Victoria Walusansa
{{short description|Ugandan physician and oncologist}}
{{use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Victoria Walusansa
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1972}}
| birth_place = Central Region, Uganda
| death_date =
| death_place =
| education = Makerere University
{{small|(Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery)}}
{{small|(Master of Medicine in Medicine)}}
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
{{small|(Fellowship in Medical Oncology)}}
| occupation = Physician and oncologist
| years_active = 1999–present
| known_for =
| title =
| website =
| spouse = Mark Abaliwano
}}
Victoria Walusansa-Abaliwano (née Victoria Walusansa), is a Ugandan physician and oncologist, who works as the deputy director of the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI), a cancer treatment and research institution, based in Kampala, Uganda and serving the countries of the African Great Lakes area.{{cite web| date=11 February 2014 | url=http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Three-patients-die-daily-as-cancer-drugs-run-out/688334-2200772-mrcc3k/index.html |title=Three patients die daily as cancer drugs run out |accessdate=21 November 2017 |first=Agatha |last=Ayebazibwe |newspaper=Daily Monitor |location=Kampala}}{{cite web|url=https://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1465883/uganda-cancer-institute-benefit-us-training |title=Uganda Cancer Institute to benefit from US training |accessdate=21 November 2017 |first=John | last=Odyek | date=16 November 2017 |newspaper=New Vision | location=Kampala}}{{cite web| accessdate=21 November 2017 | url=https://www.fredhutch.org/en/labs/vaccine-and-infectious-disease/international-programs/global-oncology/uganda/why-uganda.html | date=21 November 2017 | publisher=Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC) |location=Seattle |title=Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center: Global Oncology: Why Uganda?}}
Background and education
Walusansa was born in the Central Region of Uganda, circa 1972. In 1992, she was admitted to Makerere University School of Medicine, graduating in 1997 with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degree. Four years later, she returned and enrolled in the postgraduate programme, graduating in 2004 with a Master of Medicine (MMed) degree in Internal Medicine. Later, for a period of 14 months, from July 2007 until August 2008, she trained as a post-doctoral oncology fellow, at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, in Seattle, Washington, USA.{{cite web| url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-walusansa-abaliwano-a48bb56/?trk=public-profile-join-page |title=Victoria Walusansa-Abaliwano: Deputy Director and Consultant Oncologist at the Uganda Cancer Institute |
publisher=LinkedIn |first=Victoria |last=Walusansa-Abaliwano | date=21 November 2017 |accessdate=21 November 2017}}
Work experience
In 2004, after her MMed studies at Makerere, Walusansa reported to work at Uganda Cancer Institute, to work and study under the Director of the Institute, Dr. Jackson Orem, who at the time, was the only trained specialist oncologist at UCI. Orem had just been appointed as executive director and was very busy, so she was on her own most of the time.{{cite web| title=A mother's wrenching choice | url=https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/center-news/2014/08/Mothers-wrenching-choice-Ugandan-doctor-seattle-oncology.html |date=5 August 2014 |work=Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center |author=Mary Engel |access-date=21 November 2017 |location=Seattle, Washington State, United States}}
In 2007, an opportunity came up in the form of a full scholarship to train as an oncology fellow at the Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center in Washington state. She took the opportunity, supported by her family and her employer. She is the first Ugandan doctor to undergo the oncology fellowship training at Fred Hutch. As of August 2014, a total of 16 Ugandan oncologists had undergone the training.
As of November 2017, Walusansa is the deputy director and head of Clinical Services at UCI. She also worked as a lecturer in the Department of Medicine, at the adjacent Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MUCHS),{{cite web| url=https://www.fredhutch.org/en/labs/vaccine-and-infectious-disease/international-programs/global-oncology/uganda/training.html |work=Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC) |date=2016 |access-date=21 November 2017 |location=Seattle |title=A New Generation: Fred Hutch Global Oncology Training for Uganda}} until her resignation in May 2011.{{cite web| date=23 June 2011|url=https://www.mak.ac.ug/documents/HRD/2011/COMM463.pdf |work=Makerere University |author=Dorothy Sennoga-Zake |title=Makerere University, Directorate of Human Resources, Employment Division, Resignations |access-date=21 November 2017 |location=Kampala, Kampala}}
On 25 May 2022, she was appointed a senior consultant medical oncologist by the Ugandan head of state, a title she holds concurrently with that of deputy executive director of Uganda Cancer Institute.{{cite web| date=12 September 2024 |url=https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/news/court-blocks-cancer-institute-bid-to-replace-NV_195675 |title=Court Blocks Cancer Institute Bid To Replace Deputy ED | work=New Vision |author=Michael Odeng |access-date=14 November 2024 | location=Kampala, Uganda}}{{cite web| work=The Independent (Uganda) | url=https://www.independent.co.ug/court-reinstalls-dr-walusansa-as-uci-deputy-director/ |title=Court reinstalls Dr. Walusansa as UCI deputy director |date=8 September 2024 |author=Uganda Radio Network |access-date=14 November 2024 | location=Kampala, Uganda}}
Family
References
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Category:21st-century Ugandan scientists
Category:21st-century Ugandan women scientists
Category:Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center people
Category:Makerere University alumni
Category:People from Central Region, Uganda