Francisca Mutapi

Professor Francisca Mutapi is an award-winning pioneering researcher and global health leader working on infectious diseases. She is a professor in global health infection and immunity at the University of Edinburgh, where she is also the deputy director of the TIBA (Tackling Infections to Benefit Africa) Partnership, and co-director of the Global Health Academy at the university. Her work on infectious diseases is empowering African scientists and policymakers to tackle infectious diseases and improve epidemic preparedness prioritising local needs and solutions. She leads collaborative, transformative research, developing and deploying infectious disease diagnostic tools and interventions in Africa. She has contributed to shaping national and global NTD policies by working closely with the World Health Organization (WHO) and local governments. More recently, she has been applying her infectious disease expertise to the COVID-19 response in Africa. She chairs the WHO African Region Monitoring COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness (AFRO-MoVE) scientific advisory committee. She sits on several advisory bodies including the WHO Africa regional director’s advisory board, the UK government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office science advisory group, the UK Research and Innovation Global Challenges Research Fund strategic advisory group, board of Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases, and Wellcome Trust Global Monitor external advisory board. She is a fellow of the African Academy of Sciences, Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Zimbabwe Academy of Sciences. She is also an ASPEN New Voices senior fellow and a 2021 TED fellow.