Katu Mutungi
Programme Navigator – Clinical Research Unit, Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi
Quick Facts
- Current Role: Programme Navigator, CRU – Aga Khan University Hospital
- Background: Pharmacy & Clinical Research
- Specialty: Clinical Trial Operations & Grant Management
- Research Interest: Cancer Genomics & Precision Medicine
Bridging Pharmacy and Clinical Research for Better Patient Outcomes
Katu Mutungi brings together expertise in oncology pharmacy, clinical trial operations, and strategic programme management to strengthen the research infrastructure that underpins advances in cancer care.
Professional Overview
Katu Mutungi is the Programme Navigator at the Clinical Research Unit (CRU) of Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi. With a background spanning pharmacy and clinical research, she brings a distinctive combination of clinical grounding and operational expertise to her work at one of East Africa's leading academic medical centres.
Her experience encompasses oncology pharmacy, clinical trial operations, and electronic health record (EHR) implementation — a breadth that positions her uniquely to navigate the complex intersection of clinical practice and research infrastructure. At the CRU, she leads strategic planning, supports grant management, and manages partnerships and feasibility assessments for clinical trials, playing a pivotal role in ensuring that research programmes are designed and executed to the highest standards.
Her professional interests are centred on cancer genomics, precision medicine, and the strengthening of clinical trial processes to improve patient outcomes — areas that place her at the forefront of the next generation of oncology research in Africa.
Areas of Expertise
Strategic Programme Planning
Leads strategic planning within the CRU, coordinating research priorities, programme development, and operational frameworks to support the unit's clinical trial portfolio
Grant Management
Supports the identification, application, and management of research grants, ensuring funding opportunities are pursued and administered effectively to sustain the CRU's research agenda
Clinical Trial Feasibility & Partnerships
Manages partnerships with investigator sites, sponsors, and collaborating institutions, and leads feasibility assessments to evaluate the CRU's capacity to undertake new clinical trials
EHR Implementation
Brings practical experience in electronic health record implementation, supporting the digital infrastructure that underpins safe, data-driven clinical research and patient care
Clinical Research Career
Programme Navigator – Clinical Research Unit, Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi
Current RoleLeading strategic planning, grant management, and partnership development for clinical trials at the CRU. Overseeing feasibility assessments and supporting the end-to-end operational delivery of research programmes.
Clinical Trial Operations
Career ExperienceExtensive hands-on experience in the operational aspects of clinical trial management, including site coordination, protocol adherence, regulatory compliance, and data integrity processes.
Oncology Pharmacy Practice
Career ExperienceGrounded in oncology pharmacy, bringing a clinician's understanding of cancer treatment, medication management, and patient safety to her work in clinical research environments.
Electronic Health Record Implementation
Career ExperienceContributed to EHR implementation projects, supporting the digital transformation of clinical workflows and research data capture in healthcare settings.
Research Interests
Katu Mutungi's professional interests reflect a forward-looking vision for oncology research in Africa. Her focus areas include:
- Cancer Genomics: Exploring the genetic and molecular underpinnings of cancer to inform more targeted, effective treatment strategies tailored to individual patient profiles
- Precision Medicine: Advancing the application of precision medicine approaches in oncology, enabling treatments to be matched to the specific biological characteristics of each patient's cancer
- Clinical Trial Process Strengthening: Developing and refining the systems, protocols, and workforce capabilities that underpin high-quality clinical trial conduct — with a focus on improving patient outcomes through better research
- Research Infrastructure Development: Building sustainable clinical research capacity in Kenya and the broader East African region, ensuring that patients on the continent have access to cutting-edge investigational therapies
- Translational Research: Bridging the gap between laboratory discoveries and clinical application, ensuring that advances in cancer science reach patients through well-designed and rigorously conducted trials
Programme Navigation at East Africa's Leading Academic Medical Centre
As Programme Navigator at the Aga Khan University Hospital CRU, Katu Mutungi holds a key strategic and operational role within one of the most prominent clinical research environments in the region — contributing directly to the growth of clinical trial capacity in East Africa.
Contribution to OPSOK's Research Committee
As a member of OPSOK's Research Committee, Katu Mutungi brings her clinical research expertise to the society's efforts to advance evidence-based oncology pharmacy practice in Kenya. Her contributions include:
Research Capacity Building
Supporting OPSOK members in developing the skills and knowledge needed to engage meaningfully with clinical research, from study design to dissemination
Grant & Funding Guidance
Drawing on her grant management experience to advise on funding opportunities and help members navigate the research funding landscape
Trial Site Development
Leveraging her feasibility and partnership expertise to support the development of oncology pharmacy-relevant clinical trial sites across Kenya
Precision Oncology Advocacy
Championing the integration of cancer genomics and precision medicine into OPSOK's research agenda, positioning Kenyan oncology pharmacists at the frontier of emerging science
Vision for Clinical Research in Oncology
Katu Mutungi's vision is rooted in the belief that stronger clinical research infrastructure translates directly into better outcomes for cancer patients. She is committed to:
Building Research Capacity in Africa: Ensuring that African institutions — and the patients they serve — are not merely recipients of research findings generated elsewhere, but active participants in the generation of new oncology knowledge.
Advancing Precision Medicine: Championing the shift from one-size-fits-all treatment approaches to genomics-informed, precision therapies that offer patients the best possible chance of response with the least unnecessary harm.
Strengthening Trial Processes: Continuously improving the operational rigour of clinical trial conduct to protect patient safety, maintain data integrity, and accelerate the translation of promising research into clinical practice.
Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Fostering partnerships between pharmacists, clinicians, researchers, and industry partners to create the multidisciplinary ecosystem that innovative cancer research demands.
Advancing Oncology Research in East Africa
Through her work at the Aga Khan University Hospital CRU and her engagement with OPSOK, Katu Mutungi is helping to build the clinical research infrastructure that will bring the next generation of cancer therapies to patients in Kenya and beyond.
