PRI-Uganda is a pharmaceutical-grade natural products research institute — the first in Uganda to provide NMR, HPLC, FTIR, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and DNA barcoding for researchers. We validate traditional medicines, train scientists, and serve Uganda's herbal medicine industry.
Bioassay-guided phytochemical characterisation of Uganda's priority medicinal plants, focused on antiplasmodial activity and evidence-based validation.
Training programs tailored to the needs of researchers and students in research, providing training opportunities for graduate students engaged in real scientific work.
Analytical chemistry services for Uganda's herbal medicine manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, research, and training institutions.
"Uganda's medicinal plants have healed communities for generations. PRI-Uganda gives them the scientific validation they deserve."
PRI-Uganda is being established in Kampala, Uganda, with a mission to transform Uganda's extraordinary medicinal plant biodiversity into evidence-based pharmaceutical products — directly addressing critical public health challenges such as malaria, which kills over 70,000 Ugandans annually.
Through a partnership with Uganda's Natural Chemotherapeutics Research Institute (NCRI) under the Ministry of Health, and with the generous equipment support from Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah) and Utah Valley University (Orem, Utah), PRI-Uganda brings international research standards to Uganda's natural products sector.
First institution in Uganda to provide NMR, HPLC, FTIR, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and DNA barcoding for researchers
Partnership with NCRI, Ministry of Health Uganda. Equipment generously supported by American Universities BYU, UVU and friends.
Training Uganda's next generation of pharmaceutical analytical scientists
Evidence-based herbal medicine production
We are actively seeking research partners, funding support, and institutional collaborations. Join us in building Uganda's pharmaceutical research capacity.
PRI-Uganda is a non-profit, pharmaceutical-grade research institute dedicated to transforming Uganda's medicinal plant biodiversity into evidence-based medicines through rigorous analytical science, capacity building, and strategic partnerships.
PRI-Uganda was born from a simple but urgent observation: Uganda is home to one of the world's richest medicinal plant traditions, yet the analytical equipment needed to scientifically validate, develop, and regulate those plants into medicines is almost entirely absent. This gross lack of infrastructure has for decades left researchers without the tools to take their findings further — stalling innovation and limiting Uganda's ability to turn its own biodiversity into solutions for its own health challenges. PRI-Uganda exists to change that — to be the place where Uganda's plant knowledge finally meets the analytical science it deserves.
The Phytochemical Research Institute Uganda Limited (PRI-Uganda) is a non-profit, pharmaceutical-grade natural products research institute registered by the Uganda Registration Services Bureau, dedicated to the scientific validation of the country's medicinal plant heritage and the building of Uganda's next generation of natural products scientists.
PRI-Uganda was established to address a fundamental gap in Uganda's pharmaceutical landscape: access to the analytical infrastructure needed to translate traditional plant knowledge into validated, regulated medicines. We bridge that gap through research, education, and strategic institutional partnerships.
PRI-Uganda operates in formal partnership with the Natural Chemotherapeutics Research Institute (NCRI) under Uganda's Ministry of Health — providing a strong government foundation for translational research with direct public health impact.
PRI-Uganda is governed by a lean, accountable leadership structure designed to uphold scientific integrity, institutional transparency, and alignment with Uganda's public health priorities.
PRI-Uganda is governed by a Board of Founding Directors who collectively provide strategic oversight, institutional accountability, and long-term direction for the institute. The Board is constituted in accordance with PRI-Uganda's founding charter as a Company Limited by Guarantee registered by the Uganda Registration Services Bureau.
Inquiries may be directed to Dr. Peter Mpaata.
Executive Director of the Natural Chemotherapeutics Research Institute (NCRI), Ministry of Health Uganda. Dr. Nambatya Kyeyune brings government oversight, regulatory expertise, and deep knowledge of Uganda's medicinal plant research landscape to the committee.
NCRI, Ministry of Health UgandaFounding Director of PRI-Uganda and principal investigator. Dr. Mpaata represents the institute's scientific leadership on the Joint Steering Committee, ensuring alignment between research priorities, institutional strategy, and the institute's public health mission.
