I am Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Global Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and based full-time at the MRC Unit The Gambia where I am MRC Principal Investigator and Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for New Vaccines Surveillance. I am also a member of the Unit’s Senior Strategic Leadership Board and Chairs the West Africa Strategy and partnership. In this role, I represent the Unit at most regional meetings in Africa including the West Africa Global Health Alliance, ECOWAS, AU's Africa CDC, WHO AFRO and West Africa Health Organisation. I serve on numerous Scientific Advisory Boards & Committees including Board member of the West Africa Global Health Alliance (WAGHA), member of The Gambia Government/MRC Joint Ethics Committee (and acted as Scientific advisor on the ethics committee), member of the MRC Unit The Gambia Scientific Coordinating Committee, Co-Chair of The Gambia Government MDR-TB National Committee, member of the International Human Microbiome Consortium, member of WHO technical working group for Invasive Bacterial Vaccine Preventable Disease Surveillance Network (Geneva), Expert Panel Member on Antimicrobial Resistance, Department of Health, UK, Special Advisor to WHO on Meningitis Outbreaks in Africa, a member of Board of Trustees SOS Children's Villages The Gambia. Additionally, served as Expert Panel Member on diarrheal diseases, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). Previously served as a member of European Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) Developing Countries Coordinating Committee (TB expert for West Africa Region), member of International Scientific Advisory Board, University of Cape Town Clinical Infectious Diseases Research initiative (CIDRI). Published more than 200 peer-reviewed scientific publications and supervised eleven PhD students in UK and African Universities I am currently advising on the COVID-19 pandemic ‘rapid support team’ in The Gambia and also in West Africa via Africa CDC, LSHTM and with WHO AFRO.
