Dr Manica Balasegaram is a global health leader and experienced medical professional specializing in infectious diseases, clinical development and organizational leadership. Before becoming the Executive Director of the Global Antibiotic Research & Development Partnership (GARDP), he trained as a medical doctor at the University of Nottingham, UK, beginning his career in internal and emergency medicine.

From 2001, Dr Balasegaram worked as a doctor and researcher in various countries across sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia, focusing on humanitarian emergencies with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). His career includes significant contributions to clinical trials and drug development, particularly in developing therapeutics for bacterial and parasitic infections. He served as Head of the Leishmaniasis Clinical Programme at the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) before returning to MSF as Executive Director of their Access Campaign.

In June 2016, after he was appointed as Executive Director of GARDP, Dr Balasegaram led the organization through its transition to an independent entity, launching four programmes and assembling a skilled team. He also has governance experience as a Board member of the Medicines Patent Pool and FIND’s Scientific Advisory Committee, and previously as Board member and Treasurer of MSF Switzerland.

With over 20 years working in global health, Dr Balasegaram has a proven track record in partnership building, resource mobilization, stakeholder management, and governance. Key achievements include mobilizing over €180 million in funding, leading successful R&D projects, and influencing treatment guidelines for malaria, trypanosomiasis, and leishmaniasis. He excels in strategic planning, leadership, project management, advocacy, and public communications.

Dr Balasegaram is deeply committed to improving access to essential medicines and has extensive experience in health policy, drug regulation, and capacity building.

Dr Luis Pizarro has led the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) since September 2022.

Dr Pizarro is a medical doctor and global health leader. He also serves as founder and member of the Global Health 2030 think tank, as scientific advisor for Global Health at Sciences Po Paris, and as board member of Sidaction. Having led medical projects for several years in West Africa, he became the first CEO of Solthis, from 2007 to 2019, successfully developing the international health and solidarity organization to become one of the leaders in health in West and Central Africa. In 2020, Dr Pizarro joined Unitaid’s leadership team during the COVID crisis to lead the international organization’s HIV portfolio and related access programmes.

Born in Chile, and trained as a medical doctor at the University of Paris, he also holds a masters’ degree in Political Sciences from Sciences Po and an executive health MBA from a joint programme of EHESP School of Public Health, the London School of Economics, and the ESCP European Management School.

Charles Shey Wiysonge is the Regional Adviser for Immunisation and Head of the Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Programme at the WHO Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo.
His previous appointments include Senior Director at the South African Medical Research Council; Director of Cochrane South Africa; Professor and Deputy Director of the Centre for Evidence-based Health Care at Stellenbosch University; Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Cape Town, South Africa; Manager of the Vaccines for Africa Initiative and Chief Research Officer at the University of Cape Town; Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Central Technical Group in charge of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation in Cameroon; and other positions.
Professor Wiysonge is a physician with postgraduate training in epidemiology, evidence-based health care, and vaccinology. His qualifications include Doctor of Medicine from the University of Yaoundé I in Cameroon; Master of Philosophy in Epidemiology from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom (UK); and Doctor of Philosophy in Vaccinology from the University of Cape Town. He has also undertaken postgraduate research training at the UK Cochrane Centre and the University of Oxford in the UK and is a Member of the Academy of Science of South Africa.

Shabir Banoo (BPharm, PhD) currently serves as a director of the Health Regulatory Sciences Platform within the Wits Health Consortium at the University of the Witwatersrand. He also holds the position of chief technical specialist at Right to Care, leading its health and pharmaceutical technical assistance programmes to ministries of health in South Africa and other African countries on improving access to medicines and vaccines, strengthening regulatory systems, and building capacity for local and regional R&D and manufacture. Shabir has a doctorate in pharmacology from Rhodes University and has held senior positions in academia, government, and the private sector. He has worked as a technical consultant for the South African Ministry of Health, WHO, and SADC, and has served on several local and international advisory panels and task teams on national drug policy, medicine regulation, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), pharmacovigilance, and pharmaceutical pricing. He has actively contributed to the development of national standard treatment guidelines and clinical management policies including those for HIV, TB, malaria, and maternal, child and woman’s health (MCWH) programmes. Shabir has served on the Board of the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) and as a member of the former Medicines Control Council (MCC).

