The Uganda Hypoxia Lab, launched in 2026, is the first independent medical device research and testing facility of its kind in East Africa. It is also the only lab globally that conducts hypoxia testing in a low- or middle-income country (LMIC). The lab was established to address a persistent gap in global health: many medical devices, including pulse oximeters, are designed and validated in high-income countries using predominantly lightly-pigmented populations. As a result, these devices often do not perform as well for people with darker skin tones, potentially leading to missed diagnoses, delayed care, and poorer outcomes.

By offering high-quality validation services in a region that has historically been excluded from device development, the lab will ensure that diverse populations are represented in how technologies are tested. It is co-led by Ugandan clinicians and researchers and developed in partnership with UCSF’s Center for Health Equity in Surgery and Anesthesia (CHESA), the UCSF Hypoxia Lab, the Association of Anesthesiologists of Uganda (AAU), as well as faculty from Makerere Universities.

With backing from the UCSF Hypoxia Lab’s decades of technical expertise, the Uganda Hypoxia Lab provides contract testing services to manufacturers, supports policy change with regionally relevant data, and builds research capacity through local training and university partnerships.

We aim to make sure devices work well for everyone, everywhere. The lab officially opened in February 2026 and currently offers high-quality, independent testing of medical devices with a focus on equity and global standards. Currently, studies are done in partnership with the UCSF Hypoxia Lab as sub-awards from UCSF. Here are a few highlights of what we currently do:

• Perform controlled desaturation studies for pulse oximeters following (ISO 80601 2017 and anticipated 2026 standards, as well as FDA 510(k) 2013 and anticipated 2026 guidance
• Perform other physiologic studies for performance verification of blood pressure, hemoglobin and respiratory rate measurement devices (coming soon)
• Conduct verification studies in diverse populations utilizing cohorts exclusively from Africa or combined cohorts across the Uganda and San Francisco labs
• Conform to all stipulations of ISO 17025
• Maintain approvals by the Ugandan National Council of Science and Technology (UNCST, the Uganda Heart Institute REC/IRB, and the UCSF IRB (24-43204), with recognition by the Uganda National Drug Authority (NDA) and the Uganda Medical Dental Practitioners Council (UMDPC)
• Capacity-building for local researchers and students

This lab is a partnership between:

• CHESA at UCSF
• The UCSF Hypoxia Lab
• The Association of Anesthesiologists of Uganda (AAU)
• Faculty at Makerere University and Uganda Heart Institute

The lab team is comprised of four investigators, a full-time onsite clinical research coordinator, a research fellow, and support from the UCSF Hypoxia Lab CRC team:

• Dr. Cornelius Sendagire – Co-PI, Uganda Hypoxia Lab; Consultant, Cardiac Anaesthesia & Critical Care, Uganda Heart Institute and Lecturer, Makerere University College of Health Sciences.
• Dr. Fred Bulamba – Co-I, Uganda Hypoxia Lab; Consultant Anesthesiologist; AAU President-Elect
• Dr. Tyler Law – Co- I UCSF Hypoxia Lab, Co-director of research for CHESA, Associate Professor of Anesthesia at UCSF
• Dr. Michael Lipnick – Co-PI UCSF Hypoxia Lab, Professor of Anesthesia at UCSF
• Philip Ewoku – Clinical Research Coordinator.
  • Philip Ewoku carries out clinical operations at the Uganda Hypoxia Lab, building on experience in laboratory systems compliant to regulatory standards across infectious diseases (HIV, Hep B) and nutrition programs, now applied to medical device research.
• Dr. Emmanuel Aporu – Research Fellow, Uganda Hypoxia Lab; Anesthesiologist
  • Emmanuel Aporu completed a three-year anesthesiology residency at Makerere University in May 2025 and is a member of the Association of Anesthesiologists of Uganda. Through the UCSF CHESA Global Health Equity Fellowship, he developed an interest in research focused on improving access to safe perioperative care for underserved populations in Uganda.
• Lea El Rassi – CRC UCSF Hypoxia Lab
• Rene Vargas Zamora – CRC UCSF Hypoxia Lab

The concept for the Uganda Hypoxia Lab evolved from findings of the Open Oximetry Project, which was supported by USAID, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Uganda Hypoxia Lab’s structure and research priorities were developed through a 2023 feasibility process (funded by PATH/UNITAID) led by Ugandan clinicians, researchers, and regulators. The initial lab infrastructure was established in 2025 with support of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, the Lifebox Foundation, UCSF CHESA, and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.

The Uganda Hypoxia Lab is located in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, where UCSF has had a decades-long partnership with the AAU and many leading universities in the region. The lab has 24-hour onsite security and redundant backup power systems to keep the lab secure and operational at all times. The lab is located near the largest hospital in Uganda, Mulago National Referral Hospital, as well as the campus for Makerere University – one of the oldest and largest universities in Africa with a student body of 40,000 students across numerous undergraduate and graduate training programs. The catchment area of the lab is a population of ~ 3 million people. The Lab is minutes away from numerous hotels and restaurants. We are a short drive from the Marriott Kampala and walking distance from the Humura Hotel. The Lab assists with all local logistics for study sponsors including airport transport, hotel bookings and transport to and from the lab.

To learn more as a sponsor, click here.
To learn more as a participant, click here.

If you are interested in doing a study with the Uganda Hypoxia Lab, contact us here.