Ms. Hellen Opolot is currently the Assistant Executive Secretary, and Head of the Directorate of Research Management and Quality Assurance at the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST).

She holds a Post Graduate Diploma and Master’s degree both in the field of Project Planning and Management. She has provided over sight to intensive research projects under the Millennium Science Initiative worth US$30 million and the Biosciences Innovation Policy Consortium for Eastern Africa (BIPCEA) worth over US$ 180,000.

She is currently a member of the African Research Integrity Network (ARIN) and has contributed to information sharing about Uganda’s experience on research integrity at the 6^th World Conference on Research Integrity (WCRI) held in June 2019.

She has contributed to development of several research operational guidelines; National Research Guidelines for Research involving Humans as Research Participants-July 2014, The National Guidelines for Use of Animals in Research and Teaching-January 2021 National Guidelines for Conduct of Research During Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic-2020 as a taskforce member. She has also been a Steering Committee members on the Strengthening Community Structures in Clinical Research to Improve Oversight Role National Ethics Regulatory Bodies in Uganda-SCINE-U-CSA 2018ERC-2318 which developed National Community Engagement Guidelines in Research-2022.

Her intensive training in research ethics, practical experience in grants management and her current research regulatory oversight role at the UNCST will be of immense value in the realization of project.