Carol is an experienced specialist in the global public health sector, having worked primarily within the HIV/AIDS and TB arena. She is an experienced executive with knowledge of the global public health system and good insight of the Southern African health sector. She has more than 20 years of experience in the corporate pharmaceutical industry (J&J, GSK, Adcock Ingram) and in community pharmacy.
She holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy from Rhodes University, a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Liverpool, and a certificate in Business Project Management.

Carol is an experienced specialist in the global public health sector, having worked primarily within the HIV/AIDS and TB arena. She is an experienced executive with knowledge of the global public health system and good insight of the Southern African health sector. She has more than 20 years of experience in the corporate pharmaceutical industry (J&J, GSK, Adcock Ingram) and in community pharmacy.
She holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy from Rhodes University, a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Liverpool, and a certificate in Business Project Management.

Wanda joined DNDi-GARDP Southern Africa in 2023 as the Regional Operations Lead responsible for Finance, HR, IT, and other Business Operations. Wanda holds an MBA from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, and has worked in finance and operations in the financial services industry for more than 20 years.

Lauren was appointed as the Access Lead for Sub-Saharan Africa in 2023, working to ensure access to GARDP portfolio antibiotics across the continent. With more than two decades of experience in public health and social development, Lauren previously worked as the CEO for the Southern African HIV Clinicians Society, LifeLine Johannesburg and Community Aids Response. She has also been a consultant to multiple global and African public health non-profit organisations. Lauren holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of the Witwatersrand, an MBA from the Wits Business School in Johannesburg and a PhD from the Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria.

Kim focuses on communications for GARDP and DNDi-GARDP Southern Africa. She has years of experience as a consultant in media strategy and communications for various organisations, including the University of Cape Town, the Desmond Tutu TB Centre and WWF. Prior to this, Kim was an award-winning television journalist and editor for the South African Broadcasting Corporation. Earlier, she was the South African correspondent for Agence France-Presse. Kim holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Rhodes University, South Africa, and was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University in 2005/6.

Lebo joined DNDI-GARDP Southern Africa in 2021 as Clinical Trial Manager, bringing over 13 years of experience in the clinical research industry including pharmaceuticals companies, clinical research organizations and clinical research sites. She holds an Honours degree in BSc in Medical Microbiology, with a strong foundation in microbiological principles and a passion for advancing healthcare. Lebo has dedicated her career to the implementation and oversight of clinical trials that contribute to the development of innovative therapies.

Cindy joined the DNDi-GARDP Southern Africa team in January 2023 as a Clinical Trial Assistant. Cindy’s work spans several studies in neonatal sepsis, sexually transmitted infections and serious bacterial infections. She has been working in the industry for the past 15 years.

With over 24 years of extensive administrative experience, Michelle Arries has consistently delivered high-level executive support across multiple industries, making her a key player in any business environment. Michelle’s expertise includes executive calendar management, coordination of international travel, financial reporting, and project administration, ensuring seamless operations at all levels of the organization. She has excelled in roles at top-tier companies like Deloitte, WNS South Africa, and Old Mutual. Michelle brings a wealth of knowledge in utilizing business software such as Salesforce CRM, SAP, Oracle ERP, and MS Office Suite to drive operational success. Her commitment to personal and professional growth is reflected in her ongoing Bachelor of Commerce studies in Human Resources and her completion of a Diploma in Office Administration.

Emma works as a Senior Communications Officer in the DNDi Corporate Communications team and supports DNDi communications within the Southern Africa team. Emma’s background is in educational publishing, technical writing and editing, and digital and print communications. She studied languages and psychology at Rhodes University in South Africa and has a bachelor’s degree in clinical social work from the University of Cape Town.