PRI-UgandaJunior Analytical Chemist position — recruitment in progress for launch in May 2026.
Junior Microbiologist position — recruitment in progress for launch in May 2026.
Graduate student positions available in partnership with Ugandan universities.
PRI-Uganda's vision extends beyond a single laboratory. We are building a sustainable, growing institution — anchored in Kampala and progressively extending our research, education, and analytical services across the whole of Uganda.
Establish a pharmaceutical-grade analytical laboratory in Kampala as the institutional home for our research, education, and analytical service programs.
Extend our programs across Uganda — partnering with universities, research institutions, and communities in every region to build nationwide scientific capacity.
Translate research findings into evidence-based natural medicines that benefit Ugandans everywhere — establishing a national model for integrative, science-backed healthcare.
Pharmaceutical-grade standards in every analysis. We apply the same methods used in international drug discovery laboratories.
We honour Uganda's healing traditions and work in partnership with communities — not in extraction from them.
Every instrument, every course, and every publication is designed to grow Uganda's own scientific expertise.
We work with government, universities, industry, and communities — because transformative change requires collaboration.
Whether you are a researcher, funder, manufacturer, or institution — we would love to hear from you.
We apply pharmaceutical-grade analytical chemistry to Uganda's most promising medicinal plants — generating the evidence base that converts traditional healing knowledge into validated, regulated medicines.
Uganda has a rich and growing tradition of ethnobotanical research. Over decades, Ugandan scientists, herbalists, and academic institutions have conducted systematic surveys documenting the country's medicinal plant use — recording species names, traditional applications, preparation methods, and community knowledge that might otherwise be lost.
This body of work — produced by researchers at Makerere University, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Busitema University, the Natural Chemotherapeutics Research Institute, and other institutions across the country — represents an extraordinary scientific and cultural achievement. It forms the evidence base that guides responsible phytochemical research in Uganda.
PRI-Uganda acknowledges and honours this contribution. Our research does not start from scratch — it begins where Ugandan scientists have already laid the groundwork.
We believe that Uganda's public health challenges can only be addressed through genuine collaboration — bringing together government agencies, universities, traditional healers, herbal medicine manufacturers, communities, and international partners around a shared commitment to evidence-based natural medicine.
Universities & researchers — building on existing ethnobotanical surveys and co-developing the next generation of Ugandan scientists
Government & health institutions — partnering with NCRI and the Ministry of Health to align research with national public health priorities
Traditional healers & communities — respecting and integrating indigenous knowledge as a cornerstone of our research direction
Industry & manufacturers — providing the analytical services that help herbal medicine producers meet quality and regulatory standards
International partners — connecting Uganda's research with global scientific networks, funding, and best practices
Uganda loses over 70,000 people to malaria annually. Our flagship research program applies bioassay-guided fractionation and NMR structure elucidation to identify and characterise the active antiplasmodial compounds in priority plants.
Uganda's women and children bear a significant burden of preventable illness. PRI-Uganda is committed to investigating the potential of Uganda's medicinal plant heritage in supporting maternal and child health — working with communities, healthcare providers, and researchers to identify, validate, and develop safe, evidence-based natural health solutions.
Addressing child malnutrition requires more than medicine — it demands innovation in the foods children eat every day. PRI-Uganda applies phytochemical and nutritional science to Uganda's indigenous food plants, investigating how traditional staples and medicinal botanicals can be developed into safe, affordable, nutrient-enriched food products that support the healthy growth and development of Uganda's children.
Misidentification of medicinal plants is a major safety and quality problem in Uganda's herbal medicine sector. PRI-Uganda's DNA barcoding program provides definitive botanical authentication — ensuring that products labelled as specific plant species actually contain what they claim.
The gold standard for molecular structure elucidation. PRI-Uganda's Magritek Spinsolve 90 MHz NMR, generously donated by the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, will be the first available to researchers in Uganda.
First in UgandaQuantitative separation and profiling of plant compounds. Used for purity testing, fingerprinting, and quality control of herbal medicines.
Rapid identification of functional groups and compound classes. Valuable for initial screening and quality control applications.
