Dr. Irene Naigaga is a graduate of Makerere University, Uganda (Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Postgraduate Diploma in Wildlife Health and Management, 2000), Master of Science (Ichthyology) and a PhD (Ichthyology and Fisheries Science: 2013) from Rhodes University, South Africa, She is a Lecturer at Makerere University, Department of Wild Life and serves as Program Director, One Health Central and Eastern Africa (OHCEA), a network of 21 Public Health and Veterinary Higher Education Institutions located in eight African countries. OHCEA builds capacity in One Health through multi-disciplinary research, training and community service. Irene has expertise in Ichthyology, Aquaculture and Fisheries Science, Livestock & Wildlife Health and Management, Leadership and e-learning; Ecosystem Health Issues; Research methodology in Gender & Social analysis in Natural Resource Management and Social Science Research. 

She has participated on several national and international Capacity Building projects such as Training and Research in Aquatic and Environmental Health in Africa (TRAHESA); International Foundation for Science: Biomonitoring of aquatic environments using biological indicators and markers; The START/PACOM African Small Grants Program; Environmental Change Assessment in Africa and OSSREA: A Gender Analysis in Natural Resource Management. Dr. Naigaga has served on HERS-EA Executive as Secretary since its launch in 2014. She participated in the planning of HERS-EA and is a HERS-EA Alum (2017) of The Inaugural HERS-EA ACADEMY (July 2017).