MPP’s goals and governance procedures are outlined in our Statutes, available in English and French. The duties of the Governance Board, the Expert Advisory Group (EAG), the Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP), and the Community Advisory Panel (CAP) and their relationship with MPP, are described in the Medicines Patent Pool by-laws and in the EAG Terms of Reference, SAP Terms of Reference and CAP Terms of Reference, MPP operates in an accountable manner, in accordance with our transparency policy.
The Governance Board is MPP’s governing body and its highest authority for making decisions (see our statutes). Among its key duties are to set MPP’s policies and strategies, oversee its work plan and financial matters, and monitor and evaluate its performance.
The Governance Board recognises that its ability to formulate sound decisions for the organisation is improved by the diversity of its membership. As such, the Board is actively committed to a composition that is diverse and inclusive, including a balance of sex and gender, race, age, geographic location, skills and experience, while ensuring that each individual member is an expert in their field, committed to the public interest, and dedicated to MPP’s mission.
The Governance Board also appoints the Executive Director and Governance Board members. MPP’s Executive Director attends Governance Board meetings, but without a right to vote. Since 1 September 2017, the Chair of the Governance Board is Marie-Paule Kieny.
Governance & Team » Governance Board
Marie-Paule Kieny
Chair of the Governance Board of the Medicines Patent Pool
(Steering Committee Chair of the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme)
Marie-Paule Kieny
Chair of the Governance Board of the Medicines Patent Pool
(Steering Committee Chair of the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme)
Marie-Paule Kieny chairs the Governing Board of the Medicines Patent Pool Foundation (MPPF, Geneva, Switzerland). She is also the Chair of the Board of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi, Geneva, Switzerland), a member of the Board of Fondation Mérieux (France) and a Non-Executive Independent Director of bioMérieux (Lyon, France). She is a member of the scientific advisory group of several organizations working in the area of health. Until May 2022, she was Director of Research at Inserm (Paris, France), a position where she chaired the French Scientific Committee on COVID-19 vaccine.
Until June 2017, Dr Kieny served as the Assistant Director-General for Health Systems and Innovation at the World Health Organization. Key successes under her leadership roles at WHO include coordinating the WHO R&D efforts during the 2014-2016 West-African Ebola epidemic and conceptualizing the WHO R&D Blueprint, a global preparedness plan against emerging diseases’ epidemics.
Before joining WHO, Dr. Kieny held top research positions in the public and private sectors in France.
Governance & Team » Governance Board
Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye
Board Member
Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye
Board Member
Professor Adeyeye is the Director General of Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), where she is leading regulatory and administrative reforms through quality management approach. She has also inaugurated the Nigerian Herbal Medicine Product Committee (HMPC) as a means of fostering research involving herbal practitioners and academic researchers while the intellectual property is protected.
She currently serves as the Chair of the Steering Committee of the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization (AMRH) and the World Health Organization (WHO)-based Global Paediatric Regulatory Network. She represents NAFDAC on the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA) and has been invited to be on the WHO Regional Expert Advisory Committee on Traditional Medicine for COVID-19. She is a Fellow of Nigeria Academy of Science, Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy, an Academic Research Fellow of American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP). She is the First African Woman Fellow, American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS), a society where only 3% of academia receives such recognition internationally.
Professor Adeyeye is Professor Emeritus of Pharmaceutics and Drug Product Evaluation at the College of Pharmacy, Roosevelt University in Schaumburg, USA. She was the founding Chair of Biopharmaceutical Sciences at the same University. She was Professor of Pharmaceutics and Manufacturing for twenty-one years at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, USA. She is a Senior Fulbright Scholar and Specialist.
She earned her B.S from the University of Nigeria, and MS and PhD from the University of Georgia, USA. Her research interests include quality-by-design (QbD) early phase development and manufacturing of solid, semisolid and liquid dosage forms, including Investigation New Drug Application (IND)-based late phase manufacturing. She is an expert in research and drug development, bench-to-bedside translational research and regulatory science. She has mentored over 15 PhD and M.S candidates. She has five patents, 65 peer reviewed manuscripts, book chapters and books, and more than 140 scientific presentations.
Governance & Team » Governance Board
Grégory Bonnaud
Treasurer Board Member
Grégory Bonnaud
Treasurer Board Member
Grégory is a Swiss Certified Public Accountant with over seventeen years of professional experience in finance and treasury management. He currently serves as Chief Financial Officer at Medicines for Malaria (MMV). In his role, he supervises the Finance and IT teams, ensuring the integrity of accounting, internal control, and audit functions to safeguard the organization’s reputation. Previously, Grégory worked as Audit Manager at KPMG SA in Geneva, managing audits across diverse sectors such as shipping, trading, NGOs, and luxury goods. His educational credentials include a Masters in Audit and Controlling from I.A.E Lyon and a master’s in financial management from University Clermont 1.
Governance & Team » Governance Board
Maureen Luba
Board Member
Maureen Luba
Board Member
Maureen Luba, is the Senior Advisor: Global Policy at AVAC, where she helps lead the organisation’s policy advocacy efforts and initiatives extending from Africa to the global stage. As a public health specialist and community engagement expert, for the past 14 years she has worked at the intersection of global health institutions, researchers, funders, policymakers, and community stakeholders focusing on providing technical support to strengthen community engagement in public health programs and inform policy development, implementation, and monitoring.
She currently serves as a member of the IAS HIV Vaccine Industry Partnership Advisory Group and was recently invited to join the Scientific Advisory Group for the BRILLIANT Consortium – a five-year USAID-funded initiative to support African institutions and scientists in advancing HIV vaccine research. She is also a member of the African Women Prevention Community Accountability Board and a former Board member for the International Partnership for Microbicides.
She was an AVAC Advocacy Fellow and a Global Change Leadership Fellow in 2015 and was one of Harvard’s Global Health LEAD inaugural Fellows and visiting scientist in 2019.
She has a Bachelors degree in Public Administration from the University of Malawi and a Master of Medical Sciences Degree in Global Health Delivery from Harvard Medical School.
Governance & Team » Governance Board
Peter Maybarduk
Board Member
Peter Maybarduk
Board Member
Peter Maybarduk directs Public Citizen’s access to medicines and knowledge economy group, which helps partners worldwide make medicine affordable and secure the benefits of technology and culture for all. Peter has provided technical assistance related to patents and licensing to public agencies and civil society organisations in more than three dozen countries. His work has supported major health cost savings and new state access to medicine policies, as well as helped defeat harmful proposals in legislation and trade deals. Peter and his colleagues have helped organise the global movement for COVID vaccine access and rallied support for new vaccine manufacturing funding and technology transfer. Peter studied technology law at Berkeley Law School (University of California) and anthropology at The College of William & Mary in Virginia. He is an affiliate fellow with the Information Society Program at Yale Law School. Peter founded International Professional Partnerships for Sierra Leone, a non-profit dedicated to supporting public sector development in one of the world’s least developed countries. Peter writes music, available under Creative Commons licences.
Governance & Team » Governance Board
Govindarajan Narayanan
Board Member
Govindarajan Narayanan
Board Member
With a background in Engineering, Govindarajan started his career at Gharda Chemicals, gaining eight years of diverse experience in roles spanning Engineering, Design, Projects, and Manufacturing. Later, as CEO and Managing Director of Shasun from 2000 to 2010, he transformed the company from a single-product API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) entity into a diversified business, expanding into finished dosage, Contract Research and Manufacturing Services (CRAMS), and biologics. As the Managing Director of Aurobindo Pharma from 2010 to 2021, Govind oversaw significant growth, establishing new businesses and executing strategic acquisitions. He is currently collaborating with TI (a Murugappa group company) to create a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO). He also serves as an operating partner at Kedaara Capital, a private equity firm, and sits on the board of United Way India.
Governance & Team » Governance Board
Maximiliano Santa Cruz
Board Member
Maximiliano Santa Cruz
Board Member
Maximiliano Santa Cruz is the founder of Santa Cruz IP, a consultancy which advises on the design of intellectual property (IP) strategies, innovation, and technology transfer. He was the CEO of the National Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI), the Chilean patent and trademark office, for nine years (2009-2018). At INAPI, Santa Cruz was also one of the founders and promoters of PROSUR, an initiative comprising 13 Latin American IP offices, the most advanced and broad instance of integration in the field. He is also a consultant with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), with the European Union’s IP Office (EUIPO), the World Bank, and with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). He chaired the WIPO Standing Committee on Patents and the Working Group of the Patent Cooperation Treaty, and he is member of the Board of The Lens. Maximiliano is a lawyer from Universidad de Chile and LLM from the University of San Francisco, CA, US.
Governance & Team » Governance Board
Pushpa Vijayaraghavan
Board Member
Pushpa Vijayaraghavan
Board Member
Pushpa Vijayaraghavan is Director and Practice Lead, Healthcare & Innovation Advisory, at Sathguru Management Consultants, a consultancy firm with market leading presence at the intersection of strategy, innovation and transactions in life sciences.
Pushpa leads Sathguru’s engagement with global biopharma industry and stakeholders in healthcare. Pushpa has advised leading pharma companies on strategic growth planning, partnerships, technology access, R&D prioritization et al. Pushpa’s industry advisory engagement spans the breadth of specialty/branded pharmaceuticals as well as generics across small molecules, peptides, biologicals and regenerative medicine. Pushpa has shaped biopharma investment strategy for marque global private equity funds such as Sequoia Capital; and has led techno-commercial evaluation of investment opportunities in the biopharma segment for multiple transactions.
Pushpa has also advised leading research institutions on IP commercialization; and has led more than 20 transactions across the spectrum of platform and product licensing for global / regional rights. Pushpa has been deeply engaged in policy advisory and has contributed to nationally strategic initiatives such as the $250Million World Bank and Government of India co-funded National Biopharma Mission in India and GIZ and IFC funded efforts for vaccine manufacturing capacity creation in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Pushpa’s past experience includes working with the Technology Transfer Office at the University of Michigan and corporate consulting with the life sciences industry in PricewaterhouseCoopers Private Limited (PwC) and Ernst & Young. She is a Registered Technology Transfer Professional (RTTP, https://attp.info/current-rttps/) and one among the first ten technology transfer professionals from India to gain the RTTP accreditation. Pushpa is an MBA from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), USA, holds a Certificate in Innovation Policy from the Ford School of Public Policy and an Indian Chartered Accountant.
Governance & Team » Governance Board
Philippe Duneton
Founder and principal funder, Non-voting participant, Unitaid
Philippe Duneton
Founder and principal funder, Non-voting participant, Unitaid
Dr Duneton has more than 25 years of experience in the fields of HIV/AIDS, infectious diseases and public health. As Executive Director, he has led Unitaid’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, playing a vital role as the co-lead of the therapeutics arm of the Access to COVID Tools Accelerator. Previously, he was a practicing infectious diseases doctor at Hospital ‘La Pitié Salpétrière’ in Paris and was twice advisor to the French Ministry of Health. He was the head of the Mission against HIV/AIDS and harm reduction for the largest health trust in Paris and led the French regulatory agency for medicines and health products. He also chaired the Board of the European Medicines Agency. Unitaid founded the Medicines Patent Pool in 2010 and continues to be its principal funder.
Governance & Team » Governance Board
Amy Dietterich
Non-voting participant, World Intellectual Property Organization
Amy Dietterich
Non-voting participant, World Intellectual Property Organization
Amy Dietterich is the Director of the Global Challenges Division at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). In this role, she covers Intellectual Property (IP)-related global policy issues in the areas of Global Health, Climate Change, and Food Security.
Amy has twenty years of experience in the fields of public health, water & sanitation, and governance, spanning community-based organisations, international NGOs, global health partnerships, and United Nations institutions. Prior to joining WIPO in 2018, she worked with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to ensure stronger community engagement in health systems governance and service delivery, and with the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank and IMF to support parliamentary oversight of development cooperation and financing. Amy also previously served as Special Advisor to the Civil Society Representative on the Gavi Alliance Board, simultaneously coordinating the Gavi CSO Constituency and Gavi CSO Steering Committee.
Ms. Dietterich earned her academic qualifications in Public Health, Biology, and French from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Bucknell University in 2005 and 2000 respectively.
Governance & Team » Governance Board
Dr Yukiko Nakatani
Non-voting participant, World Health Organisation
Dr Yukiko Nakatani
Non-voting participant, World Health Organisation
Dr Yukiko Nakatani was appointed Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines and Health Products (MHP) at WHO/HQ on 2 May 2023. In this role she leads the development and implementation of WHO’s norms and policies to ensure equitable access to quality medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and medical devices for all populations everywhere, including for preventing and responding to epidemics. Dr Nakatani has been serving as the Director of the Cancer and Disease Control Division of the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. She holds a medical degree and a PhD in public health.
Governance & Team » Governance Board
Antony Scott Taubman
Non-voting participant, World Trade Organization
Antony Scott Taubman
Non-voting participant, World Trade Organization
Antony Taubman has served since 2009 as Director of the WTO’s Intellectual Property, Government Procurement and Competition Division, with responsibility for a wide range of WTO activities in these fields including coordination on the intersections between public health, trade policy and the intellectual property system, with a particular focus on the international response to the COVID-19 pandemic. From 2002 to 2009, he directed the Global Intellectual Property Issues Division of WIPO (including the Traditional Knowledge Division and Life Sciences Program), covering IP and genetic resources, traditional knowledge and folklore, the life sciences, and related global issues including public health and climate, the environment, climate change, human rights, food security, bioethics and indigenous issues. An earlier appointment at WIPO covered development cooperation in Asia and the Pacific, redesign of the program and budget, and policy development.
A diplomatic career with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) concluded with service as Director, International Intellectual Property, engaged in multilateral and bilateral negotiations on IP issues, domestic policy development, regional cooperation, and TRIPS dispute settlement. Earlier service included disarmament policy and participation in the negotiations on the Chemical Weapons Convention, and postings to the Australian Embassy in Tehran as Deputy Head of Mission, and to the Hague as Alternate Representative to the Preparatory Commission for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and Chair of the Expert Group on Confidentiality as a component of the system for verification of disarmament commitments.
In 2001 he joined the Australian Centre for Intellectual Property in Agriculture and the College of Law at the Australian National University, teaching and researching on international IP law. He has held postgraduate teaching appointments at several law schools including at the University of Melbourne, American University, the Queensland University of Technology and the University of Edinburgh, and contributes to many other educational and training programs. In 2008, the Rockefeller Foundation awarded him a Bellagio residential fellowship for his work on TRIPS and public policy issues. He has authored numerous publications on the TRIPS Agreement and international IP law and policy, and cognate policy fields such as public health, competition policy and the digital economy.
A registered patent attorney, he worked in private practice in the law of patents, trademarks and designs in Melbourne in the 1980s. His tertiary education has included computer science, mathematics, engineering, classical languages, philosophy, international relations, law and theology; he taught ancient Greek philosophy at Melbourne University.
The Expert Advisory Group (EAG) advises the Governance Board and the Executive Director on MPP’s licence negotiations, and assesses whether the terms and conditions of the proposed licence agreements meet the key requirements as set out by MPP’s Statutes.
Individual members of the EAG are also consulted by the Executive Director in their particular area of expertise that is relevant to the work of MPP.
In selecting the members of the EAG, the Governance Board has sought to bring in expertise in the following areas, while achieving an appropriate geographical and gender balance:
- Regulatory
- Intellectual property licensing and law
- Public health in developing countries/medicines policy
- Communities/non-governmental organisations
- Science/research & development
- Clinical expertise
- Business development within the pharmaceutical sector/markets/procurement
Members of the EAG act solely in their personal capacity.
The EAG reports on MPP’s licences are publicly available as stated in our transparency policy.
Access the EAG Terms of Reference.
EAG members (A to Z):
Governance & Team » Expert Advisory Group
Peter Beyer (Chair)
Deputy Executive Director – GARDP
Switzerland
Peter Beyer (Chair)
Deputy Executive Director – GARDP
Switzerland
Peter is a public health expert who joined GARDP from the World Health Organization (WHO) where he led the unit responsible for developing global initiatives to foster the development and access to new antimicrobial treatments. He was responsible for WHO’s work on intellectual property and access to medicines, setting up the tripartite collaboration among the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and WHO. He also provided technical assistance to countries to facilitate access to affordable HIV and hepatitis treatments. Peter chairs the Expert Advisory Group of the Medicines Patent Pool that assesses the terms and conditions of all proposed licence agreements. Peter is a trained lawyer and was admitted to the bar in Berlin in 2002. He holds a PhD from the University of Freiburg, Germany on European environmental law and has extensive experience in international negotiations. As a Legal Advisor to the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property in Bern, he negotiated bilateral free trade agreements and was responsible for the bilateral dialogue between Switzerland and China on intellectual property. During his time with the Ecologic Institute in Berlin he was an adviser to the German Ministry of the Environment in international treaty negotiations and drafted the German law on CO2 emissions trading. Most importantly, Peter was instrumental in setting up GARDP as well as the AMR Action Fund, with his wealth of knowledge and expertise.
