Julius Oyugi, PhD, MSc
Director of ENGAGE and Professor, University of Nairobi
Julius Oyugi is a Kenyan virologist and immunologist with more than two decades of experience in infectious disease research, teaching, and public health leadership. He is a faculty member in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Nairobi and director of the Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases (UNITID). His work spans the pathogenesis, immune response, and epidemiology of viral infections — including HIV, coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-2, MERS), arboviruses (dengue, Zika, chikungunya), and emerging zoonoses. He has led collaborative projects funded by DTRA, CDC, Kenya’s National Research Fund, and Takeda. He has mentored over 45 postgraduate students and health professionals across Africa, and his work informs disease prevention strategies and strengthens research capacity.