Gerald Kayingo, PhD, MBA, MMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA, has made significant contributions to the PA profession in a variety of ways. He is a respected researcher, prolific writer, seasoned educator, clinician and a leader in higher education. He has been involved in numerous PA organizations as a board member, commissioner and trustee.
Early Years:
Kayingo was born in Uganda earning his bachelor of science degree with honors from Makerere University in Uganda, followed by a Master’s in Biotechnology from the University of Zimbabwe and a PhD in Microbiology from the University of the Free State, South Africa. During his doctoral training, he was involved with the UNESCO Microbial Research Center, under the direction of Professor B.A. Prior. Here, Kayingo used microorganisms to study metabolic processes; cellular responses to stress; osmoregulation, and other processes of regulating water balance in the body. His PhD work has had a profound impact on the field of water channels (aquaporins), such as those found in the kidneys.
Following his PhD, Gerald Kayingo undertook postdoctoral studies at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. His postdoctoral studies further focused on the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying stress responses, signal transduction and metabolism, using yeast as a model organism. In 2001, he was invited to the section of infectious diseases at the Yale University School of Medicine to continue his post-doctoral training in mechanisms underlying pathogenesis and virulence of Candida albicans (a pathogenic yeast). At Yale, he studied under the mentorship of Dr. Brian Wong, an infectious diseases physician. Although he had aspired to a career in health care since childhood, up to this moment, his involvement in medicine was as a researcher.
PA School:
It was at Yale where Kayingo’s passion for direct patient care was re-ignited. The opportunities that he did not have back home in Uganda were now possible. He saw a great synergy between his strong background in biomedical sciences and medicine, a unique opportunity to translate science to direct patient care. Immediately upon completing his postdoctoral fellowship, he was accepted into the Yale PA Program and graduated in 2007 with a Masters of Medical Science (MMSc).
During PA school, Kayingo built on his doctoral and post-doctoral training and research capabilities. In 2007, he was recognized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) with the Outstanding Research Poster award. For his PA school research project, he travelled to Brazil and developed a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based diagnostic method for the diagnosis of paracoccidioidomycosis, a systemic fungal infection; this project was partly inspired by his prior training and research in biotechnology for which he was awarded a prestigious University Book Prize for academic excellence in 1997.
Clincial and Education Work:
Gerald Kayingo began his PA career in 2008 working in internal medicine at Hill Health Center (HHC), a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in New Haven, Connecticut. He soon rose to Lead PA in charge of Grant Street & Crossroads Primary Care. During his time at HHC, Kayingo was selected to be a Fellow at the Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Institute (2009). This led him to a career-long interest in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism. Kayingo then returned to the Yale School of Medicine and health system, joining the Yale Primary Care Center, and later becoming a manager at the Yale Eye Center (2011-2014). During that same period, he joined the faculty of the Yale PA Program, serving as one of the didactic education coordinators.
Kayingo left Yale in 2014 to join the formerly named PA/NP Program at University of California at Davis as an associate clinical professor. Here, he played a critical role in the program’s transition to offering a master’s credential, expanding class size and re-accreditation. During the six years at UC-Davis, Kayingo served as the PA program director (2015-2018) after it became part of the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing on the UC Davis Health Campus.
Leadership:
Kayingo has effectively advanced the PA profession through his involvement in leadership of several PA organizations at the board level, including the PA Education Association (PAEA: 2017-2019), the PA Foundation (PAF: 2016-2019), and the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA: 2024 to present). He has also been involved in other key roles:
- PAEA End of Curriculum Exam Development Committee (2017)
- Founding member of the AAPA Commission on the Health of the Public (2014-2016)
- Chair, AAPA Commission of Continuing Education & Professional Development (2024 to 2025)
- PAEA Project Access Committee (2011-2017)
- Member of the JPAE editorial board (2012-2017)
- AAPA Health Disparities Workgroup (2011-2014)
Research:
In addition to his original basic science research, Gerald Kayingo is a prolific writer on topics such as PA education, workforce, primary care, global health, and diabetes. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed publications, three books and six book chapters. With over 1000 citations and an h-index of 18 (as of 2025), his work has led to his service on several editorial boards including the Journal of PA Education (JPAE: 2012-2017), Clinician Reviews (2017-2019), and BMC Health Services Research (2018-2019). He currently serves as an editorial member for BMC Medical Education (2023 to present) and as a consulting editor for PA Clinics (2024-present). His published works have led to national recognition, receiving AAPA’s Research Publishing Award (2015) and PAEA’s Research Achievement Award (2017) and Article of the Year Award (2024).
Recognitions:
Kayingo’s work with students has led to recognition with the PA Student Academy Mentor Award (2016) and the Jack Cole Student Society of the Yale PA Program Award (2014) for significant contribution to the PA profession. His work has been recognized beyond the PA profession, he was inducted into the Uganda National Academy of Sciences (2014). He is the inaugural Leslie S. Robinson, MD, Endowed Professor and chair of the department of health professions education at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. In 2024, he partnered with the American Medical Association (AMA) Innovation in Medical education series and Elsevier to co-edit a textbook: Reimagining Medical Education: The Future of Health Equity and Social Justice. In 2025, he was invited to serve on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine global forum on innovation in health professional education.
To visit Dr. Kayingo’s Google Scholar Profile for a list of his publications, please click here.
In addition to his prolific publications record, Kayingo is a recipient of several federal and non-federal grants. He has been a principal and co-principal investigator of grants totaling over $5 million U.S dollars. In 2024, he was awarded a five-year federal grant to launch the Physician Assistant Rural Training in Behavioral Health and Preceptor Development Academy (The Partner Initiative). This preceptor academy is the first of its kind in the PA profession.
Current Career:
In 2020, Kayingo joined the faculty of the University of Maryland as a full professor, assistant dean and executive director of the Physician Assistant Leadership and Learning Academy (PALLA). He has several additional roles at the University including Assistant Dean for Research. He continues his work in diabetes, working part-time at the University of Maryland Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology. Kayingo is an early adopter of interprofessional education (IPE) and continues to teach IPE programs at the University of Maryland Baltimore. He believes in continuing professional development and has undertaken various post professional courses including the Management Development program at the Harvard School of Education, the Program for Educators in Health Professions by the Harvard Macy Institute, and the Master of Business Administration at the Gies College of Business University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Reflections:
Throughout his career, Kayingo believed that networking, collaboration, mentoring, humility and resilience are the essential ingredients for career advancement. He is very grateful for those who have been a catalyst in his career trajectory. When he is not at work, he enjoys international travelling, watching soccer and listening to African jazz with his family
Acknowledgments:
This biography was prepared by Bill Kohlhepp with the assistance of Gerald Kayingo. It was submitted to the Society in November 2025. Photographs are courtesy of Dr. Kayingo.
When using information from this biography, please provide the proper citation as described within the PA History Society Terms of Use.
To request the use of the photographs that accompany this biography, please contact the PA History Society to request permission as some photographs might have restrictions on their use.