Governance & Team » Expert Advisory Group
Luis Gil Abinader
Lawyer
USA
Luis Gil Abinader
Lawyer
USA
Luis Gil Abinader is a lawyer focused on global health, intellectual property, and access to medicines. He is currently a fellow at the Georgetown University O’neill Institute working with the Global Health Policy and Politics Initiative. Prior to the O’neill Institute, Gil Abinader worked as a senior researcher at Knowledge Ecology International (KEI), a fellow with the Interdisciplinary Centre of Studies in Science, Technology and Innovation (CIECTI), and an adjunct professor at the Universidad Nacional General Sarmiento (UNGS) in Argentina. Gil Abinader serves at the Board of the Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) and has been a consultant to several national governments and international organizations, including the World Health Organization. He has published several papers related to intellectual property. Gil Abinader holds an LL.M. in Global Health Law from Georgetown University Law Center and a master’s in intellectual property from the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO) in Argentina. His law degree was obtained at the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM) in the Dominican Republic.
Governance & Team » Expert Advisory Group
Zeba Aziz
Hameed Latif Hospital
Pakistan
Zeba Aziz
Hameed Latif Hospital
Pakistan
Zeba Aziz is a medical oncologist with a busy clinical practice based in Hameed Latif Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan. She previously served as the Head of Department of Oncology and Professor at Jinnah Hospital Lahore. Currently she is Dean of Medical Oncology for the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan and is also the Program Director for the Medical Oncology Fellowship at Hameed Latif Hospital. She is currently the President of Society of Medical Oncology of Pakistan formed recently. Her international efforts include being on the steering committee for the Australian & Asia Pacific Oncology Research Development (ACORD) Workshop and being an invited panelist and speaker for multiple conferences around the world. She has made contributions to research through her 79 peer-reviewed publications on Oncology. Her specific fields of interest are malignant haematology and breast cancer.
Governance & Team » Expert Advisory Group
Jennifer Cohn
Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP)
Switzerland
Jennifer Cohn
Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP)
Switzerland
Dr. Jennifer Cohn is an infectious disease physician with a focus on improving access to and uptake of effective health products and models of care in low- and middle-income countries. She currently serves as the Director, Global Access for the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP), and is a clinical associate professor of Infectious Diseases and Scholar at the Center for Global Health at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Before joining GARDP, Jennifer served as Senior Vice President for cardiovascular health at Resolve to Save Lives, Senior Director of Innovation at the Elizabeth Glaser Paediatric AIDS Foundation, and as the Medical Coordinator for the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) Access Campaign. Jennifer has served on international advisory groups for TB, HIV, non-communicable diseases and viral hepatitis. She has published over 80 papers in peer-reviewed medical journals. Jennifer received her MD from University of Pennsylvania, is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases and earned her Masters in Public Health at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.
Governance & Team » Expert Advisory Group
Dr. Carlos Maria Correa
Executive Director of the South Centre
Switzerland
Dr. Carlos Maria Correa
Executive Director of the South Centre
Switzerland
Dr. Carlos M. Correa is the Executive Director of the South Centre. Previously, he was the Special Advisor on Trade and Intellectual Property of the South Centre. Dr. Correa is a renowned international authority on intellectual property, international trade, plant biodiversity and technology issues. Dr. Correa has worked with the Argentine government and has been the Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies on Industrial Property and Economics (CEIDIE) at the Law Faculty of the University of Buenos Aires. He has been a member of the Scientific Council of the Deutsch-Argentinisches Hochschulzentrum (DAHZ-CUAA), of the UK Commission on Intellectual Property, of international expert commissions convened by the World Health Organization and of the FAO Panel of Eminent Experts on Ethics in Food and Agriculture. He has been a visiting professor in post-graduate courses of several universities, as well as consultant to various regional and international organizations, including FAO, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNIDO and the World Bank. He is the author of several books (the most recent published by Oxford University Press, Kluwer Law and Edward Elgar) and of numerous articles. He is a lawyer and economist and holds a PhD in Law from the University of Buenos Aires.
Governance & Team » Expert Advisory Group
Dr Katherine Gill
MBChB, MPH, Dip HIV man
South Africa
Dr Katherine Gill
MBChB, MPH, Dip HIV man
South Africa
Dr Katherine Gill is a medical doctor, public health specialist and senior researcher at the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation in Cape Town specialising in HIV Prevention Clinical Trials, adolescent and STI research. She has been a medical doctor for 20 years and has more than 10 years experience running a clinical Trial site in Cape Town.
Governance & Team » Expert Advisory Group
Manuel Gonçalves
Co-Chair of Advisory Board of Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Portugal
Manuel Gonçalves
Co-Chair of Advisory Board of Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Portugal
Manuel earned his medical degree in the Lisbon Medical School in 1977, and practiced general medicine in the Portuguese NHS until 1988. He is an elected member of the Portuguese Medical Academy and was a consultant to the General Management of the Largest Public University of Lisbon (NOVA) since 2003 and an elected member of its General Council 2008 – 2018. In June 2018 Manuel was appointed by the Ministers of Science and Technology; and Health of Portugal, member of the Committee that created the Portuguese Agency for Clinical Investigation and Biomedical Innovation – AICIB. Manuel worked in the Pharma Industry from 1984 to 2018 in Portugal France and UK. He became Vice President and General Manager of GSK’s pharmaceuticals business in Portugal in 1997. During the period 1997-2009 he was Board Member and Vice-Chairman of the Portuguese Pharma Trade Association. Manuel Gonçalves was part of the team that created ViiV Healthcare Plc in 2009 a fully dedicated HIV company. He was Executive Vice President, Head of External Affairs and Communications and a member of ViiV Executive Committee from 2009 to 2018. During his time in ViiV, Manuel and his team were responsible for developing innovative and ground-breaking partnerships with key stakeholders that enabled access to ViiV medicines in most resource poor countries. Manuel was elected Co-Chairman, of the International AIDS Society, Industry Liaison Forum in 2014, position that he occupied until February 2018.
Governance & Team » Expert Advisory Group
Dr. Mariatou Tala Jallow
Pharmacist
Gambia
Dr. Mariatou Tala Jallow
Pharmacist
Gambia
Dr. Mariatou Tala Jallow is a pharmacist with over 30 years of engagement in Global Health. She holds a PhD in Pharmacy and Masters’ Degrees in Pharmacy and Health Administration from the University of Oslo, Norway. Tala has held various high-level positions over her career including as Senior Manager at the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria in Geneva. During her tenure at the Global Fund, Tala Jallow led the strategic design and development of the Pooled Procurement Mechanism (PPM), managed a portfolio of $1.2 billion annual spend on pharmaceuticals and other health products, engaged with manufacturers, and oversaw PPM operations in over 60 countries. Prior to joining The Global Fund, Tala was the Chief Pharmacist of The Gambia’s Ministry of Health and also did international consultancies with the World Bank, World Health Organization (WHO) and other agencies.
In 2020, Tala founded a global health consultancy firm based in Gambia and currently serves as its Managing Director. She is also a member of the Access to Medicines Foundation’s first Expert Committee for the Generic Medicines Manufacturers (GMM) Research Programme.
Governance & Team » Expert Advisory Group
Deepa Joshi
Physician Scientist
India
Deepa Joshi
Physician Scientist
India
Deepa Joshi is a physician scientist. She trained as a physician in India followed by a doctorate degree in Canada. She has worked in pharmaceutical R&D for more than two decades with Torrent Pharmaceuticals, Reliance Life Sciences and Bristol Myers Squibb. As part of novel drug discovery, she has led multidisciplinary teams working on target identification, drug candidate nomination, translational medicine and clinical development. As part of generic drug development she has led teams on portfolio selection, defining clinical strategy and its execution and regulatory filing in different geographies like India, Brazil, UK and Germany. She has published extensively and holds patents.
Governance & Team » Expert Advisory Group
Martha Gyansa-Lutterodt
Health Policy Analyst
Ghana
Martha Gyansa-Lutterodt
Health Policy Analyst
Ghana
Dr. (Mrs.) Martha Gyansa-Lutterodt is health policy analyst with specialty in Pharmaceutical policy with over 35 years of public service at the management level. Martha is a product of KNUST Ghana, Leeds University, United Kingdom in Health Policy and GIMPA’s School of Governance and Leadership for Leadership and Governance. Martha also holds a Doctorate in Pharmacy from KNUST, Ghana and Master of Arts in Ministries from Trinity Theological Seminary, Legon and a certified Counsellor. She serves on several national and international boards and also was a Lancet Commissioner on Essential Medicines in 2015. She is an Expert member of the World Health Organisation Expert Committee on Medicines Policy and Management. She has several publications on various topics like Universal Health Coverage, TRIPS, DOHA and Access to medicines, policy options for Ghana, Antibiotic Resistance in Ghana by Lancet Infectious Diseases, Global governance of antimicrobial resistance also by Lancet, among others. Martha was the immediate Member/Secretary for African Palliative Care Association (Pro Bono). Dr Gyansa-Lutterodt is the Chairman of the Ghana Chapter of West Africa Post Graduate College of Pharmacists and Head of Division of Social and Administrative Pharmacy and Public Health Pharmacy of the Ghana College of Pharmacists, as well as Head of Faculty of Public Health Pharmacy. She was an Expert member of United Nations Interagency Coordinating Group on Antimicrobial Resistance 2017-2019. Dr Gyansa-Lutterodt was the first Female Chief Pharmacist and Director of Pharmaceutical Services and until June 2022 was the first substantive Director of Technical Coordination, Ministry of Health when she retired from Public Service.
Governance & Team » Expert Advisory Group
Jordan Jarvis
Senior Policy Advisor
Canada
Jordan Jarvis
Senior Policy Advisor
Canada
Jordan Jarvis (she/her) is a health policy and systems researcher with a focus on the governance and political economy of medicines and health products, particularly for non-communicable diseases. She currently serves as a Senior Policy Advisor for the Ontario Ministry of Health (Canada). Jordan earned her doctorate in public health (DrPH) from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK. Previously, as the Executive Director of the Young Professionals Chronic Disease Network, Jordan led advocacy focused on improving health equity and access to health products for people suffering from non-communicable diseases. She has worked and consulted for diverse global health institutions, including the World Health Organization, the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases, and Amref Health Africa in Kenya. She also serves as an associate editor for BMC Globalization & Health and on WHO’s Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases. She completed a postgraduate research fellowship with the Harvard Global Equity Initiative, earned a MSc in Medical Biophysics from the University of Toronto, and a BSc (Hons.) in Biology from Western University in Canada.
Governance & Team » Expert Advisory Group
Gugu Nolwandle Mahlangu
Consultant Regulatory Pharmacist
Zimbabwe
Gugu Nolwandle Mahlangu
Consultant Regulatory Pharmacist
Zimbabwe
Gugu Nolwandle Mahlangu is a Consultant Regulatory Pharmacist, formerly the Director-General of the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe. Ms Mahlangu gained her initial professional experience in hospital pharmacy and community pharmacy management. However, most of her 30 working years has been spent in the arena of medicines regulation. She has served the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe and its predecessor, the Drugs Control Council, in various technical and managerial capacities culminating in her appointment as Director-General in 2012. Ms Mahlangu has been involved in the regulation of the professions, first as the pharmacist member of the Health Professions Council, and then as the first chairperson of the Pharmacists Council. Ms Mahlangu was involved in the development of the Treaty to set up the African Medicines Agency as chairperson of the AU/WHO task force. Since her retirement in 2020 she has worked as a regulatory consultant for SADC/WB, the Gates Foundation, WHO and Team Europe.
Governance & Team » Expert Advisory Group
Valérie Paris
Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS)
France
Valérie Paris
Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS)
France
Valérie Paris joined the OECD Secretariat in September 2005 to contribute to the work undertaken by the Health Division. Since then, she has contributed to several projects on health systems’ characteristics and performance, providers’ payments, pharmaceutical policies and regional variations in health care use. She co-ordinated and co-authored the OECD reports New Health Technologies – Managing Access, Value and Sustainability (2017) and Pharmaceutical Innovation and Access to Medicines (2018). She is responsible for most OECD projects related to pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
Previously, she was researcher at the French Institute of Research and Information on Health Economics (IRDES), a non-for-profit organisation. She participated in research projects on pharmaceutical policies, physicians’ payment schemes, health accounts and comparative analysis of health systems. She holds a master’s degree in Economics, statistics and econometrics from the University of Paris 1-Sorbonne (1990).
Governance & Team » Expert Advisory Group
Fatima Suleman
University of KwaZulu-Natal
South Africa
Fatima Suleman
University of KwaZulu-Natal
South Africa
Fatima Suleman works in pharmaceutical policy. Her focus has been on ensuring affordability and access to medicines, and the pandemic has exposed these inequities. She was appointed by the Minister of Health as member (2010) and then chair (2014-2020) of the Medicines Pricing Committee. She is appointed to the World Health Organization’s Expert Advisory Panel on Drug Evaluation (2017 – 2025); served on several WHO committees; and as a technical advisor on pharmaceutical policy for several countries in Africa and Asia in the last 17 years. She was formerly appointed as Professor/Prince Claus Chair of Development and Equity: Affordable (Bio)Therapeutics for Public Health, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands, September 2016 to September 2018 and in 2019, as the Director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Pharmaceutical Policy and Evidence Based Practice at UKZN, where she is employed as a Research Professor. In 2021, she was co-winner of the Helen Clark-Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice Award, and for 2022, a finalist in the Management Award category by the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF)-South32 Awards.
The Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) was created in 2019 to support the work of the Expert Advisory Group (EAG). The panel, composed of a pool of subject-matter experts, provides MPP and its governing bodies with critical insights and guidance. Access the SAP Terms of Reference
The SAP has two main functions
- Upon the review of a proposed licence agreement, at least two members from the SAP who have expertise in the particular health area relevant to the proposed licence will be invited to join the licence review group.
The disease-specific experts will have the opportunity to confidentially review drafts of the proposed licence and to offer comments to MPP’s Expert Advisory Group (EAG). - The members of the SAP will be invited ad hoc to provide technical expertise and guidance on specific health areas or medical technologies that may be helpful to the MPP, in particular in relation to MPP prioritisation for in-licensing.
SAP members (A to Z):
Marc Blockman
University of Cape Town
Health area: Cardiovascular
Marc Blockman
University of Cape Town
Health area: Cardiovascular
Marc Blockman is Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, and Senior Consultant in the division of clinical pharmacology at Groote Schuur Hospital and the University of Cape Town. He has been involved in the science of clinical pharmacology and its application to clinical medicine for 35 years. He exemplifies a strong culture of evidence-based medical practice, exemplified by his involvement in the teaching and application of the evidence-based ethos. He has been involved since 1995 with the Essential Drugs Programme of South Africa, becoming Chairman of the South African Essential Drugs Programme in 2008. He is a member of the Universities medical and bioethics programme; and he is Chair of the Health Sciences Human Research and Ethics Committee, as well as chair of various data safety monitoring committees (DSMBs). He is Chair of the University of Cape Town’s Senate Ethics in Research Committee; which plays an oversight role over all the research ethics committees of the University.
Grania Brigden
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Health area: Tuberculosis
Grania Brigden
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Health area: Tuberculosis
Grania Brigden is Senior TB advisor at the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. She was previously the Director of the Department of TB at the International Union Against TB and Lung disease (The Union). She has been leading projects related to all areas of TB from drug resistant TB to child and adolescent TB. She was involved in the development and launch of TB Science, is a member of a number of scientific committees and was made a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 2019.
Pedro Cahn
Fundación Huésped
Health area: HIV
Pedro Cahn
Fundación Huésped
Health area: HIV
Pedro Cahn has been working in infectious diseases for more than 40 years and has been involved in the HIV/AIDS arena since 1982. He is a Senior Consultant in Infectious Diseases at the Juan Fernandez Hospital and is Scientific Director of the Huésped Foundation, Buenos Aires, Argentina (the largest non-government organisation in Argentina, serving patients with, and at risk of, HIV/AIDS). Dr Cahn is ex-Professor of Infectious Diseases at the Buenos Aires University Medical School.
Dr Cahn is a past President of the International AIDS Society (IAS), and also an external advisor for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), UNITAID, and Doctors without Borders, as well as a member of the antiretroviral guidelines panel for WHO and a former member of the International Antiviral Society–USA (IAS–USA) ARV guidelines committee. In Argentina, he serves as advisor for the National AIDS programme as well at the Presidential advisory committee on COVID-19
His research team has generated the initial evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of dual-therapy regimens, now included in the major international ARV guidelines.
He has published more than 200 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters.
Brenda Eloisa Crabtree Ramirez
Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición, Salvador Zubirán (INCMNSZ)
Health area: HIV
Brenda Eloisa Crabtree Ramirez
Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición, Salvador Zubirán (INCMNSZ)
Health area: HIV
Brenda Eloisa Crabtree Ramirez is a Senior Researcher at the HIV Clinic of the Infectious Diseases Department at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición, Salvador Zubirán (INCMNSZ) since 2008. Branda is also a member of the Mexican National System of Researchers since 2010, currently level II and Assistant Professor of the HIV/AIDS Program at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). Brenda has been a CRS Coordinator of the Mexican site from the AIDS Clinical Trial Groups (ACTG) Network since December 2020 and is a Sub-investigator of the MOSAICO study at the Mexico City site. Brenda has been a Member of the Mexican Association of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (AMIMC) since 2007 and was Chair of the AMIMC HIV Committee from 2015-2017. She is also a Member of the International AIDS Society (since 2007) and was local Chair of the International AIDS Society (IAS) Scientific Conference held in Mexico City in 2019. She was recently appointed as part of the scientific committee to be leader of the “clinical track” of the World AIDS Conference of the IAS in Montreal in 2022.
