The Institute's research activities are divided into ethnobotanical, anthropological, chemical and biological studies.
Currently the Institute's research activities fall under the following research areas: -

1. HIV/AIDS:
The Institute has an extensive program to evaluate therapies that are being used by traditional healers to treat HIV/AIDS patients. In this program patients are being monitored for clinical progression of the disease. This is coupled with laboratory monitoring of immunological indicators (CD 4 , CD 8 counts), hematological parameters (FBP), liver function test (ASAT, ALAT) and kidney function test (Serum creatinine). Concurrently the Institute is running a program to evaluate extracts from different plants for antiviral, anticancer, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal activity. The Institute recently acquired three human cancer cell lines that are going to be used for cytotoxicity testing. The aim is to expand the range of available cell lines to be able to also culture different viruses.

2. Search for plant derived compounds for treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Both ethnomedical and laboratory studies on plants used traditionally for treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus are being done by the Institute. Activities in this area have decreased substantially due to lack of adequate staff to run this project simultaneously simultaneously with the HIV/AIDS project which is currently the priority area for the Institute.

3. Discovery of antimalarial compounds from marine invertebrates and terrestrial plants

This is a collaborative project being done jointly between the Institute of Traditional Medicine , the Institute of Marine Sciences in Zanzibar , and the Department of Parasitology of the School of Public Health and Social Sciences. It is a WHO funded project. This project is hoped to expand into a large program to search for novel antimalarial compounds from the large pool of endemic plants in Tanzania . Already members of staff are undergoing training in invivo and invitro testing methods.

4. Search for anticonvulsants from Tanzanian plants

This is a low key activity of the Institute. It is not one of the major priority areas but a number of students do projects in this area. Testing for anticonvulsant activity, using the picrotoxin, pentylenetetrazol and strychnine models, is well established at the Institute.

•  Formulation and standardization of herbal formulations

This is a new program at the Institute. The Institute has in place a herbal standardization unit, which has recently been established. The intention is to promote the use of herbal medicines for plants whose therapeutic value is already established. Partnership with pharmaceutical industry is being sought to facilitate commercialization of the production of herbal medicines.

•  Ethnobotanical studies in Tanzania

This is an ongoing activity to continue identifying plants that are being used by traditional healers for the treatment of various diseases.

•  Ex-situ conservation of potential medicinal plants

This is currently an area of immense importance to the Institute. We are seeking to promote community based cultivation of medicinal plants to serve the purpose of supplying raw materials for the production of herbal extracts and herbal medicines. This is also intended to promote national strategies for poverty reduction.