SUZANNA Francis | Senior Director & Head of Epidemiology
IAVI

Dr Francis is Head of Epidemiology at IAVI, where she leads a GxP-compliant epidemiology function supporting discovery, clinical development, regulatory, and market access. She directs embedded epidemiologists who generate robust Real-World Evidence to inform decision-making for vaccines and monoclonals against HIV, Sudan virus, Marburg virus, Lassa fever virus, and tuberculosis. With over 25 years of experience in medical research and public health, she has published more than 60 papers and built enduring collaborations with partners across Africa, Europe, and the US. Before joining IAVI, she led global health research teams at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, advancing methodologies in epidemiology, statistics, and Real-World Evidence generation. She is passionate about methodological rigor, mentoring scientists, and exploring how emerging tools—including artificial intelligence—can accelerate evidence generation and global health innovation.