Stephen Colagiuri
University of Sydney
Health area: Diabetes
Stephen Colagiuri
University of Sydney
Health area: Diabetes
Stephen Colagiuri is Professor of Metabolic Health, Co-Director of the Boden Initiative, and Co-Director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre on Physical Activity, Nutrition and Obesity at the University of Sydney. He is a clinical academic and a medical graduate specialising in diabetes and endocrinology. His research and clinical focus are on diabetes and obesity prevention, evidence-based diabetes care and economic aspects of diabetes and obesity. He has served on a number of World Health Organization technical advisory groups and served on the Board of the International Diabetes Federation from 2017 to 2022 as Vice President (Physician). He is a previous President of the Australian Diabetes Society and previous editor-in-chief of Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice. In 2017 he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in recognition of national and international services to diabetes.
Nathan Ford
World Health Organization
Health area: HIV
Nathan Ford
World Health Organization
Health area: HIV
Dr Nathan Ford is a scientific officer with the Department of HIV/AIDS and Global Hepatitis Programme of the World Health Organization in Geneva, and head of WHO’s Guidelines Review Committee. Prior to joining WHO in 2012, he worked with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) for 14 years supporting HIV programmes in a number of countries in southern Africa and South-East Asia. He holds a degree in Microbiology and Virology, a Masters in Public Health and Epidemiology, and a PhD in Clinical Epidemiology, and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
Gavin Giovannoni
Queen Mary University of London
Health area: Multiple Sclerosis
Gavin Giovannoni
Queen Mary University of London
Health area: Multiple Sclerosis
Gavin Giovannoni was appointed to the Chair of Neurology, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London in November 2006. He did his undergraduate medical training at Wits, where he graduated cum laude in 1987. He moved to the Institute of Neurology, UCL, Queen Square, London in 1993 after completing his specialist training in neurology in South Africa. After three years as a clinical research fellow and two years as the Scarfe Lecturer, he was awarded a PhD in immunology from the University of London in 1998. He was appointed as a Clinical Senior Lecturer, Royal Free and University College Medical School, in 1998 and moved back to Queen Square in 1999. He was made a Reader in Neuroimmunology in 2004. His clinical interests are multiple sclerosis and other inflammatory disorders of the central nervous system. He is particularly interested in clinical issues related to optimising MS disease-modifying therapies. Professor Giovannoni’s current research is focused on Epstein Barr virus as a possible cause of multiple sclerosis (MS), MS-related neurodegeneration, MS biomarker discovery, MS clinical outcome measures, MS clinical trials and immune tolerance strategies. He has recently become the co-director of the Preventive Neurology Unit, Wolfson Institute of Population Health.
Beartriz Grinsztejn
FIOCRUZ
Health area: HIV
Beartriz Grinsztejn
FIOCRUZ
Health area: HIV
Beartriz Grinsztejn is an infectious disease physician-researcher who has dedicated her career to HIV and AIDS care and research. With colleagues, she established the FIOCRUZ HIV/AIDS Service, which is the largest care provider in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Since 1999, she has served as Director of the HIV/AIDS Clinical Research Unit at the Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Diseases – FIOCRUZ in Rio de Janeiro. Beatriz has also been the principal investigator (PI) for a clinical trials unit for the past 13 years. Beatriz is a member of the Brazilian Ministry of Health ART and PrEP Advisory Committees, PAHO Technical Advisory Committee and PrEP Task Force, and UNAIDS Expert Panel. She also served on the WHO ART Guidelines Panel. More recently, she has integrated the international effort to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and is currently leading or involved in various COVID-19 observational, prevention and treatment studies. She currently serves as the elected president of the International Aids Society(IAS) for the 2024-2026 period.
A. Metin Gülmezoğlu
Concept Foundation
Health area: Reproductive Health
A. Metin Gülmezoğlu
Concept Foundation
Health area: Reproductive Health
Metin Gülmezoglu is an obstetrician gynaecologist who worked in Turkey, South Africa, United Kingdom and Switzerland. He is currently the Executive Director of Concept Foundation, a nonprofit nongovernmental organization working on improving access to quality-assured sexual and reproductive health medicines and technologies in low- and middle-income countries worldwide based in Geneva, Switzerland and Bangkok, Thailand.
Prior to joining Concept Foundation in 2019, Metin was working at HRP (the UNDP/ UNFPA/ UNICEF/ WHO/ World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction), World Health Organization, as the Coordinator for Maternal and Perinatal Health and Abortion.
Metin published more than 300 articles and book chapters and gave numerous presentations in global, regional and national conferences and meetings. Metin is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in the UK, Honorary Professor in the Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research within the College of Medical and Dental Sciences at University of Birmingham, UK, and honorary member of The Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine in the U.S.A.
Nabil Haddad
Laboratory of Immunology and Vector-Borne Diseases Faculty of Public Health Lebanese University Beirut, Lebanon
Health area: Malaria
Nabil Haddad
Laboratory of Immunology and Vector-Borne Diseases Faculty of Public Health Lebanese University Beirut, Lebanon
Health area: Malaria
Nabil Haddad is a Professor at the Faculty of Public Health of the Lebanese University. He has a PhD in Parasitology from Champagne-Ardennes University (Reims, France) and postgraduate diplomas in Epidemiology from Bordeaux II University, and in Medical Entomology from Pasteur Institute-Paris. Nabil Haddad teaches several courses of Biology and Microbiology for undergraduate students and he is the coordinator of the Master’s program of Bio-Health at the Faculty of Public Health where he teaches advanced courses on Parasite-host interactions and on emergent arboviral diseases. His research is focused on the study of vectors and the epidemiology of vector-borne diseases in Lebanon and Syria. He leads numerous research projects with national (Lebanese University, CNRS) and international (WHO, NIAID, GEIS, Pasteur Institute,..) funds mainly on Leishmaniasis, Sandfly fever and mosquito-borne arboviral diseases. He obtained in 2013 the American scholarship of Fulbright. Nabil Haddad is a consultant for the Lebanese Ministry of Health for vector-borne diseases. In addition, he is a medical entomology expert for the WHO-EMRO region and a focal point for the “Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network” of WHO. He is also a member of Euro-Mediterranean Networks MediLabSecure and VectorNet.
André Ilbawi
World Health Organization
Health area: Oncology
André Ilbawi
World Health Organization
Health area: Oncology
Technical lead, Cancer Control
Department of Noncommunicable Diseases
Division of Universal Health Coverage
(Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases)
World Health Organization
Dr Ilbawi leads the cancer programme at the World Health Organization. In this capacity, he oversees WHO cancer initiatives and has provided support to more than sixty governments in strengthening their cancer control programmes, including in humanitarian situations. He was executive editor of the 2020 WHO Report on Cancer and has contributed to more than 30 WHO publications on topics ranging from cancer prevention to access to essential medicines.
Dr Ilbawi is a certified complex surgical oncologist who has had a clinical practice in the USA, Kenya and Rwanda, with a focus on capacity building, and continues to provide remote support for Médecins Sans Frontières. Over the years, he received six awards for excellence in clinical care and humanism.
Sylvia Kehlenbrink
Harvard Humanitarian Initiative
Health area: Diabetes
Sylvia Kehlenbrink
Harvard Humanitarian Initiative
Health area: Diabetes
Sylvia Kehlenbrink is an Endocrinologist and Director of Global Endocrinology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Instructor at Harvard Medical School, and Founder and Director of the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Conflict Program at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative. She graduated from medical school at the Charité-Universitätsmedizin in Berlin, Germany, completed her residency training in Social Internal Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center in New York and her fellowship in Endocrinology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Her research focus has been on diabetes care in humanitarian settings and improving insulin access in low- and middle-income settings. In her current position, she leads the Humanitarian NCD InTeragency study in Emergencies and Disasters (UNITED) study which consists of six leading international humanitarian organisations and has the goal of improving diabetes care in humanitarian contexts through collaborative, practice-based research. She organised the inaugural Symposium on Diabetes in Humanitarian Crises at Harvard University in April 2019 which convened over 100 leaders in global health to discuss the immediate needs and barriers to tackling diabetes in humanitarian crises, and adopt a unified, action-oriented agenda. The meeting resulted in the Boston Declaration which was published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology and outlines four key target areas that the 64 signatories are seeking to address over the next three years. She is now leading the newly formed International Alliance for Diabetes Action (IADA) which seeks to address the targets in the Boston Declaration.
Samson Kiware
Ifakara Health Institute
Health area: Malaria
Samson Kiware
Ifakara Health Institute
Health area: Malaria
Samson Kiware is a principal research scientist at Ifakara Health Institute, a member of Pan Africa Mosquito Control Association, adjunct professor at the Nelson Mandela Institute of Technology and a member of malaria modelling consortium. He has a BA in computer science and mathematics from Carthage College, WI and both a MSc in Computer Science & a Ph.D. in Computational Sciences from Marquette University, WI, USA. Samson’s research interests are in developing bioinformatics system and mathematical models to improve understanding of malaria transmission, control, and elimination. Also, he has been involved in machine learning projects on the identification of key mosquito parameters specifically on estimating the age of malaria vectors. He has mentored and supervised MSc and PhD students working on infectious diseases data management and modelling related projects. He has published several articles in international peer reviewed journals. Samson has experience conducting and supervising field based experiments related to diverse malaria vector studies.
Nagalingeswaran Kumarasamy
VHS Infectious Diseases Medical Centre
Health Area: HIV
Nagalingeswaran Kumarasamy
VHS Infectious Diseases Medical Centre
Health Area: HIV
Dr.N.Kumarasamy is the Chief & Director of Infectious Diseases Medical Centre at Voluntary Health Services (VHS) Hospital in Chennai (India) and directs the clinic which provides medical care for persons with HIV, Hepatitis, Tuberculosis, COVID19, and other Infectious Diseases in Chennai, Southern India. Dr.Kumarasamy is the Director of the Chennai Antiviral Research and Treatment (CART) Clinical Research Site which conducts multisite therapeutics and prevention clinical trials in HIV and other infectious diseases. He is involved as Clinical Investigator for several ongoing clinical research projects with University of California-San Diego, Brown University- Providence, Harvard University-Boston, USA and University of New South Wales/Kirby Institute -Sydney, Australia. Dr.Kumarasamy is the Head of Department of VHS COVID19 Treatment and Vaccination Centre. His department had managed more than 5000 persons with COVID-19. He is a lead investigator in several COVID-19 Treatment trials, involving antivirals, monoclonal antibody and anti-inflammatory drugs in collaboration with WHO, NIH and ICMR. He is serving as a member of the COVID-19 National Task Force for Clinical Research and Drug Development.
Karine Lacombe
Assistance publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP)
Health area: Viral Hepatitis
Karine Lacombe
Assistance publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP)
Health area: Viral Hepatitis
Karine Lacombe M.D, PhD, is an infectious diseases specialist whose clinical practice, teaching and research are focusing on viral infections. Dr Lacombe completed her undergraduate studies at Grenoble Science University (Université Joseph Fourier). She graduated from Pierre et Marie Curie Medical University in Paris and completed her residency in St Antoine Hospital, Paris and St André Hospital, Bordeaux. In 2006, she got her PhD in Epidemiology on HIV / hepatitis B coinfection and the determinants of liver fibrosis. She became an associate Professor in Infectious Diseases in 2007 and got a full professorship position at Sorbonne Universite in 2016. Since March 2020, she has been deeply involved as a clinician and researcher but also at a political level in the management of the COVID-19 crisis. She is the head of the Infectious Diseases Department at St Antoine Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, France.
Gilberto de Lima Lopes
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami and Miller School of Medicine
Health area: Oncology
Gilberto de Lima Lopes
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami and Miller School of Medicine
Health area: Oncology
Gilberto Lopes, a medical oncologist, is the Medical Director for international programs and Associate Director for Global Oncology at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and Professor of clinical medicine at the Miller School of Medicine. He holds a concomitant position as Editor-in-Chief for the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s JCO Global Oncology.
Dr. Lopes has published more than 200 papers and book chapters in journals such as the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Cancer, Nature Reviews, Lancet, Lancet Oncology and Health Affairs. In addition to delivering lectures around the world, he has been principal, co-Principal Investigator or steering committee member in more than 150 studies and clinical trials covering breast, gastrointestinal, genitourinary and thoracic cancers. His other main areas of research interest are disparities, health economics, value, policy and access to cancer drugs and care in low- and middle-income countries.
Nicola Magrini
Italian Agency of Medicine
Health area: Antimicrobial Resistance
Nicola Magrini
Italian Agency of Medicine
Health area: Antimicrobial Resistance
Nicola Magrini is the General Director of AIFA, the Italian Agency of Medicine. He is a doctor specialised in clinical pharmacology. He has twenty years of experience in the evaluation of medicines, in the development of pharmaceutical guidelines and policies. He comes from WHO, where he was Secretary of the List of Essential Medicines (WHO-EML). Dr. Magrini began his career as a researcher at the University of Bologna and at the Mario Negri Institute. In 1999 he founded the CeVEAS – Centre for the evaluation of the effectiveness of health care, Modena, which he directed until 2012. He was a founding member of the Italian Cochrane Center and Director of the WHO Collaborative Center for the synthesis of evidence and the development of guidelines from 2008 to 2014. Since 2014, he has coordinated the Committee of Experts which draws up the list of essential medicines of WHO (WHO-EML) for the year 2015. He was also a member of the WHO Ethics Committee (WHO-ERC) for clinical research.
Francesco Negro
University Hospital Geneva
Health area: Viral Hepatitis
Francesco Negro
University Hospital Geneva
Health area: Viral Hepatitis
Francesco Negro obtained his medical degree in 1982 from the University of Turin, Italy, where he also completed his postgraduate education in gastroenterology. He was Visiting Scientist and then Assistant Professor at the Georgetown University School of Medicine, Rockville, MD, USA from 1986 to 1989, before joining the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA in 1989. He joined the University Hospitals of Geneva, Switzerland in 1994, where he was appointed Full Professor of the Faculty of Medicine in 2014, focusing his research interests on viral hepatitis, particularly the pathogenesis of metabolic alterations induced by hepatitis C virus (HCV), and participating in numerous collaborative works on epidemiology and public health issues related to viral hepatitis, including clinical trials in acute and chronic HCV. Professor Negro has been a member of the Governing Board of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) since 2015, where he has served as Educational Councilor, Treasurer-elect, and Treasurer. He is also Chair of the Swiss Hepatitis C Cohort Study Foundation, and a member of the panels responsible for updating HCV, HEV and HDV clinical practice guidelines for EASL. He has also served in the HCV Guideline Development Group for the World Health Organization. He has published more than 350 peer-reviewed manuscripts in the field of hepatology, including in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Hepatology, Gastroenterology, Gut and the Journal of Hepatology. Retired since October 2022, he is Honorary Professor at the Departments of Medicine and of Pathology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva.
Iheyani Okpala
University of Nigeria
Health area: Sickle Cell Disease
Iheyani Okpala
University of Nigeria
Health area: Sickle Cell Disease
Iheyani Okpala is Professor of Haematology/Oncology and Director of the Institute of Molecular Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University of Nigeria. He is an attending physician in the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital with research interests in haemato-oncology and sickle cell disease (SCD). From early career years, he has studied cancers of the blood forming tissues prevalent in Africa, such as Burkitt’s lymphoma. Following haematology-oncology residency in Nigeria, he underwent a research training fellowship funded by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and World Health Organisation in Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK. He participates in the Haematology-Oncology Residency/Postgraduate Training Program in University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, and in undergraduate medical education. My experience of participation and leadership of multinational research or training include being Principal Investigator in St. Thomas’ Hospital, University of London, UK.
Chloe Orkin
Queen Mary University of London
Health Area: HIV
Chloe Orkin
Queen Mary University of London
Health Area: HIV
Professor Chloe Orkin is Professor of HIV Medicine at Queen Mary University of London and Consultant Physician at Barts Health NHS Trust where she has led the HIV clinical trials unit for the past 18 years. She has delivered more than 60 clinical trials of novel anti-viral agents to treat HIV, hepatitis C and SARS-CoV-2 thereby contributing to the licensing of 22 drugs. She is the global lead author for the first-ever long-acting injectable HIV therapy. Equity and justice are at the core of her academic and advocacy work. She directs the QMUL-based SHARE research collaborative for health equity. She is senior author on two global monkeypox case series and a clinical advisor to the WHO on monkeypox and COVID-19. Chloe is the 80th President of the Medical Women’s Federation (MWF). She has recently recorded an MWF Podcast on leadership. Chloe co-Chairs HIV Glasgow, one of the largest international conferences covering HIV and SARS CoV-2. She is immediate past Chair of the British HIV Association and a member of the governing council for the International AIDS Society.
Anthony Oyekunle
University of Otago
Health area: Oncology
Anthony Oyekunle
University of Otago
Health area: Oncology
Dr. Oyekunle is a clinical, laboratory and academic Haematologist. He was until recently an Associate Professor (Reader) of Haematology at the Obafemi Awolowo University (Nigeria), University of Botswana (Botswana) and the Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences (Tanzania), before joining the academic faculty at the University of Otago, New Zealand. He has also contributed to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and mentoring in Nigeria, Botswana and Tanzania.
