Environment & Host Biology
From dog ownership to antibiotic exposure to maternal BMI — understanding how external exposures shape immune, cardiovascular, and metabolic health across the life course.
Epidemiologist · Medical Doctor · Public Health Specialist · Digital Health Enthusiast
Dr. MwenyaMubanga
- Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery
- Master of Medical Science in Nephrology
- Master of Public Health
- Doctor of Philosophy in Epidemiology
Chief Medical Officer Manje Health
Secretary/Treasurer Africa Chapter, International Society of Environmental Epidemiology
A physician-scientist bridging clinical medicine, population epidemiology, and implementation research — from cardiovascular disease registers in Sweden to HIV transmission hotspots in Zambia.
- 30+
- Publications
- 600+
- Citations
- 15+
- Years Active
About Me
A singular question asked across many contexts
How does the world we live in shape our health?
My scientific career may appear to span disparate fields — pets and cardiovascular disease, gut microbiome and asthma, HIV transmission and geospatial analysis. But the thread running through all of it is the same: the relationship between environment and human health, studied rigorously using population-level data, and translated into actionable insight.
In Sweden, I asked whether living with a dog changes your cardiovascular risk — and found that it does. I asked whether the microbial world in a child's gut shapes their immune system — and found evidence that it might. In Zambia, I am now asking where HIV is spreading fastest, who is most affected, and what can be done today. The tools change. The question never does.
Research Focus
Research areas
Three interconnected domains guiding population health research from exposure to policy.
Population Surveillance & Data
Designing and running surveillance systems that turn raw clinical data into epidemiological intelligence — whether that means 3.8 million Swedish register records or real-time HIV recency testing in Zambia.
Evidence to Policy
Research doesn't end at publication. From creating surveillance dashboards for Zambia's Ministry of Health to translating findings into popular science, I work to close the gap between knowledge and action.
Scholarly Output
Publications & research
Peer-reviewed publications across cardiovascular epidemiology, atopic disease, infectious disease, and global public health.
Featured studies
2025
Association between asthma and type 2 diabetes in a Swedish adult population: a register-based cross-sectional study
Thorax · Published Online First March 2025 · doi:10.1136/thorax-2024-222819
2017
Dog ownership and the risk of cardiovascular disease and death — a nationwide cohort study
Scientific Reports · 7:15821 · doi:10.1038/s41598-017-16118-6
From shock to resilience in GBV and SRH services: the role of researchNew
Kaunda Mwansa J, Hartmann M, Salazar M, Chibesakunda M, Vlahakis N, Ekström AM, and Mwenya Mubanga
BMJ Global Health · 2026 · doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2025-021152
Association between asthma and type 2 diabetes in a Swedish adult population: a register-based cross-sectional studyFeatured
Mubanga M, Gong T, Smew AI, et al.
Thorax · Published Online First March 2025 · doi:10.1136/thorax-2024-222819
Dog Ownership and Survival After a Major Cardiovascular Event: A Register-Based Prospective Study
Mubanga M, Byberg L, Egenvall A, Ingelsson E and Fall T
Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes · 12:e005342 · doi:10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.118.005342
Dog ownership and the risk of cardiovascular disease and death — a nationwide cohort studyFeatured
Mubanga M, Byberg L, Nowak C, Egenvall A, Magnusson PK, Ingelsson E and Fall T
Scientific Reports · 7:15821 · doi:10.1038/s41598-017-16118-6
Recognition
600+ Research Citations
2026Google Scholar
Peer-reviewed research cited across cardiovascular epidemiology, atopic disease, and infectious disease.
30+ Peer-Reviewed Publications
2026International Journals
Publications in BMJ, Circulation, Scientific Reports, Thorax, and leading public health journals.
Leadership & Service
Public health leadership
Executive, advisory, and institutional roles bridging research, clinical medicine, and health system impact.
Chief Medical Officer
PresentManje Health
Leading medical strategy, hospital quality benchmarks, and population health-informed platform design for healthcare access across Africa.
Secretary/Treasurer
PresentAfrica Chapter, International Society of Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE)
Supporting environmental epidemiology research leadership and policy engagement across the African continent.
Research appointments
2022 — Present
Zambia
Epidemiologist · HIV Surveillance
Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ)
Leading HIV recency testing surveillance and geospatial analysis to identify transmission hotspots and inform Ministry of Health policy.
2015 — 2022
Sweden
PhD Epidemiology · Postdoctoral Research
Karolinska Institutet / Uppsala University
Population register-based research on cardiovascular disease, atopic disease, and the gut microbiome using Swedish nationwide cohorts.
2012 — 2015
Lesotho & Zambia
Medical Doctor · Community Health
Various Clinical & Research Roles
Community-based ART programs, tuberculosis research, and clinical medicine in resource-limited settings across Southern Africa.
Media & Speaking
Public engagements
Conferences, media appearances, science communication, and community advocacy extending research beyond the laboratory.
Kantolomba: Battling the Bottle
YouTube · Public Health Advocacy · Zambia
Documentary examining alcohol abuse in the Copperbelt — personal storytelling combined with public health advocacy.
The Corona Times
Science Communication · 2020–2022
Public health writing and commentary during the COVID-19 pandemic for a broad, non-specialist readership.
Fray College Mental Health Project
Mental Health Help Zambia · Zambia
Community-based mental health advocacy and resource platform for Zambia.
HIV Surveillance & Geospatial Analysis
Ministry of Health, Zambia
Presentations on HIV recency testing surveillance and transmission hotspot mapping for policy partners.
Contact
Open to collaborations & opportunities
I welcome conversations with fellow researchers, institutions, funders, and policy partners working at the intersection of infectious disease, environmental health, and population surveillance — particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and the Nordic countries.
I am especially interested in collaborative grants, advisory roles, and postdoctoral or visiting researcher exchanges.
I am especially interested in collaborative grants, advisory roles, and postdoctoral or visiting researcher exchanges.
Lusaka, Zambia