Who We Are

Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital; Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), Durban, South Africa

Dr. Perumal is a physician-scientist and pulmonologist and is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine in the Department of Pulmonology and Critical Care and Head of TB/HIV Treatment Research at CAPRISA, where his work focuses on improving outcomes for people living with HIV and drug-resistant tuberculosis. He holds advanced degrees in public health, internal medicine, and pulmonology, and earned his PhD studying the pharmacology of TB treatment. He is a Global Young Physician Leader recognized by the InterAcademy Partnership and a former Fogarty Clinical Research Scholar. He serves on the editorial board of the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

Columbia University, New York City, USA

Dr. Cummings’ leads a Uganda-based research program that seeks to illuminate the molecular pathobiology of sepsis and critical illness in sub-Saharan Africa, a low-income region where the global burden of these conditions is overwhelmingly concentrated yet profoundly understudied. His work has uncovered novel molecular sepsis subtypes in Uganda, elucidated the impact of HIV co-infection on sepsis immunopathology, and informed development of a novel clinicomolecular triage approach to stratify sepsis in sub-Saharan Africa. During peaks of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City and East Africa, Dr. Cummings led the first prospective studies to define the clinical epidemiology of severe/critical COVID-19 in the U.S. and Uganda.

Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), Durban, South Africa

Prof. Naidoo serves as the Deputy Director at CAPRISA. Her research contributions have significantly influenced both local and international guidelines on TB-HIV treatment integration. Prof. Naidoo plays key roles on influential committees that shape the global and regional response to the HIV and TB epidemics. Prof. Naidoo has received prestigious awards for her contributions to science, including the Silver Scientific Achievement Award from the South African Medical Research Council, Outstanding Female Scientist Prize from the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP), and the Union Scientific Prize from the International Union against TB and Lung Disease.

Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Dr. Bekele has more than 20 years of experience in academics, clinical care and research on different areas of pulmonary and critical care medicine and Internal medicine. His area of research interests are Tuberculosis, Post TB lung diseases and Pneumonia, Asthma and air way diseases. He published more than 70 papers on local & international reputable journals. 

Columbia University, New York City, USA

Dr. O'Donnell is a physician and researcher based in New York City. His current research on tuberculosis (TB), HIV and severe acute respiratory infections is centered in South Africa and Uganda with training education and capacity building work in Ethiopia.

Columbia University, New York City, USA

Dr. Mathema is an infectious disease epidemiologist based in New York City who studies tuberculosis drug resistance and transmission. His research examines the biological and epidemiological mechanisms behind how TB develops drug resistance and spreads between people. He conducts most of his fieldwork in South Africa.

Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), Entebbe, Uganda

Dr. Bakamutumaho has nearly 20 years of experience in the epidemiology and laboratory diagnosis of severe and emerging respiratory infections. In his role as co-scientific director of the UVRI National Influenza Centre, Emerging and Reemerging Infections Program, and as deputy head of vaccine preventable division, he oversees activities focused on emerging infections. Through multi-national collaborations, he has successfully led clinical and translational research programs focused on severe and emerging infections, leading UVRI as a pioneering institution.

Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

Dr. Davis is a practicing pulmonary/critical care physician, public health educator, and epidemiologist. He conducts collaborative research in Uganda, South Africa, and other resource-constrained settings to improve diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of tuberculosis, HIV, and cardiovascular disease. His work focuses on training new investigators and interdisciplinary teams in implementation science, a field which improves health outcomes by adapting proven interventions to local settings while promoting person-centered care, reducing costs, and fostering supportive healthcare workplaces. He is co-founder of Walimu, a Uganda-based non-profit research organization.

Africa Health Sciences University, Kigali, Rwanda;
New York University, New York City, USA

Dr. Tsion Firew is chair of Emergency Medicine at Africa Health Sciences University and Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at New York University. She is a member of MedPageToday Editorial Board and WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Integrated Clinical Care. She was also listed as “Medscape’s One of the 10 Women in Medicine You need to Follow on social media” and Medium’s list of “50 Experts to Trust in a Pandemic. She has experience of responding in a humanitarian crisis in Haiti and Mosul, Iraq. She is an advocate for high quality Global Emergency Medicine, Universal Health Coverage and women in leadership.

University of Rwanda, King Faisal Hospital, Kigali, Rwanda

Dr. Sibomana is a graduate under the East Africa Training Initiative in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. He currently practices Pulmonary and Critical Care and conducts clinical research at King Faisal Hospital Rwanda. He serves as Director of the Adult Pulmonology Fellowship program at the University of Rwanda(APF/UR). He recently published in the New England Medical Journal “Fight or flight: Facing Marburg outbreak in Rwanda.” He is also a founder and Legal Representative of Umurinzi Petros Medical Center in Rwanda with four pillars “Screen, Treat, Train and Prevent” to advance research in respiratory disease and service in the community.

Columbia University, New York City, USA

As a member of the Center for Acute Respiratory Failure, Dr. Agerstrand has contributed to significant research on acute respiratory failure, including a multicenter trial of ECCO2R for COPD, a multinational study on transfusion practice in patients receiving venovenous ECMO, the mechanical ventilation management during ECMO for acute respiratory distress syndrome, and the ECMO for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. She is committed to advancing medical research, clinical care and education for patients with acute and chronic lung disease in the global setting. She is part of the East African Training initiative, serving as pulmonary and critical care faculty in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and is a volunteer with Physicians for Human Rights.