Anthony obtained an MBBS from the University of Ibadan, and completed a Haematology residency in 2006, both in Nigeria, with a fellowship in Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (Germany). He has also completed short training stints in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (Italy) and Molecular Diagnostics (USA).
Dr. Oyekunle’s research is focused on haemato-oncology and haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), out of which has emanated over 40 peer-reviewed papers. He is widely regarded as an African leukemia expert and patient advocate.
Dr. Oyekunle is one of the pioneering members of the Nigerian Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, is a certified JACIE Inspector for clinical HSCT programs, an experienced journal reviewer, and sits on the Editorial Board of the Leukemia Research journal.
Rupa Patel
Whitman Walker Institute and Health
Health area: HIV PrEP
Rupa Patel
Whitman Walker Institute and Health
Health area: HIV PrEP
Rupa Patel, MD, MPH, DTM&H is Infectious Diseases, HIV, and Tropical Medicine Physician as well as Medical and Public Health Researcher and Instructor of Medicine at the Division of Infectious Diseases of Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, Missouri, USA. She is also a visiting scholar at the International Center for Diarrheal Diseases Research in Bangladesh and Medical Director of HIV Prevention Clinic and Biomedical HIV Prevention Clinical Research Lead at Whitman Walker Institute and Health, Washington D.C.. She previously served as Director, CDC Midwest HIV Prevention Capacity Building Assistance Provider.
Pablo Perel
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Health area: Cardiovascular
Pablo Perel
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Health area: Cardiovascular
Pablo Perel, a native from Argentina, is a cardiologist and epidemiologist. He is Professor of Clinical Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom and Senior Science Advisor of the World Heart Federation, Geneva, Switzerland. He has expertise on prognostic research, clinical trials, systematic reviews, and implementation research. He has a vast experience in conducting global complex studies in Asia, Africa, Middle East and Latin America. His main research focuses on how to improve the care of people living with cardiovascular diseases in low- and middle-income countries and humanitarian settings. He is Co-Chair of the Global Alliance for Chronic Disease Scale Up Programme and the Research in Humanitarian Crises Working Group , he is also editor of the Global Heart, Diagnostic & Prognostic Research, and Mayo Clinic Proceedings Digital Health Journals and Editorial Advisor of the Cochrane Heart Group.
Lawrence N. Shulman
University of Pennsylvania
Health area: Oncology
Lawrence N. Shulman
University of Pennsylvania
Health area: Oncology
Lawrence N. Shulman, MD, is Professor of Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine and Associate Director for Special Projects at the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania. In this role, Dr. Shulman leads the Cancer Quality Program and the strategic development of cancer services across 6 Penn hospitals and their associated ambulatory cancer centres.
Dr. Shulman earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School and completed his postdoctoral training in hemaetology and oncology at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. A specialist in the treatment of patients with breast cancer, Dr. Shulman’s research includes development of new cancer therapies and the implementation of cancer treatment programs in low-resource settings.
Dr. Shulman contributes to a number of global initiatives in oncology. He is Director of the Center for Global Cancer Medicine at the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania and serves as Senior Oncology Advisor to the non-profit organisation Partners In Health (PIH). The PIH mission includes the establishment of national cancer treatment programs with the Ministries of Health in Rwanda and Haiti, programs for which he plays a seminal leadership role. He also sits on the Vice Chancellor’s Advisory Council for Rwanda’s University for Global Health Equity. Additionally, through the Botswana-UPenn Partnership, Dr. Shulman helps lead the development of the national oncology program in Botswana.
Dr. Shulman is a member of the NCCN COVID-19 Vaccination Advisory Committee, the NCCN Best Practices Committee, and the NCCN Policy Advisory Group.
François Venter
Ezintsha, University of the Witwatersrand
Health Area: HIV
François Venter
Ezintsha, University of the Witwatersrand
Health Area: HIV
Professor WD Francois Venter, MD, FCP, PhD is the Head of Ezintsha at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, where he received most of his training. His work involves health systems research that directly translates into national programmes, most recently involving the antiretrovirals, dolutegravir, tenofovir alafenamide, cabotegravir, and doravirine. He leads multiple antiretroviral treatment optimisation studies and is currently working on new access programmes through private pharmacies within South Africa, as well as patient linkage-to-care interventions and self-testing projects. He has led large PEPFAR-funded HIV programmes in South Africa, focusing on men, women, children, young people, truckers, sex workers, and LGBTI communities. For over 20 years he has been an advisor to bodies such as the South African government, UNAIDS, and WHO, contributing to international, regional, and national HIV guidelines. He recently served as a member of the Ministerial Advisory Committee for COVID-19, and the Department of Science and Technology’s Research and Innovation Committee, advising on COVID-19 research and innovation needs. He has an active interest in medical ethics and has been involved in several HIV-related human rights cases within the southern African region. He supervises a large number of Masters and PhD projects. Recent work has included publications in Lancet HIV, New England Journal of Medicine, Nature, AIDS, and PLOS Medicine.
Matteo Zignol
World Health Organization
Health area: TB
Matteo Zignol
World Health Organization
Health area: TB
Dr Matteo Zignol is the Unit Head of the Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment, Care and Innovation unit at the WHO Global TB Programme in Geneva, Switzerland. The focus of his unit is to develop policy guidelines throughout the spectrum of TB prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and care; shape the TB research agenda; lead the development and publication of global TB research strategies and approaches; and stimulate the generation, translation and dissemination of valuable knowledge.
Dr Zignol has been working at WHO since 2003. In recent years, he led the Research for TB Elimination team and previously he coordinated the Global Project on Anti-Tuberculosis Drug Resistance Surveillance and, as part of it, managed a multi-country project on the use of genetic sequencing for surveillance of drug resistance.
Dr Zignol is an infectious disease specialist and clinical epidemiologist. He holds a MD from the University of Padua, Italy, and an MPH from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, US. He has contributed to several peer reviewed publications on different topics in peer review journals and has written several book chapters.
The Community Advisory Panel (CAP) is a mechanism that serves a key advisory role in providing MPP and the MPP Expert Advisory Group (EAG) with critical insights and guidance from its members’ lived experiences. Access the CAP Terms of Reference.
CAP members serve two primary functions:
- They provide MPP and MPP’s Expert Advisory Group (EAG) with advice in the disease area for which they have been selected, especially ad-hoc advice and guidance on a specific medical technology from a community and end-user perspective; on MPP’ annual prioritisation work; and regarding specific disease areas that MPP should include among its priorities.
- Additionally, CAP members might be called to support the work of MPP’s EAG to participate in discussions relating to potential proposed licence agreement, then requested to confidentially review drafts of the proposed licence agreements and offer comments to the EAG.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Helle Aagaard
Deputy Director at ReAct – Action on Antibiotic Resistance (Europe)
Health area: AMR
📍Sweden
Helle Aagaard
Deputy Director at ReAct – Action on Antibiotic Resistance (Europe)
Health area: AMR
📍Sweden
Helle Aagaard currently serves as Deputy Director at ReAct – Action on Antibiotic Resistance (Europe), where she is responsible for policy analysis and advocacy on antibiotic R&D and sustainable access to effective antibiotics. Helle has more than 10 years of experience working in the global health policy field, including 6 years in Brussels working for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Access Campaign and as a political advisor in the European Parliament. Helle is originally a trained journalist from the Danish School of Journalism and has a European master degree in Human Rights and Democratisation from the Global Campus on Human Rights in Venice, Italy.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Danjuma Kamlen Adda
President, World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA)
Health area: Hepatitis
📍Nigeria
Danjuma Kamlen Adda
President, World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA)
Health area: Hepatitis
📍Nigeria
Danjuma is a Hepatitis B patient, advocate and a voice for poor populations. He was infected with Hep B while in clinical rotations and then lost his own mother to the disease several years later. He has a background in microbiology, and an MPH, with over 15 years-experience in public health and advocacy.
Danjuma in 2021 assumed the role of President, World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA), UK. His local charity in Nigeria also works in the area of HIV/AIDS prevention and care, patient safety and antimicrobial resistance and stewardship in Nigeria, working to raise awareness and health care worker’s education to reduce the burden of antimicrobial resistance in Nigeria.
Danjuma is a Senior Fellow with ASPEN Institute, US; Technical Advisor/Member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Strategic and Advisory Committee on HIV, Viral Hepatitis and STIs (STAC-HHS); Executive Board Member Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination (CGHE) at the Global Task Force for Hepatitis US CDC; Member AMR Advisory Group of the AMR Patient Alliance; and member of several global networking groups and an accomplished Public Speaker.
Danjuma is a leading voice for Hepatitis patients in Nigeria and uses his platform to advocate for the most vulnerable populations across Africa. Danjuma wants to change the narrative about Hepatitis and raise awareness about the deadliness of the disease, while also promoting other health outcomes such as antimicrobial stewardship and patient safety.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Nadia Adingra
Country Coordinator, ICW Côte d’Ivoire and Interim Director, Coalition of Women Living with HIV in Côte d’Ivoire
Health area: HIV
📍Côte d’Ivoire
Nadia Adingra
Country Coordinator, ICW Côte d’Ivoire and Interim Director, Coalition of Women Living with HIV in Côte d’Ivoire
Health area: HIV
📍Côte d’Ivoire
Nadia Adingra is a committed activist with over a decade of experience in the fight against HIV in Côte d’Ivoire and the surrounding region. Her work focuses on supporting women, young girls, and adolescents, who are among the most vulnerable to HIV infection and discrimination. With a degree in Management, she currently serves on the Board of Directors of ICWWA (the International Community of Women Living with HIV in West Africa) and is the Country Coordinator for ICW Côte d’Ivoire. Nadia is also acting as the interim director of the Coalition of Women Living with HIV in Côte d’Ivoire. For the past three years, she has been a member of Afrocab and is now involved with the Smart4TB working group at Afrocab and the GA-COT Working Group of the Pediatric Global Alliance with ICW Global. Additionally, she is a member of the MPP Community Working Group. Nadia is particularly passionate about issues affecting people living with HIV, especially women and children.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Aggrey Aluso
Director, Africa Region for the Pandemic Action Network (PAN)
Health area: Pandemic Preparedness and Response
📍Kenya
Aggrey Aluso
Director, Africa Region for the Pandemic Action Network (PAN)
Health area: Pandemic Preparedness and Response
📍Kenya
Aggrey Aluso is the Director for Africa at the Pandemic Action Network (PAN) and Executive Director of Resilience Action Network Africa (RANA). He leads PAN’s global policy and is driving RANA’s development into a key advocacy hub focused on Africa-centric resilience, addressing pandemic preparedness, climate change, and global health governance.
Previously, Aggrey served as a Senior Manager at the Open Society Initiative for Eastern Africa, where he led the Health and Rights program, advancing advocacy and grant-making to address systemic barriers to equitable health access. During COVID-19, he guided OSF Africa’s strategic advocacy to ensure equitable access to vaccines and therapeutics, addressing intersectional justice issues in pandemic response.
Aggrey also contributed significantly at Terre’s des Hommes, University of Manitoba, and Plan International, focusing on advocacy, health policy, and child rights. With over 20 years of experience in social justice advocacy, Aggrey holds an advanced degree in Gender and Development from the University of Nairobi and has pursued strategic professional courses from INSEAD and the University of Johannesburg.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Mercy Annapoorani
Executive Director & Managing Trustee, Blossom Trust India
Health area: HIV, TB, RMNCH, COVID-19
📍India
Mercy Annapoorani
Executive Director & Managing Trustee, Blossom Trust India
Health area: HIV, TB, RMNCH, COVID-19
📍India
Founder of the Blossom Trust, Mercy Annapoorani has been working for 30 years with marginalised populations in various fields such as women’s empowerment, children’s rights and sustainable agriculture. Mercy’s commitment is particularly strong in the field of health and access to care. Patients suffering from diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis or diabetes are people for whom she acts and wishes to change mentalities and actions. Her commitment to public health issues has materialised in several organisations such as UNITED, Act-A Pillar, Global Fund, GCTA and India CCM. She therefore combines essential field experience with the desire to take a message to a larger scale.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Kwanele Asante
South African NCD Alliance Legal and Policy Advisor
Health area: Cancer
📍South Africa/USA
Kwanele Asante
South African NCD Alliance Legal and Policy Advisor
Health area: Cancer
📍South Africa/USA
Kwanele Asante is the Former Chairperson of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Cancer Prevention and Control, Republic South Africa. She serves on the World Health Organisation’s Civil Society Working Group on Non-Communicable Diseases. Kwanele has received several awards for her African cancer equity activism, including the Harvard Global Health Catalyst – 2016 African Ambassador Award. She serves as a community representative on the South African Medical Council’s Bioethics Advisory Panel and she is a member of the External Advisory Board of the STARS Program at Harvard Medical School, USA.
Asante has a B. A. Liberal Arts (Psychology-Sociology major) degree from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, USA. and LLB and MSc Medicine: Bioethics and Health Law degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Ibrahima Ba
Director of the BOKK YAKAAR Association in Fatick
Health Area: HIV
📍Senegal
Ibrahima Ba
Director of the BOKK YAKAAR Association in Fatick
Health Area: HIV
📍Senegal
Ibrahima Ba is the Director of the BOKK YAKAAR Association in Fatick, Senegal, with over 15 years of experience in the fight against HIV/AIDS. His commitment began in 2006 with efforts to strengthen associative structures in Kaolack, followed by national advocacy for improved access to medication. Ibrahima has served as the Secretary-General of the National Network of Associations of People Living with HIV in Senegal (RNP+). He led the Stigma Index Study 1.0 in Senegal in both 2012 and 2017. Additionally, he is the President of CAB Senegal, representing AfroCAB in the country.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Aly Bancroft
Campaign Coordinator, Public Citizen
Health area: Diabetes
📍USA
Aly Bancroft
Campaign Coordinator, Public Citizen
Health area: Diabetes
📍USA
Aly Bancroft, diagnosed with type one diabetes before her fourth birthday, is passionate about expanding access to healthcare. She has led diabetes camps in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the United States, and worked on projects to increase global access to diabetes care and insulin. She worked at Public Citizen, campaigning for policies to make COVID vaccines available to all. Aly is also involved with Universities Allied for Essential Medicines.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Anton Basenko
Programme Manager, European AIDS Treatment Group
Health area: Hepatitis
📍Ukraine
Anton Basenko
Programme Manager, European AIDS Treatment Group
Health area: Hepatitis
📍Ukraine
Based in Brussels now, but formerly from Kyiv, Ukraine. Master’s degree in international economy. Globally known activist of the community of people who use drugs and OST patients, people living with HIV and lived experience with HCV. Since 2010 started his work in HIV and TB-service, Harm Reduction and advocacy field in local and national NGOs in Ukraine. Since 2013 worked for international Alliance for Public Health, coordinating international and national projects of HIV, TB, viral hepatitis prevention and treatment among key populations as well as advising on Communities, Rights and Gender issues. Author of different articles, guidelines and publications for communities and professionals. Founder of PUD.UA. Board member of INPUD and EKPC (a-ka EKHN). Member of the Communities Delegation of the Global Fund Board and CCM of Ukraine. Since 2021 he is a Programme Manager on Quality of Life in EATG team.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Simon Wallington Beddoe
Member of the Communities of People Who Use Drugs
Health area: Hepatitis, HIV
📍India
Simon Wallington Beddoe
Member of the Communities of People Who Use Drugs
Health area: Hepatitis, HIV
📍India
Simon Wallington Beddoe is a Hepatitis C survivor and advocate with over 20 years of experience in Drug Use, Harm Reduction, HIV, and Viral Hepatitis across South and Southeast Asia. He coordinated NACO’s HIV Prevention Programs in India and played a key role in Alliance India’s Harm Reduction Programme (2013-2018) across seven Asian countries. Simon has advocated for harm reduction at high-level meetings including UNESCAP, UNGASS, and UNAIDS, and has engaged with CCMs in India, Nepal, Thailand, and the Philippines.
He served as South Asia Regional Representative on the Civil Society Task Force for UNGASS 2016 and contributed to India’s National Viral Hepatitis Plan in 2018. An active member of several community groups, Simon was Chairperson of the Asian Network of People Who Use Drugs (ANPUD) and helped form the Network of Asian People Who Use Drugs (NAPUD). He also volunteers at Kolkata’s I.P.G.M.E.R. & SSKM Hospital, supporting the National Viral Hepatitis Control Program.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Javier Hourcade Bellocq
Senior Manager, LAC Regional Virtual Platform COVID-19 & HIV
Health area: HIV, PrEP, COVID-19
📍Argentina
Javier Hourcade Bellocq
Senior Manager, LAC Regional Virtual Platform COVID-19 & HIV
Health area: HIV, PrEP, COVID-19
📍Argentina
Javier Hourcade Bellocq has been academically trained as a social communicator, journalist and science communicator. In 1988 he started working in HIV activism after his diagnosis as a person living with HIV. He later specialises in activism and treatment literacy. He has worked for the last 35 years in NGOs in Argentina, where he lives, and promoted community networks in Latin America and also worked at International NGOs with global coverage. He is editor of Corresponsales Clave and Coordinator of the HIV 2025 Platform. He has served on the governing boards of UNAIDS, Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+) and currently in the board of the Global Fund and UHC2030. He was a member of WHO and PAHO technical advisory committees on HIV, TB, Hepatitis and STIs.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Denise Uzoma Ejoh
CEO, Cormode Cancer Foundation
Health area: Cancer
📍Nigeria/United Kingdom
Denise Uzoma Ejoh
CEO, Cormode Cancer Foundation
Health area: Cancer
📍Nigeria/United Kingdom
Denise Ejoh (Ph.D) is the CEO of Cormode cancer Foundation, an NGO founded following the death of her mother Margaret Ann Ejoh and who now lives with cancer. Denise was diagnosed with breast cancer metastasising in the brain. She has undergone three brain surgeries and had gamma knife surgery (using radiology) to remove seven tumours and undergone different treatment regimens to shrink four to five more tumours using chemotherapy. She is in active treatment following her last brain surgery in March 2022, when she was informed the cancer was still active and is now on a new drug regime.
