Professor Francine Ntoumi is Executive Director of the Fondation Congolaise pour la Recherche Médicale and a leading figure in infectious disease research and capacity strengthening in Central Africa. She has played a long-standing role in advancing regional and international collaboration in clinical research, with a strong focus on tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria.
She led the EDCTP-funded CANTAM Network of Excellence, which brought together institutions across Central Africa and Europe to strengthen research capacity and training. Within CANTAM, she also coordinated the Women in Science (WISE) programme, supporting PhD training for early-career researchers from Cameroon, the Republic of Congo and Gabon.
Beyond this, Professor Ntoumi coordinated the EDCTP-funded PANDORA-ID-NET consortium, focused on epidemic preparedness and rapid response to infectious disease outbreaks across Africa. She now leads the Global Health EDCTP3-funded PRESERVE consortium, which aims to strengthen epidemic preparedness and clinical research capacity in Central Africa, building on the work of CANTAM and PANDORA-ID-NET.
Additionally, she is a former member of the EDCTP Association Board and currently represents the Republic of the Congo in the EDCTP Association General Assembly.
EDCTP-supported global health leaders
Professor Abdoulaye Djimdé is one of Africa’s leading experts on malaria genomics and antimalarial drug resistance.
Professor Alexander Debrah is a leading researcher in neglected tropical diseases in Ghana and across West Africa.
Professor Blandina Mmbaga is Director of the Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute (KCRI) in Tanzania and a leading figure in clinical research and capacity development in East Africa.
Dr Christian Happi is a molecular biologist and genomic scientist internationally recognised for his work on infectious disease surveillance.
Dr Cissy Kityo is a physician and HIV researcher who played a pioneering role in introducing and scaling up antiretroviral therapy in Uganda.
Professor Collen Masimirembwa is one of Africa’s leading experts in pharmacogenomics and precision medicine.
Dr Delese Mimi Darko is a leading figure in medicines regulation in Africa.
Prof. Eleni Aklillu is Professor of Global Health Pharmacology at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and a leading expert in pharmacovigilance, clinical pharmacology and regulatory science.
Professor Francine Ntoumi is Executive Director of the Fondation Congolaise pour la Recherche Médicale and a leading figure in infectious disease research and capacity strengthening in Central Africa.
Professor Jean B. Nachega is a leading researcher in HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, with a strong focus on infectious diseases and global health in Africa.
Dr Joseph Fokam is a virologist and senior health scientist, serving as Chief of Service at the Virology Laboratory of the CIRCB in Cameroon.
Professor Keertan Dheda is a globally recognised researcher in tuberculosis (TB).
Professor Margaret Gyapong is a leading public health researcher and a strong advocate for equity in health research.
Professor Marieke van der Zalm is a paediatric clinical researcher and one of the world’s leading experts on the long-term impact of tuberculosis (TB) on children’s lung health.
Dr Nicaise Ndembi is a renowned virologist and global health leader working at the intersection of science and policy.
Professor Pauline Byakika is a physician and infectious disease specialist whose research focuses on malaria treatment and the interactions between antimalarial and antiretroviral medicines.
Professor Peter Olupot-Olupot is one of Uganda’s leading clinical and infectious disease epidemiologists.
Professor Salim Abdool Karim is one of Africa’s most prominent infectious disease epidemiologists.
Dr Stellah Mpagama is a leading tuberculosis (TB) researcher whose work focuses on improving TB treatment and understanding how other conditions, such as diabetes, affect TB outcomes.
Professor Tulio de Oliveira is a bioinformatician and global leader in genomic surveillance of infectious diseases.