Quantitative analysis and characterisation of compounds based on light absorption — a versatile tool for routine analytical and research applications.
Definitive botanical authentication using multi-locus sequencing. Eliminates plant misidentification in Uganda's herbal medicine supply chain.
We welcome partnerships with universities, pharmaceutical companies, and research institutions worldwide. Let's advance African natural medicine science together.
PRI-Uganda offers analytical chemistry services to herbal medicine manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, and research institutions — bringing international testing standards to Uganda's growing natural products sector.
Initial characterisation of plant extracts to identify compound classes present — alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, saponins, tannins — providing a roadmap for further investigation.
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography for quantitative compound profiling, purity assessment, and chemical fingerprinting of herbal preparations and plant extracts.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy for definitive molecular structure determination of isolated compounds — the gold standard in pharmaceutical chemistry.
Definitive molecular identification of plant species using multi-locus DNA barcoding — eliminating adulteration and misidentification from Uganda's herbal supply chain.
Safety testing for heavy metal contamination in herbal preparations — a critical requirement for NDA product registration in Uganda and for export market access.
Expert support in preparing analytical data packages and regulatory submissions for Uganda's National Drug Authority (NDA) herbal product registration pathway.
Quality control, batch consistency, and NDA registration support for Uganda's established and emerging herbal medicine producers.
Independent analytical support for NDA, Ministry of Health, and other regulatory bodies requiring scientific verification of herbal products.
Research services for universities and research institutes whose students and faculty need access to NMR, HPLC, and DNA barcoding.
International compliance testing for Ugandan herbal products seeking to access European, American, or Asian export markets.
Contact us to discuss your analytical needs. We'll recommend the appropriate tests and provide a quotation tailored to your specific samples and regulatory requirements.
Submit your samples to our Wandegeya laboratory following our sample preparation guidelines. We accept plant material, extracts, semi-purified fractions, and finished products.
Our analytical team performs all testing using validated methods and internationally accepted protocols. All data undergoes internal quality review before reporting.
You receive a comprehensive analytical report including raw data, interpreted results, and where applicable, recommendations for regulatory submission or further investigation.
Tell us about your samples and we'll recommend the right analytical services and provide a cost estimate. Institutional and volume pricing available.
PRI-Uganda is committed to supporting advanced students in the biological sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, medicinal chemistry, and biochemistry — providing hands-on laboratory training in their own research projects that bridges the gap between academic study and real-world scientific impact.
Trainees work on real research projects using the analytical equipment in our lab.
Targeted professional development workshops for scientists and quality managers working in Uganda's herbal medicine industry. Courses are practical and instrument-focused, designed to directly improve the analytical capabilities of your team.
Through our international partners, PRI-Uganda can facilitate access to advanced instrumentation — including high-field NMR and Single Crystal X-ray Diffraction (SC-XRD) — for Ugandan researchers who require capabilities beyond our local infrastructure.
Send your pharmacy or chemistry students to PRI-Uganda for laboratory rotations, final-year research projects, or hands-on training. We provide NMR/HPLC experience unavailable elsewhere in Uganda.
We welcome visiting researchers and students from international universities who want to conduct collaborative research on African medicinal plants using our analytical infrastructure.
Whether you are a student seeking hands-on training, an institution exploring partnership, or a company investing in your team's skills — we want to hear from you.
Whether you are a researcher, funder, student, manufacturer, or institution — we welcome the conversation. Reach Dr. Mpaata and the PRI-Uganda team directly.
PRI-Uganda is actively building partnerships across research, education, and industry. Whether you have a specific enquiry or just want to learn more about what we do — please reach out.
Plot 2B Loudel Road, Wandegeya
Kampala, Uganda
Hosted at NCRI — Natural Chemotherapeutics Research Institute, Ministry of Health
Uganda: +256 740 582 501
Dr. Peter Mpaata
Plot 2B Loudel Road, Wandegeya, Kampala, Uganda. Hosted within the campus of Uganda's Natural Chemotherapeutics Research Institute (NCRI), Ministry of Health. This facility will house PRI-Uganda's full analytical suite: NMR, HPLC, FTIR, and DNA barcoding.