Denise completed a Ph.D. in Education specialising in Leadership, Policy and Change in 2020 and was awarded the Social Change Award for her drive in cancer education against all the odds. Her NGO was registered in 2020 focusing primarily on education through cancer awareness advocacy.
Denise hosts a program on AIT called Kakaaki Cancer Awareness and Cancer with Dr Denise Ejoh on Plus TV Africa, and Arise which provides a range of stakeholders the platform to discuss the challenges faced by cancer patients, family, friends, medics, and support groups on how to navigate through the different stages.
She continues to be a been a patient advocate as a guest speaker on various TV and Radio programmes in Nigeria, USA and the UK including articles in local and international forums to include the ThisDay newspaper.
Denise is working with various groups to collate and develop material in various Nigerian languages to support the illiterate communities across Nigeria and the global. She has returned to writing academic papers and is writing a book on her lived experience. She has a YouTube channel that houses over 80 awareness videos for your perusal.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Christine Fallabel
Public Health Expert
Health area: Diabetes
📍USA
Christine Fallabel
Public Health Expert
Health area: Diabetes
📍USA
Christine Fallabel has been working in the diabetes and public health space for over a decade to improve health insurance and access to care and lower the cost of prescription drugs in the United States for people with chronic diseases. Additionally, she is a health and science activist and writer who has been featured in Diabetes Daily Grind, Insulin Nation, Diabetics Doing Things, and is a regular contributor to Diabetes Strong, Beyond Type 1, diaTribe, and Healthline. She earned her Master of Public Health from Temple University and received her bachelor of arts degree from The University of Delaware. She serves on the board of directors for Connected in Motion. She has lived with type 1 diabetes for 23 years and resides in Denver, Colorado, with her husband.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Cindra Feuer
Senior Program Manager, AVAC Global Advocacy for HIV Prevention
Health area: HIV, PrEP
📍USA
Cindra Feuer
Senior Program Manager, AVAC Global Advocacy for HIV Prevention
Health area: HIV, PrEP
📍USA
Cindra is a Senior Program Manager at AVAC: Global Advocacy for HIV Prevention. She co-manages its various advocacy programs in the US, Europe and Africa. She sits on the steering committees of IRMA (International Rectal Microbicide Advocates) and the Wits RHI Key Populations Programme. Cindra held staff positions at US-based POZ and HIV Plus magazines and has been published in various journals throughout southern and eastern Africa. She also worked with groups including the Lesbian Avengers and Sex Panic!, a sexual activism group dedicated to pro-queer, pro-sex worker and anti-racist campaigns for sexual freedom in the age of HIV and AIDS.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Louis Da Gama
Board Director, Princess of Africa Foundation
Health area: Malaria
📍Portugal/South Africa
Louis Da Gama
Board Director, Princess of Africa Foundation
Health area: Malaria
📍Portugal/South Africa
Louis Da Gama serves as Board Director for the Princess of Africa Foundation South Africa and Humanitarian Adviser to South African Musician and celebrity Yvonne Chaka Chaka. He also serves as a Non-Executive Director for Global Health Advocates France. He has campaigned globally, regionally, at country and community levels for greater financial and human resources to fight malaria and TB. His work focuses on advocacy for policy change and effective implementation, transparency, good governance, and accountability. He facilitated the setting up of the Malaria Foundation International European Office in 1998. In 2003, he was seconded to the Massive Effort Campaign, the predecessor to Global Health Advocates, working on advocacy for AIDS, TB, malaria, and maternal, child and newborn health and nutrition. He also works on advocacy in support of the Global Fund since 2002 and Unitaid since 2006. He is a member of the Communities Delegation on the Global Fund and Unitaid Boards.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Maka Gogia
Programme Director of HIV prevention/harm reduction program, Georgia
Health area: Hepatitis, HIV
📍Georgia
Maka Gogia
Programme Director of HIV prevention/harm reduction program, Georgia
Health area: Hepatitis, HIV
📍Georgia
Maka Gogia is a programme director of HIV prevention/harm reduction program in Georgia. She has higher medical education and master’s degree in public health. Besides the programme management, she is a technical advisor, trainer and consultant of HIV/HCV community organisations in Georgia. During the last twelve years she is engaged in advocating better accessibility to HIV, HCV, TB and STI treatment and prevention services for key affected population. She is the Vice-Chair of the European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG) Board of Directors, steering committee member of European Testing Week, focal point of Correlation Network, Global Fund EECA constituency member and member of the Regional Collaborating Committee on Accelerated Response to Tuberculosis, HIV and Viral Hepatitis (RCC-THV) at the World Health Organization.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Apoorva Gomber
Global Health Equity Fellow, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Health area: Diabetes
📍India
Apoorva Gomber
Global Health Equity Fellow, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Health area: Diabetes
📍India
Dr. Apoorva Gomber is a physician from India interested in global health centered around pediatric diabetes, health equity, disease epidemiology, and improving access to care in low- and middle-income countries. She graduated with a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) in the Department of Global Health and Population from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She now works as Associate Director of Advocacy at the Center for Integration Science, Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Dr. Gomber has worked on various advocacy initiatives with global organizations to improve access to insulin and understanding of childhood diabetes. Her research interests focus on overcoming health disparities in diabetes care globally and looking for solutions to complex problems using evidence-based data and cross-sectoral collaborations. She also serves as one of the WHO Technical Advisory Group of Experts on Diabetes to further WHO’s leadership and coordination role in promoting and monitoring global action against diabetes.
Apoorva served as the South East Asia Regional Representative-elect from 2017-2019 for the Young Leaders in Diabetes Program by International Diabetes Federation and the Young Leadership Program at NCD Child.
Apoorva advocates for overcoming stigma among people with diabetes and preventing diabetes-related complications. Outside of research and advocacy, she spends her time traveling, hiking, and running marathons.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Bahati Thomas Haule
Young Leader, International AIDS Society
Health area: HIV, PrEP, RMNCH
📍Tanzania
Bahati Thomas Haule
Young Leader, International AIDS Society
Health area: HIV, PrEP, RMNCH
📍Tanzania
Bahati Thomas Haule is a Tanzanian young woman with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. She is a passionate and dedicated individual who strives toward the development and betterment of people living with HIV/AIDS, Adolescents Girls, and Young Women (AGYW) and all marginalized groups in her country and at a global level at large through advocacy, research, policy, and programmatic works.
She is dedicated to ensuring equity, gender equality, human rights, sexual and reproductive rights, and responsible HIV/AIDS accountability in her country and internationally as well.
Her experience ranges from being a Commissioner at the Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS) which coordinates the national HIV & AIDS response and advises the Prime Minister’s Office on HIV policy matters where she still serves, a program coordinator at Dignity and Wellbeing of Women living with HIV in Tanzania (DWWT), a project officer in the National Council of People living with HIV and AIDS (NACOPHA) in Tanzania under their UNICEF’s projects, a community lead in AFROCAB’s AHD program in Tanzania and a young leader in IAS22 cohort.
She also has advisory roles experiences as a board member in ATHENA network, a community advisory member in the EFFECTS trials taking place in Tanzania and an Independent Advisory member in NIHR’s IMPRINT group.
She’s part of the PEPFAR’s COP and global fund processes in her country and has various community engagement and associations at regional and global levels.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Kenneth Kabagambe
Founding Director, National organisation for people living with Hepatitis B
Health area: Hepatitis
📍Uganda
Kenneth Kabagambe
Founding Director, National organisation for people living with Hepatitis B
Health area: Hepatitis
📍Uganda
Kenneth is a World Bank scholar 2022-2023 studying Master in Public Health International at the University of Leeds, United Kingdom. He is the Founding Executive Director of the National Organization for People Living with Hepatitis B (NOPLHB) the only patient driven Non-Governmental Organization advocating for the rights of Hepatitis B patients in Uganda. He is also the Founder of the Africa Hepatitis Initiative (AHI). He is also a member of the Hepatitis Technical Working Committee of the Ministry of Health, Past Executive Board Member for the African Region at the World Hepatitis Alliance. Kenneth sits on several international committees and boards for several international organizations like The Hepatitis Fund, Global Community Advisory Board for Hepatitis B Foundation and others. Kenneth was one of the judges during the WHO Hepatitis testing contest that emerged into the Hepatitis B and C testing guidelines.
He organized the African Hepatitis Summit 2019 held in Kampala that brought over 600 regional and global leaders working on viral hepatitis for a high-level meeting that led to the Egyptian support towards the treatment of hepatitis C patients in Sub Saharan Africa. Kenneth engages stakeholders at all levels from ministries of health to everyday persons from communities. His experience has offered him an opportunity to understand how a disease such as hepatitis affects persons and communities.
Kenneth can identify issues of concern and effectively bring these issues to the table for policy, program planning and communications. His understanding of the complexity of issues faced by patients in his previous position has guided his ability to simplify complex concepts so that they are readily understood in oral and written messages by persons in all stages of society. Kenneth’s leadership of the special initiatives has set him apart as one who values service above self. Kenneth is the face of hepatitis patient advocacy not only in Uganda but also in Africa. He comes with over 10 years’ experience in patient advocacy, policy and systems strengthening.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Mridula Kapil
Founder, Diabetes Fighters’ Trust and Fellow, WomenLift Health
Health area: Diabetes
📍India
Mridula Kapil
Founder, Diabetes Fighters’ Trust and Fellow, WomenLift Health
Health area: Diabetes
📍India
Mridula Kapil Bhargava, a public health professional and alumna of Hadassah Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel. She has a work experience of over 10 years in the healthcare and development sector and works as a public health consultant with multiple organisations in the field of Non-Communicable Diseases. Her proposal for a patient advocacy platform has been recently incubated at IIM Bangalore, one of the top business schools in Asia and the world and is well known for her innovative ideas and strategies in Healthcare interventions.
Mridula is also the founder of Diabetes Fighters’ Trust, a not-for-profit focused upon prevention as well as better management of Diabetes in urban and rural India using the concept of community ownership. She is passionate to help people with Diabetes better manage their condition by empowering them with the essential tools according to their individual as well as population needs. She herself has had type-1 Diabetes for past 30 years and strongly believes that her personal as well as professional experience can extensively contribute towards Diabetes education, policy-making and patient empowerment.
She is currently the fellow of WomenLift Health India, first cohort of Global Health Leaders and has also been selected as the #dedoc° voice 2023.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Olya Klymenko
Chair of the Board, TBPeopleUkraine
Health area – Tuberculosis
📍Ukraine
Olya Klymenko
Chair of the Board, TBPeopleUkraine
Health area – Tuberculosis
📍Ukraine
Since recovering from TB in 2016, Olya has dedicated her life to changing the way TB patients are treated in Ukraine, and ensuring that everyone seeking treatment is aware of their rights. In 2018, Olya was one of the founders of TBPeopleUkraine – a charitable organisation dedicated to uniting the efforts of TB survivors, affected communities, and all those fighting TB in Ukraine. With support from the Global Fund, TBPeopleUkraine has increased its regional representation and expanded its overall impact across the country.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Loyce Maturu
Advocacy officer, Zvandiri
Health area: HIV
📍Zimbabwe
Loyce Maturu
Advocacy officer, Zvandiri
Health area: HIV
📍Zimbabwe
Loyce Maturu is a young woman living with HIV, she is an experienced primary healthcare advocate with a special focus on HIV and mental health. Over the years, Loyce has been recognized at the national and global level for her extraordinary commitment to improving the needs, health, and hope of paediatrics, and young people living with HIV through influencing policy, strategies, and guidelines. Her recent work can be traced through her engagement in various platforms, as a certified member of the Ministry of Health and Child Care National Validation committee for dual EMTCT of HIV and Syphilis in Zimbabwe. A member of the WHO Advisory Group of Women Living with HIV. She has influenced the writing process of the WHO SRHR Toolkit for women living with HIV. She is a mentor for the Global Fund Advocates Network Speakers Bureau (GFAN) where her role is mentoring and building the capacity of the speakers to solidify messages to fund the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Loyce has been a pioneer and led in full force the advocacy movement within Zvandiri, where she is currently employed. She was also one of the voices behind the Zvandiri Radio program through ZiFM as the co-Host, which was funded by UNICEF. In 2017- 2020 she led and coordinated the successful implementation of the Zvandiri Cluster Randomised Trial Study in Shamva District –Zimbabwe, which measured the effectiveness of peer-led interventions.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Salomé Meyer
Director, Cancer Alliances’ Access to Medicine Campaign
Health area: Cancer
📍South Africa
Salomé Meyer
Director, Cancer Alliances’ Access to Medicine Campaign
Health area: Cancer
📍South Africa
Salomé Meyer has been directing the Cancer Alliances’ Access to Medicine Campaign focussing on equitable and affordable access for high cost cancer medicines in South Africa. As a member of the Fix the Patent Law Campaign the focus on patent law reform is supported by the detailed report Exploring Patent Barriers to Cancer Treatment Access in South Africa: 24 Medicine Case studies. Under her leadership the Cancer Alliance published two dedicated reports that identified the specific access and affordability issues in both the public and private sectors. The seminal report Cost of Cancer is now used as a basis for dedicated focus on solution based collaborations with a variety of stakeholders including government, industry and private sector. Her work has allowed access to essential medicines such as trastuzumab and lenalidomide for the majority of patients that access the public sector which constitutes 84% of the population. The use of Competition Law is another example of how the various access issues are addressed. In 2022 she initiated a policy research project in 2022 focussing on a legal framework for cancer care access from a human rights perspective which will lead the Cancer Alliance’s advocacy strategy for the future. Salomé holds a masters in Social Work from the University of Cape Town and worked in community development before entering the cancer advocacy space in 1998. She has an illustrious track record of 25 years as an advisor, advocate and activist. Salomé is a member of the NGO delegation of UNITAID for cervical cancer and also serves on the Women’s Empowerment Cancer Advocacy Network for Africa (We Can). She served on the WHO Global Breast Cancer Initiative Technical Working Group. She has participated in many international forums promoting equitable cancer care access.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Nombeko Mpongo
Community Engagement Liaison Administrator for Desmond Tutu Health Foundation
Health area: HIV, PrEP
📍South Africa
Nombeko Mpongo
Community Engagement Liaison Administrator for Desmond Tutu Health Foundation
Health area: HIV, PrEP
📍South Africa
Nombeko Mpongo is an HIV and AIDS activist and an advocate for change. She holds 2 honours degrees in both Counselling Psychology and Social Behavioural studies. Nombeko has been involved in HIV/AIDS field since 1995 as a peer educator in High school. She currently leads Community Engagement for Desmond Tutu Health Foundation in Emavundleni Clinical Research Site. As the Community Liaison Administrator, Nombeko works and supports different stakeholders and presents HIV care, treatment, and prevention strategies in global, national, and local platforms. She has recently joined UPCSA (United Presbyterian Church) Southern African Health and Wellness desk as advisor to the General Secretary and the team.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Gertrude Nakigudde
CEO, Uganda Women’s Cancer Support Organisation (UWOCASO)
Health area: Cancer
📍Uganda
Gertrude Nakigudde
CEO, Uganda Women’s Cancer Support Organisation (UWOCASO)
Health area: Cancer
📍Uganda
Gertrude Nakigudde defeated breast cancer 21 years ago, a co-founder and a Chief Executive Officer of the Uganda Women’s Cancer Support Organisation (UWOCASO).
