHD patients.  Since then, Jafes has risen through the ranks from Research Nurse to Research Nurse Coordinator, to Clinical Research Coordinator and is now a Program Lead.  Through these roles, Jafes has developed his leadership skills and become more involved in all aspects of projects, including study design, results dissemination, and community engagement. While working for RRCU, Jafes earned an MPH to continue to develop his research and leadership skills and is currently pursuing a PhD in Implementation Science, as a fellow in one of RRCU’s NIH-funded programs.

Even though he is now in an administrative and leadership role, Jafes remains heavily involved in the execution of RRCU research projects, providing mentorship and expertise based on his years with RRCU. Likewise, Jafes notes that he really enjoys the mentorship he receives from the program directors and RRCU’s international partners.  Jafes said, “I love to work with the collaborative multi-cultural research team that is very progressive, open to feedback and keeps the community at the center of all research endeavors”.

Thank you Jafes!