Dr. Rella Zoleko Manego is a clinical researcher specializing in antimalarial drug development and research in loiasis. She earned her medical degree in Gabon in 2010, later completing a Master's in Public Health at the University of Bordeaux, France and a PhD at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf and the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine in Germany.
At the Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL) in Gabon, she leads Phase I–IV clinical trials on novel antimalarial compounds, including fosmidomycin-piperaquine, ferroquine-artefenomel, cipargamin, ganaplacide/lumefantrine, and cabamiquine-pyronaridine. She also contributes to loiasis research, advancing knowledge on the epidemiology of loiasis and drug development for new compounds, including oxfendazole and moxidectin for loiasis.
Her work has been carried out through international partnerships such as the WANECAM consortium, PAMAfrica consortium, and eWHORM consortium, which conduct drug trials across Africa.
Dr. Zoleko Manego, through her involvement in drug development, advocates for strengthening the capacity of African researchers so they can define research programs that address local health priorities. Her work links clinical precision with societal benefits, highlighting Africa's essential contribution to health innovation.