Gertrude has been developing cancer advocacy and awareness campaigns for the last 20 years. She participated in developing Uganda Breast Health Care guidelines supported by University of Washington and participated in several working groups including Breast Health Global Initiatives(BHGI), European School of Oncology(ESO)’ Advanced Breast Cancer(ABC) Consensus all working to improve survival of breast cancer patients. Gertrude is a member of the Board of Directors of Uganda Cancer Institute. Prior to this, Gertrude participated and graduated in scientist–survivor programs run by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) a program that jumpstarted her advocacy and devotion to create a better understanding of cancer in Uganda and make cancer treatment affordable, timely and of high quality for all cancer patients. Gertrude holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Makerere University, a diploma in Business Administration from Uganda college of Commerce and a certificate in Leadership in Strategic Communication.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Peter Ngo’la Owiti
Executive Director at Wote Youth Development Projects
Health area: Tuberculosis
📍Kenya
Peter Ngo’la Owiti
Executive Director at Wote Youth Development Projects
Health area: Tuberculosis
📍Kenya
Peter Ngo’la Owiti is the executive director and founder of a community based organization in Kenya formed in the year 2000 to advocate for prevention of HIV and TB, diseases that claimed 13 members of his family. He has over 20 years’ experience working with communities on Tuberculosis and HIV and AIDS at the youth friendly facility in Wote town where the youth and community at large get none intrusive HIV and TB services including Covid 19 information. He is a global advocate for access to quality healthcare services as human rights interventions. He has a Master’s degree in Agriculture and policy development and is on a doctorate degree program in public health (Community Health)
He has expertise in community health systems and participatory methodologies having worked in rural area for many years as an implementer of Global Fund Round, Stop TB Partnership funds, Amref Health Africa, Geneva Global Inc. among others. He is a reviewer of abstract at the international Union against TB and Lung diseases and co-author of “Environmental health challenges of the 21st century” and reviewer of “The deadly divide, Realities versus Targets on the ULNM declaration on TB. He is a reviewer of abstracts at the International Union against TB and Lung Diseases and two times member of the Union Community Advisory Panel (UCAP)
At National level he is a member of the think tank of Network of TB Champions in Kenya and member Global Fund TB Constituency. Globally, serves on the country preparedness, vaccine and diagnostics working group, ACT-A principals group and represents community at ACT-A facilitation council. He is also a member of the ACT-A Global Covid Community Board (GCCB). He is also a member of Stop TB Partnership affected community delegation and an executive board member, the treasurer TB Proof of South Africa -a health care workers organization fighting TB.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Carol Nawina Nyirenda
Executive Director, CITAMplus (Zambia)
Health area: TB, HIV, NCD
📍Zambia
Carol Nawina Nyirenda
Executive Director, CITAMplus (Zambia)
Health area: TB, HIV, NCD
📍Zambia
Carol Nawina Nyirenda is a prominent TB, HIV, and diabetes advocate with extensive experience in public health. As Executive Director of CITAMplus, an advocacy organization based in Lusaka, Zambia, Carol leverages her personal journey with TB, HIV, and Type 2 Diabetes, alongside years of grassroots engagement, to drive policy change at national, regional, and global levels.
With a deep commitment to affected communities, Carol’s advocacy spans both communicable and non-communicable diseases. She serves on several influential global boards, including the Stop TB Partnership, Unitaid, and TB People, and is actively involved in initiatives such as the FIND NCD Program and the Diabetes Foundation of Zambia. Her leadership also extends to national platforms, where she chairs key coalitions like the Zambia TB Organizations Coalition (ZTOC) and the Zambia Parliamentary Caucus on TB.
Carol’s work reflects her passion for transforming lived experiences into impactful advocacy, bridging public health issues across TB, HIV, and now diabetes, as she continues to champion the rights and health of affected populations globally.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Yvette Raphael
Executive Director of Advocates for the Prevention of HIV in Africa
Health area: HIV
📍South Africa
Yvette Raphael
Executive Director of Advocates for the Prevention of HIV in Africa
Health area: HIV
📍South Africa
Yvette Raphael is currently the Executive Director of Advocates for the Prevention of HIV in Africa. She serves on the Board of Trustees of MTV Base Staying Alive. In 2018 she founded #Pozie clothing brand which she runs with her daughter Yisha. Yvette Alta Raphael is a consummate leader in the fight against HIV. As a woman who has been living with the virus for over 19 years, she has experienced firsthand what HIV stigma, insufficient prevention education, and reduced access to healthcare can do. She utilized her natural leadership abilities to co-found the Tshwaranang Care Center for People Living with HIV & AIDS (PLWHA). Ms. Raphael has spoken around the globe including several International AIDS Conferences to advise researchers, advocates, and policy makers on how to best win the war against HIV and AIDS.
Her passion has been to improve the health outcomes for young women and girls, but her trusted expertise has also been lent to developing policies at the work place and to create better, more efficient structures to utilize the available governmental resources to End AIDS.
Furthermore, Ms. Raphael is a trusted globally renowned advocate on effective and efficient education to the community regarding new and developing research for medications that treat and/or prevent HIV. Yvette is featured in the 2018/2019 exhibition at Smithsonian Museum titled out breaks (those who survive, those left behind). She is Also a member of many Global Community Accountatabilty Groups to hold research accountable
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Ani Herna Sari
Advocate, Social worker
Health area: Turberculosis
📍Indonesia
Ani Herna Sari
Advocate, Social worker
Health area: Turberculosis
📍Indonesia
Ani Herna Sari is an MDR-TB survivor and is also TB Sensitive. Her experience with TB has made her determined to dedicate her time and energy to participate in advocacy for TB control locally and internationally.
She joined a TB survivor group, and also helped establish a local survivor’s organization Rekat Peduli Indonesia. Under her leadership Rekat became the first TB Survivor organization in Indonesia that could access international grants. Currently Rekat receive a grant Challenge Facility from Stop TB Partnership Global. At the global level, Ani is also Global Tuberculosis Community Advisory Board (TB CAB) Member.
Ani also dedicated her career to supporting a stronger TB response in her home country of Indonesia, as well as across the Asia-Pacific region, and particularly working with TB Women – a global network of women in all their diversity who aim to drive a gender transformative TB response.
Ani is part of the new initiative to advance gender responsive TB initiatives for and by women in all their diversity, called TB Women, showing her commitment at all levels of the TB response. She is also GFAN Speaker.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Shree Aman Shukla
Advocate dedicated to advancing health equity for key populations
Health area: : TB, HIV, Prep et Hepatitis
📍India
Shree Aman Shukla
Advocate dedicated to advancing health equity for key populations
Health area: : TB, HIV, Prep et Hepatitis
📍India
Shree Aman Shukla is a dedicated advocate for health equity, focusing on LGBTQ+ communities in India and globally. With expertise in TB, HIV, PrEP, and Hepatitis, they have contributed significantly to prevention, care, and support. Currently, Shree is the COO of the TWEET Foundation, a transgender-led organization in India, and a board member of the Key and Vulnerable Populations Delegation to the Stop TB Partnership. As the founder of YOUNITE Global, they empower young leaders to innovate and advocate for tuberculosis elimination. Shree is widely recognized for advancing equity for transgender and gender-diverse people worldwide.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Mx.Yashwinder Singh (Lisa)
Public health expert specialising in HIV, viral hepatitis, and TB.
Health area: HIV, PrEP, Hepatitis
📍India
Mx.Yashwinder Singh (Lisa)
Public health expert specialising in HIV, viral hepatitis, and TB.
Health area: HIV, PrEP, Hepatitis
📍India
Yashwinder Singh (Lisa) is a public health expert with over two decades of experience, specialising in HIV, viral hepatitis, and TB. Holding a Master’s in Social Work, she has made significant contributions to community health, particularly among LGBTQ and marginalised groups. A founder of the Transgender Drug Experience Exchange (TDeX), India’s first trans-led collective addressing intersectionality and stimulant use, Yashwinder has also worked on various international HIV, HCV, and PrEP projects.
Notably, she was among the pioneers advocating for PrEP in India since early 2017 and has received accolades like the “Achievement Award in the State of Punjab” for her work in viral hepatitis. Yashwinder was a key activist in the historic IPC 377 case, which was won in India’s Apex court in 2018. As a columnist, she advocates for drug affordability and the rights of key populations, influencing global health policies.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Siripong Srichau
Campaign Officer, APCOM Foundation
Health area: HIV, PrEP
📍Thailand
Siripong Srichau
Campaign Officer, APCOM Foundation
Health area: HIV, PrEP
📍Thailand
Siripong Srichau is a campaign officer for APCOM. Currently, he is working on the “Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC)” project, which is supported by fhi360. He is responsible for two programs: the Regional Operation Plan (ROP) and the Regional Collaboration Fund (RCF).
Both programmes have the same objective, which is to attain and maintain HIV epidemic control among KPs (MSM, MSW, TGW, and TGSW), Regional Operation Plan will focus more on online outreach with its platform “testBKK.org” which has various online channels including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, and website with 160,000 followers and subscribers, it can expand the scope of messaging and service promotion through online platforms as well. testBKK’s online campaign utilizes a strategy that has been proven effective and cost-effective in generating testing uptake with testBKK’s clinic partners – which contributed approximately 20% of EpiC Thailand’s online-to-offline case finding in the previous fiscal year.
Regional Collaboration Funds is the program that transfers and adapts Thailand’s lessons learned and technical capacities to other key focus countries in the region, with a focus on Indonesia, Laos, Nepal, and the Philippines, to accelerate the implementation and impact of epidemic control. This programme also conducts regional online learning and advocacy webinars based on community needs and emerging issues related to ending AIDS by 2030, such as PrEP, HIVST, PEPFAR ROP/COP, Chemsex, Monkeypox, and community-led monitoring. In addition, this program convenes a regional meeting in Bangkok to fast-track the region’s progression of its objective.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Wim Vandevelde
Liaison Officer, Global Network of People living with HIV (GNP+)
Health area: HIV, PrEP, TB
📍South Africa/Belgium
Wim Vandevelde
Liaison Officer, Global Network of People living with HIV (GNP+)
Health area: HIV, PrEP, TB
📍South Africa/Belgium
Wim is the Liaison Officer at the Global Network of People living with HIV (GNP+) in South Africa, supporting the Communities Delegation to the Unitaid Board. For over two decades Wim has been committed to HIV, hepatitis, and TB treatment advocacy, education, and research. Shortly after his HIV diagnosis, he became actively involved in treatment advocacy in Portugal and at European and global levels. He is the founder of the Portuguese Treatment Activist Group (GAT), the former chair and co-founder of the Global TB CAB and has served on the Medicines Patent Pool’s Expert Advisory Group and Scientific Advisory Panel as a Community representative since its creation.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Jacqueline Wambui
Program Officer, Afrocab Treatment Access Partnership
Health area: HIV
📍Kenya
Jacqueline Wambui
Program Officer, Afrocab Treatment Access Partnership
Health area: HIV
📍Kenya
Jacqueline Wambui is the Global CAB Facilitator at the Afrocab Treatment Access Partnership. Jacqueline’s educational background is in HIV counselling and training. She is an HIV-positive treatment and prevention activist who has a special interest in the rights of HIV-positive people and AGYW and advocating on their behalf. She has more than 10 years of experience actively working in programs focused on HIV and sexual and reproductive health and rights in Kenya. Her work experience has seen her take the lead in various advocacy campaigns that affect people living with HIV, and AGYW in Kenya, regionally and globally. She also co-led the FASTER Pediatric and Adolescent CAB. Jacqueline is also a consultant with AVAC and is a member of the ECHO Trial Global Community Advisory Group- GCAG and the ANTICOV and IMPOWER CAG.
Jacqueline is the winner of the AIDS 2020 Women, Girls and HIV Investigator’s Prize.
Governance & Team » Community Advisory Panel
Stephen Watiti
Director, Watiti Foundation to advocate for universal health coverage
Health area: HIV, PrEP, TB, Cancer
📍Uganda
Stephen Watiti
Director, Watiti Foundation to advocate for universal health coverage
Health area: HIV, PrEP, TB, Cancer
📍Uganda
Dr. Stephen Watiti was born on the 11th of May 1953 in Mbale Uganda. Stephen studied medicine at Makerere University Kampala from 1979-1984 and from 1984-1988, he worked at Rubaga Hospital as medical officer; before moving into private medical practice from 1988-2004. From 2004- 2013, he worked at Mildmay Uganda, an HIV treatment centre. With hind sight, Stephen thinks he got infected with HIV in 1986, early in his career as a doctor. Since 2000, he has been on ARVs after going down with TB, cancer and cryptococcal meningitis in 1999. His quality of life greatly improved while on ARVs and he believes that HIV though incurable is manageable if treatment is accompanied with psycho-social support. Stephen loves, gardening, reading and writing and from 2006, he has been writing a column for The New Vision newspaper, titled: “Towards Zero”. He has also authored two books: “HIV and AIDS: 100 Commonly asked questions”, and “Conquering HIV and AIDS: My personal experience of living with HIV”. Dr. Watiti is a regular inspirational speaker on health, especially HIV and AIDS. The parliament of Uganda, Action Aid International, Tearfund UK, the International Christian Medical and Dental Association (ICMDA), TASO Uganda and several other organisations have recognized him for his efforts in fighting HIV/AIDS and the related stigma. Dr. Watiti is the chairman of the Board of Directors for Mbale Regional referral hospital, Board Chair NAFOPHANU the national forum of PLHIV networks in Uganda and, Board member for MJAP, the Makerere Joint AIDS program. He is passionate about stopping new HIV infections and AIDS related deaths plus eliminating HIV associated stigma. Stephen is married to Naomi and they have grown up children.
The mRNA Scientific Advisory Committee (mSAC) is an independent committee convened by the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) to deliver answers, on a consultative basis, to specific questions on scientific matters addressed to them relating to the mRNA Technology Transfer Hub Programme.
mRNA Scientific Advisory Committee Members:
Composition of m-SAC as of September 2022, with more members coming soon
Martin Friede, Ph.D.
Coordinator, Initiative for Vaccine Research at the World Health Organization
(mSAC Chair)
Martin Friede, Ph.D.
Coordinator, Initiative for Vaccine Research at the World Health Organization
(mSAC Chair)
Friede is the scientific officer responsible for vaccine delivery systems within the Initiative for Vaccine Research (IVR) at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. In this position he is the WHO focal point for matters related to the development of technologies to improve vaccines including adjuvants, stabilization methods needle-free vaccine delivery systems.
Prior to joining WHO Dr Friede held several positions in the vaccine industry: He was Vice President of Development for Apovia Inc. a Californian vaccine development company, prior to which he was responsible for vaccine formulation and vaccine delivery research at Smithkline Beecham Biologicals (now GlaxoSmithKline).Martin Friede received his PhD in biochemistry from the University of Cape Town in South Africa.
Dr. Danilo Casimiro, Ph.D.
Chief Science Officer & Global Head, External Scientific Affairs, Sanofi Vaccines
Dr. Danilo Casimiro, Ph.D.
Chief Science Officer & Global Head, External Scientific Affairs, Sanofi Vaccines
Danilo is Chief Science Officer and Global Head, External Scientific Affairs for Sanofi Vaccines since October 2021. He is responsible for external-facing functions of the Vaccines R&D unit, including teams for search-and-evaluation of vaccine candidates and vaccine innovations, scientific network development & partnerships, and external financing. He has over 25 years of experience in research and development of vaccines and biologics in both pharmaceutical and non-profit sectors. Prior to joining Sanofi in November 2017, he was the Chief Scientific Officer at Aeras, a non-profit vaccine R&D organization funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. During his 19 years at the Merck Research Laboratories, Danilo contributed to the licensure of Merck’s human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines, and the development of novel vaccine candidates and antibodies against multiple viral pathogens and novel immunotherapeutic approaches against cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. He also served on numerous advisory committees to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Global Health Program, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, NIH Integrated Preclinical/Clinical AIDS Vaccine Development Program, USAID Malaria Vaccine Development Program, and HIV Vaccine Enterprise. He received his Ph.D. degree in chemistry and post-doctoral training from the California Institute of Technology and the Scripps Research Institute-La Jolla, respectively.
Barney Graham, M.D., Ph.D.
Former Deputy Director of the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institutes of Health and the Chief of the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory.
Barney Graham, M.D., Ph.D.
Former Deputy Director of the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institutes of Health and the Chief of the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory.
Dr. Graham is the former Deputy Director of the NIAID Vaccine Research Center and has developed novel vaccines and monoclonal antibodies for several viral diseases including the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine for which he has been widely recognized.
Barney S. Graham is an immunologist, virologist, and clinical trials physician with an extensive background in basic and translational research applied to vaccine development. He obtained an undergraduate degree from Rice University, a medical degree from the University of Kansas, and residency, ID fellowship, and PhD from Vanderbilt University where he was an R01-funded investigator before joining the NIAID Vaccine Research Center at NIH as a founding member in 2000. He retired as Deputy Director of the VRC in 2021 and is now an independent consultant and Senior Advisor for Global Health Equity at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta.
He is an elected member of ASCI, AAP, and National Academy of Sciences. He is recipient of the Robert M. Chanock Award for lifetime contributions to RSV research, the Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal Award for contributions to vaccinology, the Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research, and the National Academy of Sciences John J. Carty Award for the Advancement of Science. He was named one of the world’s 100 most influential individuals and one of the Heroes of the Year in 2021 by Time magazine and recognized as the Federal Employee of the Year by the Partnership for Public Service.
He is an author on more than 500 scientific publications, and a thought leader on emerging viral diseases and pandemic preparedness. He is best known for his research on RSV pathogenesis, structure-based vaccine design, and application of mRNA delivery technology. He was involved in the advanced evaluation of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies for HIV, Ebola, and Chikungunya, and developed novel vaccines for RSV, influenza, Zika, paramyxoviruses, and coronaviruses including the first COVID-19 vaccine and monoclonal antibody to enter clinical testing and that subsequently achieved Emergency Use Authorization and licensure.
Drew Weissman, M.D., Ph .D.
MD, PhD, Co-Director, Penn Center for AIDS Research, Immunology Core Director of Vaccine Research, Infectious Diseases Division
Drew Weissman, M.D., Ph .D.
