Sam Mbulaiteye

Sam Mbulaiteye is a Senior Investigator in the Infections and Immunoepidemiology Branch (IIB) at the National Cancer Institute's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG). Based at the NCI Shady Grove campus, he leads groundbreaking research on the etiology of Burkitt lymphoma (BL), particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where it has the highest incidence. His work bridges epidemiology, immunology, and molecular biology to understand the complex interplay between infectious agents and cancer development.

Dr. Mbulaiteye received his physician training at Makerere University, Kampala (1990), advanced training in epidemiology and biostatistics (M.Phil.) from the University of Cambridge, U.K. (1994), and specialist training in internal medicine (M.Med.) from Makerere University (1996). His early research focused on measuring the impact of HIV on cancer in patients at the Uganda Cancer Institute (1994-1997) and investigating population trends of HIV in rural southwest Uganda. He joined the IIB in December 2000 as a research fellow focusing on Kaposi sarcoma and BL, and was awarded NIH scientific tenure and appointed Senior Investigator in 2013.

His primary research focus is characterizing the epidemiology of Burkitt lymphoma across different settings. In Western countries, he uses registry-based datasets to investigate age-specific incidence rates for BL, suggesting disease heterogeneity may vary with age. In sub-Saharan Africa, where BL is the most common childhood tumor, he quantifies associations between BL and serological or molecular markers of malaria and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, and investigates the role of metabolites as potential nutritional or geographical co-factors. Dr. Mbulaiteye implemented the multi-country EMBLEM (Epidemiology of Burkitt Lymphoma in East-African Children and Minors) study across six rural regions in Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya to collect high-quality data on BL etiology.

Dr. Mbulaiteye's recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate a strong focus on the genetic and molecular underpinnings of Burkitt lymphoma in African populations. His work spans genome-wide association studies, DNA methylation analysis, metabolomics, and investigations into the interplay between malaria, EBV, and BL risk. A significant portion examines how host genetic factors, including HLA variants and sickle cell trait, influence BL susceptibility in endemic regions. His research has established critical links between malaria exposure patterns and BL risk, challenging previous assumptions about the relationship between falciparum malaria and this cancer.

• Scientist of the Year by the Lymphoma Foundation of America (2022)
• DCEG Outstanding Mentor Award (2025)

Dr. Mbulaiteye serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief of Infectious Agents and Cancer and is on editorial boards for AIDS, International Journal of Cancer, and Frontiers in Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention. He actively mentors researchers through his leadership of the EMBLEM study and collaborations across Africa. He is a member of the African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), the Darwin College Society, the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust, and the World Federation of Scientists, and is a Founding Member of the Burkitt Lymphoma Network. He has organized scientific sessions about Burkitt lymphoma at the last four biennial AORTIC meetings and was invited by IARC/WHO in 2021 to assist in revising the Burkitt Lymphoma chapter in the WHO Classification of Tumours.