Break Through Tech, New York City, USA

Amanda is a finance and operations expert dedicated to helping innovative and high-growth organizations build capacity and increase impact. She scaled the technology company behind LinkNYC—the world’s largest and fastest municipal wi-fi network. As the COO at VoteRunLead - a national nonprofit that trains women to run for office and win - she co-led a 10x expansion and helped launch a bold program to achieve gender equity in state legislatures. Currently, she is working with Break Through Tech AI (an initiative of Cornell Tech) to fast-track underserved women and nonbinary students into careers in Data Science, Machine Learning, and AI.

Dr. Schluger is a founder and director of the East Africa Training Initiative in Pulmonary Medicine.  Through this program, based at Tikur Anbessa (Black Lion) Specialized Hospital in Addis Ababa and the Addis Ababa University School of Medicine, the first generation of pulmonary physicians in Ethiopia has been trained and an academically oriented pulmonary division has been established at Ethiopia’s leading public hospital.   He also serves as member of the Board of Trustees of Vital Strategies, a global not-for-profit organization devoted to public health issues. He has also been a faculty member for the American Thoracic Society’s MECOR (Methods in Epidemiologic, Clinical, and Operations Research) program in India.  

Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Dr. Hanan Yusuf Ahmed is a leading pulmonary and critical care specialist and a driving force in Ethiopia’s response to TB, COVID-19, and critical illness. As Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care at Tikur Anbessa Hospital, she led frontline efforts during the pandemic and continues to champion high-quality care in low-resource settings. As a translational scientist and global health leader, Dr. Yusuf blends clinical and scientific excellence with educational and public health leadership.goes here

Weill Cornell Medical College, New York City, USA

Dr. Haisch is an assistant professor in pulmonary and critical care medicine and spends most of her clinical time in the intensive care unit (ICU). Since 2017, she has worked with the East African Training Initiative (EATI), filling a crucial gap in healthcare in the region. She now acts as Director of Operations for EATI, working alongside their leadership to expand the division’s research capacity, particularly in the ICU with a focus on critical care epidemiology, illness severity scoring, and patient-centered outcomes of critical illness. She is also partnered with the Center for Global Health at Cornell on projects to improve ICU care at Bugando Medical Centre in Mwanza, Tanzania.

University of California, Los Angeles, USA

Dr. Jesse Ross is a physician specializing in pulmonary and critical care medicine with ongoing global health and infectious disease research. He completed the UAB Gorgas Fellowship in Tropical Medicine and has conducted extensive fieldwork and clinical research in sub-Saharan Africa, currently focusing on severe HIV-associated tuberculosis. His ongoing research at Columbia University utilizes advanced proteomics and molecular diagnostics to study host-pathogen interactions in sepsis and TB/HIV co-infection. Dr. Ross has co-authored several peer-reviewed publications on sepsis phenotyping and TB diagnostics in Uganda, supported by prestigious fellowships from the NIH, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.

Columbia University, New York City, USA

Dr. Hirsch-Moverman is an epidemiologist and implementation scientist with over 20 years of experience in the fields of tuberculosis and HIV prevention. Her work has spanned biomedical domains, including epidemiology and clinical trials, and behavioral domains, including psychosocial issues such as adherence. She conducts collaborative research in South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, and the Philippines to improve prevention of tuberculosis, HIV, and diabetes mellitus, and promote the inclusion of pregnant and lactating women in TB clinical trials. Her work focuses on training new investigators in global HIV implementation science, a field which improves health outcomes by adapting proven interventions to local settings while promoting person-centered care, reducing costs, and fostering supportive healthcare workplaces.

Columbia University, New York City, USA

Dr. Burkart is a specialist in pulmonary and critical care medicine with a demonstrated commitment to education, clinical excellence, and equitable care. She is the Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship Program Director and is the Medical Director of the Chest Clinic. Dr. Burkart provides care for a diverse population, including medically underserved patients as well as complex referral cases. She also volunteers as a course director for an international medical education initiative whose mission is to improve global healthcare by promoting knowledge exchange. Her work is grounded in creating an inclusive learning environment, and she is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of compassionate clinicians, innovative educators, and impactful physician-scientists.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City, USA

Dr. Larsen’s research focuses on tuberculosis (TB) antibiotic resistance. Dr. Larsen has longstanding collaborations in South Africa and Botswana and has been co-director of Mycobacterial Genetics workshops in South Africa to engage undergraduate and graduate students in TB research.

Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, New York City, USA

Isabella is a Master’s candidate, specializing in advanced epidemiological methods, and is a graduate of New York University. Her interests lie in using data-driven approaches in infectious and chronic disease research, global health equity, and public engagement in health.

Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, New York City, USA

Jordan is a second-year Master of Public Health candidate, specializing in epidemiology and health policy. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Human Biology from the University of Virginia. Her academic interests are in global health, tuberculosis research, and strategic public engagement.

Touro University, New York City, USA

Dr. Zelnick is a public health social worker committed to bringing social work skills into public health research and services. 

Columbia University, New York City, USA

Allison is a New York City-based researcher specializing in tuberculosis (TB) and HIV in South Africa. She manages multi-national, multidisciplinary projects with an emphasis on training and local capacity building.