MD, PhD, Co-Director, Penn Center for AIDS Research, Immunology Core Director of Vaccine Research, Infectious Diseases Division
Drew Weissman, M.D., Ph.D. is a professor of Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. He received his graduate degrees from Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Weissman, in collaboration with Dr. Katalin Karikó, discovered the ability of modified nucleosides in RNA to suppress activation of innate immune sensors and increase the translation of mRNA containing certain modified nucleosides. The nucleoside-modified mRNA-lipid nanoparticle vaccine platform Dr. Weissman’s lab created is used in the first 2 approved COVID-19 vaccines by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna. They continue to develop other vaccines that induce potent antibody and T cell responses with mRNA–based vaccines. Dr. Weissman’s lab also develops methods to replace genetically deficient proteins, edit the genome, and specifically target cells and organs with mRNA-LNPs, including lung, heart, brain, CD4+ cells, all T cells, and bone marrow stem cells.
Duccio Medini, Ph.D.
R3 Program Director at Wellcome Leap, global ARPA for Health, and Strategic Data Science Director at Toscana Life Sciences Foundation, Siena (Italy).
Duccio Medini, Ph.D.
R3 Program Director at Wellcome Leap, global ARPA for Health, and Strategic Data Science Director at Toscana Life Sciences Foundation, Siena (Italy).
Duccio Medini leads the 60M$ RNA Readiness and Response program, co-funded by CEPI, to develop standardized, multi-product RNA manufacturing capabilities providing increased access to diverse biologics and sustainable pandemic response.
In executive roles of growing responsibility at Chiron, Novartis and GSK corporations, he led hundreds of data scientists in Vaccines R&D across Europe, US and Asia, holding Research Board, Innovation Board, Clinical Quality Board and Data Governance Board responsibilities.
Working across biological discovery, clinical development and public health, he discovered the pangenome concept co-founding the pangenomics discipline, contributed to the successful registration of four novel vaccines, including the first universal vaccine against serogroup B meningitis, led the Meningococcal Antigen Typing System (MATS) platform worldwide, developed transformative corporate data strategies, authored 50+ publications, books and patents in data science for health, population genomics and mathematical vaccinology.
Prof. Medini received his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Perugia, Italy, with a residency at the Northeastern University in Boston, MA; is habilitated Full Professor of Molecular Biology; has served in international PhD school committees at the Perugia and Turin Universities in Italy; is honorary member of the Cuban Immunology Society, Fellow of the ISI Foundation, Strategic Board member of CINI’s Italian National Digital Health Lab; an IMD, ADVAC and UC Berkley alumnus.
Dr. Connie Schmaljohn
Director, NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF-Frederick)
Dr. Connie Schmaljohn
Director, NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF-Frederick)
Dr. Connie Schmaljohn is the Director of the NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF-Frederick) where she provides overall scientific leadership to research activities and oversees collaborative research programs to advance medical countermeasures for highly pathogenic viruses. In addition, she serves as an expert consultant and advisor both nationally and internationally on the development of novel vaccine strategies for highly pathogenic viruses.
Dr. Schmaljohn earned a BS Degree in Microbiology from the University of Nebraska and a PhD in Virology from Colorado State University, after which she joined United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) as a National Research Council postdoctoral fellow. She continued her career at USAMRIID in multiple capacities culminating with a position as the Senior Research Scientist for Medical Defenses against Infectious Disease Threats for the US Army. Dr. Schmaljohn’s research background is in molecular virology and molecular vaccine development. She has served as President of the International Society of Hantaviruses, Chair of the American Society for Microbiology Biodefense Conference, and Chair of the International Committee on the Taxonomy of Viruses Bunyaviridae Study Group. She also has served on the Interagency Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasure Enterprise (PHEMCE) Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers IPT, the Board of Scientific Counselors for the NIAID Vaccine Research Center, the Scientific Advisory Council for the Coalition of Emergency Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the Independent Product Group (IPG) for COVAX. She was elected to the American Academy of Microbiology (2007) and was selected as Fellow of the International Society for Vaccines (2015). She received the Order of Military Merit (2002), the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States Research Award (2002), the University of Nebraska Alumni Achievement Award (2012), and the Presidential Rank Award (2017). Dr. Schmaljohn has published more than 200 peer reviewed journal articles and reference works, has edited many books and special journal issues and holds numerous patent awards for vaccine development efforts.
Suhaib Siddiqui, Ph.D.
Former director of chemistry at Moderna Founder of Antirna Inc
Suhaib Siddiqui, Ph.D.
Former director of chemistry at Moderna Founder of Antirna Inc
Suhaib Siddiqi is a scientist in the field of infectious diseases, nucleic acids and genomics. As a head of the departments, he led the research and development efforts at various biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. He was the first director of chemistry at Moderna.
He has a doctorate in Chemistry from the University of Technology, Vienna, Austria. He currently serves as a scientific advisor to various biotechnology companies. He was inventor of a potent antiviral agent, (-)-5’-Noraristeromycin and Virtual Terminators for the DNA/RNA sequencing. He has published 31 peer-reviewed papers, and 47 patents.
Kiat Ruxrungtham, M.D.
Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine Chulalongkorn University; and Scientific Chair of the Chula Vaccine Research Center
Kiat Ruxrungtham, M.D.
Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine Chulalongkorn University; and Scientific Chair of the Chula Vaccine Research Center
Kiat Ruxrungtham, MD, is a Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University; and Scientific Chair of the Chula Vaccine Research Center (ChulaVRC); and Director of the Covid19 Vaccine Development Program, ChulaVRC. He is providing teaching and patient care on Allergy -Clinical Immunology and HIV Medicine at the King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University; and is mentoring junior researchers on HIV medicine, vaccine, immunology, and allergy research and also on clinical trials. He is currently leading the Chula-Covid19 mRNA vaccine development program. He has published more than 360 peer review papers on HIV, immunology, allergy, and vaccine.
Governance & Team » MPP Staff
Charles Gore
Executive Director
Charles Gore
Executive Director
Charles Gore is the Executive Director of the Medicines Patent Pool. He took up the post in July 2018 following a career in patient representation and public health advocacy. In a short period of time, he has advanced the work of MPP in HIV and viral hepatitis and led the organisation’s strategy for expanding its mandate into essential medicines and COVID-19 treatments as well as the licensing of technology with an initial focus on COVID-19 vaccines and pandemic preparedness.
He was diagnosed with hepatitis C in 1995 and cirrhosis in 1998. In 2000 he set up The Hepatitis C Trust in the UK which he ran for 18 years. In 2002 he was treated and cured of the virus. He helped create the European Liver Patients Association and was its first President in 2004. In 2007 he organised a meeting of hepatitis patient organisations from around the world to agree on co-ordinated global action. From this emerged the decision to hold an annual World Hepatitis Day and to create a new NGO, the World Hepatitis Alliance, of which Charles was the President from 2007 until the end of 2017. As a result of advocacy by the Alliance and its members, the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted successive viral hepatitis resolutions in 2010, 2014 and 2016, making World Hepatitis Day an official day, celebrated on 28 July every year, and endorsing the first Global Health Sector Strategy on viral hepatitis with the goal of eliminating hepatitis B and C by 2030.
In addition to direct advocacy with over 50 Ministries of Health, Charles has led on advising countries on finding sustainable domestic financing for hepatitis programmes, including health system elements such as infection control and blood and injection safety. Charles also sits on a number of national and international advisory bodies, including the WHO Director-General’s Strategic and Technical Advisory Committee for Viral Hepatitis and has been a member of all the WHO guideline development groups on testing and treating viral hepatitis.
Sandra Nobre
Business Development and Partnerships (Executive Leadership Team)
Sandra Nobre, our Business Development and Partnership Director (Executive Leadership Team), joined the Medicines Patent Pool in October 2018. Sandra has had a successful career within the pharmaceutical industry over the past 17 years and in her previous position as the Senior Director of Global Business Development at pharmaceutical company Takeda. Sandra enjoys working internationally and integrates well with multicultural and multinational companies. She also has a deep knowledge of the global health care ecosystem. Sandra earned a Master of Science in Chemistry from Universidade de Coimbra, a Master of Science in Biotechnology from Instituto Superior Técnico (both in Portugal), and an MBA in Entrepreneurship and Business Development from Université de Genève.
Aditi Das
Head of Alliance and India Office (Mumbai)
Aditi Das joined the Medicines Patent Pool in January 2021 as Business Development Manager, Technical and Regulatory Affairs, at the Indian Liaison Office in Mumbai. In 2024, Aditi became the Head of Alliance and India Office. Aditi supports the Business Development team with respect to the technical and regulatory aspects of drug product development. Aditi has a rich experience of 18 years in diverse areas of drug product development including formulation and process development, technology transfer and Quality by Design across several organisations including Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Sandoz, Novartis, and Zydus Pharmaceuticals. Prior to joining MPP, Aditi was heading the Centre of Excellence for topical products for Zydus Pharmaceuticals. Aditi holds a master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Banaras Hindu University, India.
Meghmala Das
Business Development – Alliance Manager (Geneva)
Meghmala Das is a Business Development Manager and joined the Medicines Patent Pool in October 2017. At MPP, she is responsible for alliance and partnership management in addition to analysing data for monitoring progress of projects. She brings a wealth of experience in data analysis and project management to this role having worked previously at Axtria in pharmaceutical analytics and the economics affairs department of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Meghmala holds a bachelor’s degree in business studies and a master’s degree in business economics, both from the University of Delhi.
Romain Dissard
Manager, Scientific and Medical Affairs (Geneva)
Prior to joining MPP, Romain has worked in medical research, conducting projects on kidney diseases in France, Scotland, and Switzerland. More recently, he worked for the NCD Alliance where he was responsible for strategic engagement with multilateral partners, corporations, foundations, and NGOs. He holds a Master’s degree in health biology and a PhD in pharmacology from the University of Toulouse.
Lobna Gaayeb
Head of Scientific and Medical Affairs (Geneva)
Lobna Gaayeb is the Head of Scientific and Medical Affairs at the Medicines Patent Pool Foundation, overseeing the selection and monitoring of in-licensing medicine efforts. Since joining in 2019, she has focused on licensing long-acting health technologies and established the LAPaL database for these innovations. With previous roles at Institut Pasteur managing the MediLabSecure network and experience in infectious disease research, Lobna applies her expertise in veterinary science, clinical research, and public health to improve global health initiatives. She holds a Master’s in Biology and a Ph.D. in Clinical Research, Technological Innovation, and Public Health. She speaks five languages, leveraging her linguistic skills and cultural understanding in her work.
Parag Nimbolkar
Business Development Manager, In-licensing (Geneva)
Parag Nimbolkar joined the Medicines Patent Pool as a Business Development Manager in May 2022 where he is responsible for the in-licensing activities at MPP. In this role, Parag brings private sector experience in business development and licensing. Parag has over 10 years of experience in a variety of fields such as the licensing of biosimilars and injectable and generic products, corporate strategy and M&A’s, market access and portfolio management.
Parag has worked with IQVIA, Dr. Reddy’s and more recently with Intas Pharmaceuticals. Parag holds a Master of Pharmaceutical Management from NIPER, Mohali, India and a Bachelor of Pharmacy from the University of Pune, India.
Shambhavi Warerkar Pai
Business Development, Alliance Manager (Mumbai)
Shambhavi Warerkar Pai joined MPP in May 2023 as Business Development – Alliance Manager at the Indian Liaison Office. At MPP, she is responsible for alliance management with generic manufacturers (MPP licensees). Shambhavi has over 11 years of rich experience in the pharma industry in various domains, such as API and Formulation exports, In-licensing and out-licensing of generics, business development and project management. She has worked for Indoco Remedies, Enaltec Labs, Sai Lifesciences Limited, and CBC Corporation (India) Private Limited. Shambhavi holds a Bachelor’s in pharmacy from Pune University and Post Graduate Diploma in Operations Management from Symbiosis International University.
Manuele Piccolis
Senior Manager, Scientific and Medical Affairs (Geneva)
Manuele Piccolis joined the Medicines Patent Pool as Scientific Manager for Infectious Diseases in March 2020. He holds a PhD in Life Sciences from the University of Geneva and he has an extensive experience in metabolism. Before joining MPP, Manuele worked at the Gladstone Institutes (CA), Harvard HSPH (MA), EPFL (CH). More recently he was responsible for the clinical evaluation of Rapid Diagnostic Test for infectious diseases in LMIC. In MPP, he joined the Business Development team bringing his scientific expertise in the evaluation of treatments that are candidates for in-licensing.
Maneesha Ranaut
Business Development, Alliance Manager (Mumbai)
Maneesha Ranaut joined MPP in February 2019 as an Executive Assistant at the Indian Liaison Office. In July 2021, she transitioned into the role of Project Manager-Business Development, where she was managing internal relationships for the Business Development Team and also aiding out-licensing management activities. In April 2023, Maneesha stepped into the role of Alliance Manager, taking charge of managing alliances with the generic manufacturers (MPP Licensees). Before her tenure at MPP, she was associated with Wilhelm Fricke as an Executive Assistant and Logistics Manager. Her multifaceted experience coupled with a background in Oberoi Hotels and Resorts, has provided her with valuable insights into the hospitality industry. Maneesha holds a Bachelor’s in Science from Himachal Pradesh University and a Master’s in Operations Management from Jaipur National University.
Priyanka Vagal
Office Assistant (Mumbai)
Priyanka Vagal joined the Medicines Patent Pool in October 2021 as Office Assistant, bringing more than nine years of experience working in the healthcare industry to the organisation. She is responsible for providing support to, and facilitating the smooth running of the India office through the maintenance of various administrative tasks, and the coordination with the Finance Department and Office Manager in MPP’s Geneva office. Prior to joining us, Priyanka worked in assistant roles for organisations such as Hopscotch Heath PVT Ltd, Reach therapy Center for Children, and Fortis hospital. Priyanka graduated in Home Science from SNDT University Mumbai, India.
Ashok Valechha
Business Development, Alliance Manager (Mumbai)
Ashok Valechha joined MPP in March 2022 as Business Development – Alliance Manager at the Indian Liaison Office. At MPP, he is responsible for alliance management with generic manufacturers (MPP licensees). Ashok comes with 15 years of rich experience in pharma industry with a knowledge of generic pharmaceutical product development, project management and business development, having worked for companies such as Famy Care & Zydus Cadila. Prior to joining MPP, he was heading the Project Management function at Bliss GVS Pharma Ltd. Ashok holds a Bachelor’s in pharmacy and Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management from Mumbai University.
Valentina Lee
Business Development, Alliance Manager (Geneva)
Valentina Lee joined the Medicines Patent Pool in November 2023, in our Geneva Office, as Business Development – Alliance Manager, focusing on MPP’s relationships with our licensors. With a Bachelor’s in Life Sciences and Biotechnology and a Master’s in Industrial Pharmaceutical Science, she brings over eight years of experience from Celltrion, Inc., a key MPP sublicensee. Her expertise spans formulation development projects and business management in low- and middle-income countries. Valentina’s commitment to leveraging her pharmaceutical industry experience for public health highlights her dedication to improving global access of essential medicines, embodying MPP’s mission to serve communities in need.
Shreyas Kulkarni
Market Intelligence Manager (Mumbai)
Shreyas joined MPP in October 2023 as the Market Intelligence Manager at the Indian Liaison Office. In his role, he is responsible for shaping the business development strategy for the In-licensing team through the application of competitive and market insights. Shreyas brings over 12 years of extensive experience in pharmaceutical consulting, competitive intelligence, market research, and business analytics. His professional journey includes stints at organisations such as Futurebridge, Acuity Knowledge Partners, and, most recently, ZS Associates. Shreyas holds a master’s degree in pharmaceutical sciences from Bharati Vidyapeeth, Pune University, and a bachelor’s degree from Shivaji University.
Gelise McCullough
Communications Director (Executive Leadership Team)
Gelise McCullough, our Communications Director (Executive Leadership Team) joined the Medicines Patent Pool in January 2020. Gelise is a public health professional with 20 years of experience. She has come from Unitaid where she worked for nearly 12 years in programme management and communication on range of innovative grants including intellectual property. She is dedicated to access to treatment and has worked with a wide range of partners, international, government and civil society, to ensure quality, adapted and affordable medicines and diagnostics are made available to those who need it most. She enjoys fostering partnerships and engaging stakeholders towards a common goal. Gelise has worked in communication roles with a number of International Organisations: United Nations Development Program (UNDP), World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF. Gelise holds a Master’s in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she specialised in health promotion. Her first degree was in Communications.
Shania Khan
Communications Manager
Shania Khan joined Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) as Communications Manager focussing on the mRNA Technology Transfer Hub, to develop and implement the company’s marketing plan in line with the company objectives. She is responsible for the design and delivery of the ‘hub’ overall media and marketing strategy. Her remit is to develop an online presence, promote brand awareness, manage events and field trips as well as build and maintain a client base.
Prior to her work at MPP she was Journals Manager at Frontiers Media and Head of Marketing at Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation. Her background includes scientific marketing for the Royal Society and global marketing for the Arab British Chamber of Commerce in London.
At MPP, she is thrilled to apply and grow her marketing expertise, deepen her knowledge of the non-profit sector and, overall, support the success of the organisation’s mission and goals.
Sophie Thievenaz
Senior Communications Manager
Sophie Thievenaz is our Senior Communications Manager since October 2016, overseeing digital communications at MPP, media relations, as well as events and publications. She also works closely with the Head of Communications to implement our communications strategy. Sophie acted as Head of Communications a.i. from June-December 2019. Sophie comes with a wealth of communications and advocacy experience, having served as Communications Officer for the Sanitation and Water for All Global Partnership, hosted by UNICEF in Geneva. Here, Sophie managed the organisation’s web and social media presence, publications and events. She also worked as the Communications and Campaign Coordinator for Yfoundations, a non-profit organisation working to address youth homelessness in Sydney, Australia, and for the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Annecy, France. Sophie has a master’s degree in political science from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques d’Aix-en-Provence, a postgraduate diploma in corporate social responsibility from the London Metropolitan Business School, UK, and a certificate on patent law and global public health from Havard Law School.
