This user has not added any information to their profile yet.
I am a pharmacist and an assistant lecturer at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), committed to turning research into life-changing treatments. I began my journey as an intern pharmacist at the Amana Regional Referral Hospital (ARRH), where I gained clinical expertise.
In academia, I joined the Department of Pharmacognosy at the School of Pharmacy-MUHAS, where I collaborated across disciplines and co-authored a research article that sharpened my skills and helped me secure the SIDA-MUHAS Early Career Grant in 2021. That fueled an impactful publication on antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Building on these experiences, I earned a Master of Pharmacy in Pharmacognosy at MUHAS.
Then, I published three more articles as first author, targeting AMR, peptic ulcer disease, and urinary tract infections. Moreover, during my time at MUHAS, I have supervised over ten student research projects, most of which are on ethnopharmacological management of various conditions, ranging from urinary tract infections and HIV/AIDS to diabetes, peptic ulcer diseases, wounds, and cancer.
In 2025, I won one of the competitive young career research grants by the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (RSTMH) on snakebite envenoming, which continues to strengthen my research skills, especially the ethnopharmacological part of my research interests.
My research centers on pressing public health challenges: infectious diseases, AMR, chronic illnesses like diabetes and cancer, and neglected tropical diseases.
I’m passionate about discovering new drugs from natural sources through ethnopharmacological studies and product formulation.
I aim to become an independent researcher, mentor, and consultant in ethnopharmacology, drug discovery, and natural product development.
1. Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (RSTMH) early-career grant in 2025.
Ongoing: March 2026-March 2027.
This research project aims to investigate the burden of snakebite envenoming and the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of agropastoralists regarding snakes and SBE in the Tabora region, western Tanzania. It may establish baseline data for Tabora and provide insights into the impact of SBE on local communities rather than relying solely on reports from healthcare facilities. The results will help develop strategies to provide agropastoralists with essential education and emergency support while awaiting further advancements. Additionally, the findings and recommendations may be vital for Tanzania’s Ministry of Health in determining the necessary steps to alleviate the issue.
2. SIDA-MUHAS seed grant for early career researchers in 2021.
Completed: June 2021 - June 2022.
This was a two-year retrospective cross-sectional study conducted in three regional referral hospitals aimed at determining antibiotic prescribing patterns using WHO/
International Network of Rational Use of Drugs (INRUD) indicators (1993) and the AWaRe 2021 classification. The results indicated substantial empirical prescribing and overuse of antibiotics exceeding WHO recommendations.
1. Ethnopharmacological Survey and Literature Verification of Medicinal Plants Used to Treat Peptic Ulcer Disease by the Indigenous People of Missenyi and Kyerwa Districts in Kagera, Tanzania.
Judith K. Costantine, Raphael Z. Sangeda, Deborah K.B. Runyoro
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctmp.2025.200238
2. Ethnopharmacological survey of medicinal plants used by the Nyambo and Haya people of Kyerwa district in northwestern Tanzania to treat urinary tract infections.
Judith Costantine, Rogers Mwakalukwa, Deborah Runyoro, Godfrey Sambayi, Cleopatra Justine, Meshack Lugoba
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctmp.2024.200177
3. WHO/INRUD prescribing indicators among tertiary regional referral hospitals in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: a call to strengthen antibiotic stewardship programmes.
Costantine J.K., Bwire G.M, Myemba D.T., Sambayi G, Njiro B.J., Kilipamwambu A, Chingoro N, Mganga M, and Majigo M.
https://doi.org/10.1093/jacamr/dlad093
