Matilu Mwau | Senior Principal Clinical Research Scientist, Professor of Infectious Diseases
Kenya Medical Research Institute(KEMRI)

Personal Statement I am a Professor of Infectious Diseases and Senior Principal Clinical Research Scientist at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI). My training includes Medicine and Surgery (University of Nairobi), Tropical Medicine (Nagasaki University) and Clinical Medicine (Immunology, Oxford University). My interests include infectious diseases, immunology, virology, health systems, clinical trials, bioinformatics and biotechnology. More than 100 publications in peer reviewed journals have arisen from my work. In my university faculty positions, I have mentored graduate students in virology research and they have gone on to be independent world-renowned researchers in the field of HIV, Hepatitis and arthropod-borne virus. Over the years I have supervised 12 PhD students, and more than 50 postgraduates to completion of their Masters’ degree theses. In the corporate sector, I have been a CEO of public and private organisations, and I am a member of various boards of management for companies and schools. Outside of science and corporate governance, I play an active role in the renewable energy, hospitality and agriculture sectors. B.        Positions and Honors Recent Positions 2023-date: Member, Diagnostics Advisory Committee, Africa CDC 2022-2023: Ag. Director, National Quality Control Laboratory 2021-date: Council Member, End Malaria Council 2020 Member, GFATM C19 Funding Request Team 2020-2023: Chairman, Kenya Smart Vaccines Production Facility Implementation Committee. 2019-date: Senior Principal Clinical Research Scientist, Kenya Medical Research Institute 2017-2019: Deputy Director, Kenya Medical Research Institute 2017-2019: Chief Research Officer, Kenya Medical Research Institute 2017-2020: Director, Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases Control Research 2008-2017: Principal Research Officer, Kenya Medical Research Institute 2014-2016: Director and Chief Executive Officer, Consortium for National Health Research Recent Honors and Awards 2020-Order of the Grand Warrior (OGW), Head of State, Kenya 2020-Mzalendo Award, Head of State, Kenya 2019- Emerging Leader in Virology, Global Virus Network