Jenifer Atala

Jenifer holds a Master of Public Health from Lira University and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Mbarara University of Science and Technology. She was employed as a clinical research coordinator for a clinical trial under the Uganda Heart Institute’s RHD Research Collaborative in Uganda (RRCU) based in Lira district. In that role, she coordinated and supervised study staff, oversaw day-to-day clinical and operational project execution, managed staff trainings, prepared progress reports, and maintained study documentation. Additionally, she participated in echocardiogram screening, patient enrollment, the consenting process, patient follow-up activities, and maintained direct communication with the Principal Investigator.

As a Career Development Award fellow on the Impact Program, Jenifer completed a one-year study titled “Uptake and Implementation of new secondary prophylaxis recommendations for high-risk Rheumatic Heart Disease patients.”

Her research evaluated the rate of uptake and implementation of the American Heart Association advisory on secondary prophylaxis for high-risk RHD patients among clinicians. The study aimed to provide critical insights into current management practices across various clinical settings and assess global healthcare provider knowledge, practices, and perspectives regarding the updated advisory.

Ultimately, her findings were intended to help improve patient outcomes by preventing disease-related adverse events associated with benzathine penicillin administration, thereby strengthening provider confidence in administering essential prophylaxis to high-risk and early-stage RHD patients.

Outside of her professional work and research pursuits, Jenifer enjoys listening to music and reading novels.