Chan Park
General Counsel (Executive Leadership Team)
Chan Park is the Medicines Patent Pool’s General Counsel (Executive Leadership Team). He has been with MPP since it was established in 2010, overseeing all legal matters of the organisation. As General Counsel, Chan forms a vital part of our negotiation team, and has successfully negotiated and drafted our licensing agreements. Before joining MPP, Chan was a member of the team at Unitaid that conceptualised and established our organisation. An attorney by training, Chan practised IP law with US firm, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati, and served as Senior Technical and Policy Advisor for the Lawyers Collective HIV/AIDS unit in India. He has consulted for a number of international organisations, including the United Nations Development Programme, the World Health Organization and Unitaid, on a range of issues related to IP and access to medicines. Chan received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania, USA and his Juris Doctor from the New York University School of Law, USA.
Razan Walch
Paralegal Officer
Razan Walch joined the Medicines Patent Pool in September 2022 as Paralegal Officer, where she manages contracts and assist in the implementation of compliance processes, as well as assist on a variety of MPP legal matters.
Razan brings over 10 years of professional experience in corporate law, legal research and contracts management. She has worked in multinational companies in sectors such as healthcare services, supply of industrial gases, and water management technologies.
Razan holds a degree in paralegal studies from the University of Sharjah in UAE and Bachelor of Arts from Yarmouk University in Jordan.
Donia Alwan
Associate Counsel
Donia Alwan is an Associate Legal Counsel at the Medicines Patent Pool. She is admitted to practice law in three jurisdictions and has considerable experience advising on IP law, international law, data protection, dispute resolutions and regulatory matters. She joined MPP in July 2024 and handles a range of legal matters. Before joining MPP, Donia worked at the UK Department of Business and Trade in the IP team where she advised on Free Trade Agreements and other multilateral IP issues. She has also consulted for the International Trade Centre on a range of trade law issues, including on e-commerce, Artificial Intelligence and IP law. Donia received her Bachelor of Laws from the University of Westminster School of Law, UK and her Master of Laws from the New York University School of Law, USA.
Bryce Robinson
Associate Counsel
Bryce Robinson is an Associate Counsel at the Medicines Patent Pool. Prior to joining MPP, Bryce practised as an intellectual property litigator at a global law firm, Herbert Smith Freehills, and has particular experience in patent disputes in the pharmaceutical, life sciences, and technology sectors. He has also worked as a health law researcher for non-profit and academic institutions in the USA. Bryce holds a Master of Laws in National & Global Health Law from Georgetown University (USA) and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours), Bachelor of Science, and Diploma of Languages from the Australian National University.
Jane Caldwell
Chief Operating Officer (Executive Leadership Team)
Jane Caldwell, our Chief Operating Officer (Executive Leadership Team), joined MPP in August 2022, overseeing finance, human resources, IT and resource mobilisation. She brings substantial experience of organisation effectiveness, partnerships and income generation working in the non-profit sector for 13 years most recently as a CEO. Previously, Jane worked as a film producer making human rights documentaries and feature films in Europe, Asia and America. She has supported the start-up of three businesses in different sectors including the Greentech industry and was a founding member of the Women’s Equality Party where she raised the funds to launch this new political party in the UK. Jane has a post-graduate qualification in Health Economics and Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
Victoria Dovgan
Office Manager
Victoria holds a degree in foreign languages (French and English) and in psychology. She brings more than 20 years of experience in project management, event organisation and as assistant. Victoria has a strong experience in the public health sector having worked for Doctors without borders, the AIDS foundation East-West. Her work experience includes also work at the Embassy of France to Ukraine and Twinning project on the Early intervention system for children with disabilities realised with Expertise France and Ministry of Social Affairs.
Gerry Fayolle
Senior Finance Officer
Gerry Fayolle joined the Medicines Patent Pool in June 2022 as Finance and Administration Officer. In April 2024, Gerry was promoted as Senior Finance Officer. As an accountant he’s mainly in charge of supplier invoices, professional expenditures and payment. Gerry hold the Baccalaureate in finance and accountancy, the technician brevet in management and accountancy and a license in finance and administration, moreover brings almost 4 years as a Junior Accountant for several companies, handling customers and suppliers bookkeeping.
Ruth Foley
Monitoring and Evaluation Manager
Ruth Foley joined MPP as Monitoring and Evaluation Manager in June 2021. She brings with her 19 years of experience in the NGO sector, with specific expertise in monitoring, evaluation and strategy development as well as in advocacy on human rights, gender equality and HIV. Previous employers include the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). Ruth holds a Master in International Affairs from the Graduate Institute in Geneva and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Oriental Studies from the University of Cambridge.
Vittorio Giorgetti
Grants & Operations Manager
Vittorio Giorgetti has joined MPP as Grants and Operations Manager in February 2023. Vittorio will work to ensure the efficient management of grants and donor relations, as well as the delivery of the strategic implementation plan. His career started in 2015 at the Brussels’ office of A.R.S. Progetti, where he was appointed as grant officer and writer of project proposals. He moved to Geneva in 2018 and he started working as independent consultant in the fields of fundraising and grant management. His services were addressed to Universities, centers of research, NGOs, and start-ups based in several EU countries. Vittorio holds a master’s degree in international Relations and European Studies from the ‘Cesare Alfieri’ School of Florence.
Gosha Stehle
Human Resources Manager
Gosha Stehle joined MPP in September 2022 as HR Manager. Before joining MPP she worked in nonprofit organizations in Geneva performing various business support functions including, human resources, finance and administration, governance, and projects support. Gosha holds master`s degree in American studies and certification in human resources management from the HRSE Swiss Exams. Originally from Poland, she lived and worked in the United Kingdom before relocating to Geneva.
Agnese Tonnina
Senior Manager, Grants and Governance
Agnese joined the Medicines Patent Pool as Grants and Operations Manager in November 2020. In April 2024, Agnese was promoted as Senior Manager, Grants and Governance. Agnese supports her department in ensuring the smooth running of the day-to-day operations of the organisation and the efficient management of grants and donor relations. Agnese is genuinely committed to work for organisations that ensure access to equal opportunities for all. She has worked in the non-profit sector for nearly 8 years as Programme Finance Associate, Afghanistan for the International Development Law Organization, as Project Officer, Somalia for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and most recently as Officer, Operational efficiency at the Global Fund. She holds a Master of Science degree in International Management from King’s College, London and a Bachelor of Arts from John Cabot University in Rome.
Carmen Turnbull
Senior Accounting Manager
Carmen Turnbull joined the Medicines Patent Pool in October 2023 as the Senior Accounting Manager. She brings a diverse and robust background in finance from various sectors. With her early education in Eastern Europe and further studies in the UK, Carmen’s approach to finance is underpinned by a rigorous academic foundation and a broad perspective. Her career began in 2001 in the FMCG industry, where she honed her expertise for over a decade in the UK and France before transitioning to a leading global food company in Italy. This journey enriched her experience in financial management and precision. At MPP, Carmen applies her skills and knowledge to support the organisation’s financial strategies and contribute to its mission. Her transition to the non-profit sector began in 2022 with another organisation in Geneva, marking a new chapter where she integrates her experience into the collaborative and dynamic environment of the organisation.
Esteban Burrone
Policy, Strategy and Market Access Director (Executive Leadership Team)
Esteban Burrone is our Policy, Strategy and Market Access Director (Executive Leadership Team). Esteban has been with us since we were established, in 2010, and oversees our strategy development and our partnerships with a wide range of external organisations. These include governments, intergovernmental organisations, public health organisations, civil society and community-based organisations. He is part of our senior management team and has overall responsibility for our Patents and Licences Databases (MedsPaL and VaxPaL). Esteban has more than 20 years of experience working in the field of innovation, IP rights and access to medicines. Esteban holds a Master of Science in Development Studies from the London School of Economics, a Master in Business Administration from the International University in Geneva and a Master in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Tiwadayo Braimoh
Policy and Advocacy Manager
Tiwadayo Braimoh joined the Medicines Patent Pool in February 2022 as Policy and Advocacy Manager after about 20 years of work across sectors and areas including the pharmaceutical industry, public health, and health policy. He started off his career playing different roles progressively in sales, marketing, and business development in the pharmaceutical industry, then joined Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) where he worked on access programs and with governments in Africa on various health policy issues. Just before joining MPP, he was Senior Technical Advisor for Health Financing at the Ministry of Health, Rwanda, where he worked closely with high level stakeholders across sectors on health systems strengthening and on an African Union’s continental health financing initiative. At MPP, he leads on the policy aspects of COVID-19 and pandemic preparedness, and on Africa. Tiwadayo holds an MSc in Health Policy, Planning and Financing from London School of Economics and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicines and an MBA from the University of Lagos. He is also a Pharmacist and Fellow of the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists.
Amina Larbi
Head of Patent Information
Amina Larbi joined the Medicines Patent Pool in September 2018 as Patent Information Manager. Part of the Policy and Advocacy team, she manages the patent and information team responsible of maintaining and developing MPP’s Patents and Licences Databases and performing patent searches and analyses. Amina is a registered Swiss and European Patent Attorney with a broad experience as a patent specialist in the private sector, particularly in the field of biopharmaceuticals. Her experience extends from prior-art searching, performing patentability studies, patent drafting and prosecution, handling of patent and trademark portfolios to the management of intellectual property databases and systems. Before joining the MPP, Amina worked for five years for two companies active in the field of mechanics (medical devices, optics, security printing) after having worked for 14 years in the Intellectual of Property Department of the pharmaceutical company Merck-Serono S.A, based in Geneva. Amina holds a master’s degree in biology from the University of Geneva.
Marie Levy
Policy and Advocacy Officer
Marie Levy joined the Medicines Patent Pool in October 2022 as Policy and Advocacy Officer. She has mostly been working on external relations, advocacy, and partnership management for international organisations, both at HQ and field level. Before joining MPP Marie worked at Unitaid, the European Commission and the French national institute for health and medical research (INSERM).
She holds master’s degrees in international humanitarian law and political sciences and has a particular interest in access to health and social justice.
Mila Maistat
Senior Manager, Policy, Strategy and Market Access
Mila Maistat joined the Medicines Patent Pool in May 2017 as Policy and Advocacy Manager, bringing more than 15 years of policy and advocacy experience in HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis to the organisation. She was promoted as Senior Manager, Policy, Strategy and Market Access in April 2024. Prior to working with MPP, Mila was Senior Program Advisor with the Alliance for Public Health (International HIV/AIDS Alliance) where she led policy and policy activities to support the scale-up of hepatitis C diagnostics and treatment in Ukraine and other countries. Mila is a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Strategy and Technical Advisory Group on viral hepatitis and the WHO guidelines’ development and peer-review groups as well as a member of the Lancet Commission on Accelerating the Elimination of Viral hepatitis. She also chaired the Hepatitis C Group for Unitaid’s non-governmental organisation (NGO) delegation and continues to serve as a member of the HIV in Europe Steering Committee. Mila was recognised by the Economist as one of the leading voices for advocacy to increase access to affordable diagnostics and treatment of viral hepatitis. Mila holds a master’s degree in English and German from Gogol State University and a master’s degree in Social Sciences and Technologies (Sociology, Public Relations) from the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy. She speaks Ukrainian, Russian, English, French and German.
Sébastien Morin
Senior Manager, Policy, Strategy and Market Access
Sébastien Morin joined the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) in May 2019 as Policy and Advocacy Manager, bringing more than six years of policy and advocacy experience in HIV and viral hepatitis to the organisation. He was promoted as Senior Manager, Policy, Strategy and Market Access in April 2024. Prior to working at MPP, Sébastien was since 2013 a Research Officer in the HIV Programmes and Advocacy Department of the International AIDS Society (IAS), where he led the work of the Industry Liaison Forum on paediatric HIV and regulatory affairs, as well as the efforts of the HIV Co-Infections and Co-Morbidities initiative in the areas of viral hepatitis (mostly hepatitis C) and tuberculosis.
Sébastien is author of several peer-reviewed and other publications on paediatric drug formulations, hepatitis C, harm reduction, regulatory affairs and treatment access, in addition to the scientific articles originating from his basic research work on antibiotic resistance and HIV infection.
Sébastien holds a PhD in Biochemistry from Laval University (Québec, Canada) and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Basel (Basel, Switzerland); he speaks French, English and Spanish.
At MPP, Sébastien’s work in the policy space covers various disease areas (including HIV and TB) and geographies (with a focus on the Middle East and North Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean regions). Sébastien is also involved in the paediatric space, contributing to the Global Accelerator for Paediatric Formulations (GAP-f) as Vice Chair of its Strategy and Coordination Committee.
Hillary Mutungi
Access Officer
Giulia Segafredo
Senior Manager, Access, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)
[5/25 11:41 AM] Giulia Segafredo
Giulia Segafredo joined the Medicines Patent Pool in 2020 and currently leads the work on the non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and maternal health portfolio within the Strategy, Policy, and Access team. In this role, she plays a key role in selecting priority medicines for in-licensing and partnering with key global organisations to align priorities and catalyse market-shaping efforts for in-licensed candidates.
Giulia brings substantial experience in drug development and market access from her time in the pharmaceutical industry, coupled with extensive health system strengthening program management in low- and middle-income countries. She has managed several public health and operational research projects on nutrition, maternal health and on the intersection between infectious and non-communicable diseases in several countries in sub-Saharan Africa, such as South Sudan, Angola, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Mozambique.
She holds a master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technologies, a PhD in Epidemiology and Public Health, and is a registered pharmacist.
Zongyuan Tang
Patent Information Officer
Zongyuan Tang joined the Medicines Patent Pool in December 2021 as Patent Information Officer. A member of the Policy and Advocacy team, she supports the Patent Information Manager, and is responsible for medicines, vaccines, patents data entry and management, collecting information on pharmaceutical test data exclusivity, preparing listings of patents and patents applications and contributing to the further development of MedsPal and VaxPal databases. Prior to joining MPP, Zongyuan worked for the World Intellectual Property Organization for two years and a half in the Madrid Information System Division, Madrid Registry, Brands and Designs Sector, based in Geneva. Zongyuan holds a master’s degree in Business Administration and a double bachelors’ degree in Business Administration and Management from the Webster University of Geneva.
Ike James
Technology Transfer Director (Executive Leadership Team)
Ike James, our Technology Transfer Director (Executive Leadership Team) joined MPP in March 2022 within the Technology Transfer Unit. He has the overall responsibility for overseeing MPPs work in technology transfer, local production in low- and middle-income countries and its role in the ACT-A/COVAX Manufacturing Workforce. Ike has held technical leadership positions at Biovac, Aspen Pharmacare, and Lonza prior to starting at MPP, culminating in approximately 16 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry. He has focused on the product development, technology transfer, and process validation of small molecules and biological products, together with the operationalisation of new state of the art manufacturing facilities, ensuring the successful commercial launch thereof and compliance to quality and regulatory requirements. Ike holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Stellenbosch University, South Africa.
Landry Bertaux
Biologic Health Products Expert
Landry Bertaux joined the Medicines Patent Pool in February 2022 as Biologic Health Products Expert within the Technology Transfer Unit. Before joining MPP, Landry worked for 17 years at Sanofi Pasteur in Formulation and Drug Substance Process Development before leading the CMC activities (Manufacturing, Testing and associated Regulatory and Quality) for New Vaccines in Development. Landry holds a Master of Science in Biotechnology from the European High School of Biotechnology (Germany, Switzerland, France) and a Master’s degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the Strasbourg University (France).
Julien Bon
Project Manager
Julien Bon joined the Medicines Patent Pool in May 2023 as Project Manager within the Technology Transfer Unit. Before joining MPP, Julien worked for 15 years for the biopharma industry in the management of operations and contract manufacturers for the production of biologics. Julien holds a Master of Science in Biotechnology from the Polytechnic Institute of Bordeaux (France).
Antonio Grilo
mRNA Technology Transfer Expert
Antonio Grilo joined MPP in January 2023 as mRNA Technology Transfer Expert. Before joining MPP, Antonio worked for 3 years as a Process Expert at Lonza focusing on technology transfer, manufacturing process support, validation and commercial supply of monoclonal antibodies and mRNA vaccines. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College London and an MSc. in Bioprocess Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Portugal.
Monica Moschioni
Programme Manager, Technology Transfer
Monica Moschioni joined MPP in March 2022 as Project Manager within the newly created Technology Transfer Unit. Before joining MPP, Monica worked for six years at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) on two multi-country MDR-TB Phase III clinical trials sponsored by MSF (TB-PRACTECAL and endTB) as Country Coordinator and Trial Manager. Before MSF, Monica worked for 15 years at Novartis Vaccines and GSK Vaccines in the Research and Development Department leading vaccine coverage evaluation projects in high -, low- and middle-income countriesfor vaccines in early or late development phase. Monica holds a PhD in Molecular Biology from Bologna University (Italy), a Master in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (UK) and a Master of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Padova (Italy).