What I do at MMV:

I lead MMV’s team of highly motivated Access professionals in supporting the launch and expanded uptake of new medicines that MMV helps bring to market. Access challenges are numerous and can be daunting, and we are but a small team – so to succeed in our work, we develop strong alliances with pharma partners, malaria programmes, and other in-country partners to support product rollout.

Why I work at MMV:

I’ve been lucky in my career to work at companies and non-profits ranging from multinational corporations to scrappy start-ups, mainly focused on healthcare delivery and drug development. As a result, I am a strong believer in Margaret Mead’s observation: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world”. I love the energy, the creativity, and the agility of MMV in eager pursuit of better medicines to combat and eventually eliminate malaria. The entrepreneurial culture at MMV is critical to our success and is a great motivator for me.

 More about me:

I have roots in both Anglo and Hispanic cultures – until 10 years ago, most of my life was spent between Spain, Latin America, and the USA. I first set foot in Africa in 2004 when I took a new country role with the Clinton Foundation’s HIV/AIDS Initiative (CHAI) in Mozambique, and it broadened my horizons in ways I had never anticipated. Having focused largely on Africa for most of the past decade, I am inspired by the resourcefulness of healthcare workers there who work against daunting odds to try to improve patient health in their communities.

Malaria began to fascinate/horrify me when I was a teenager working one summer in Central America. I struggled to comprehend what it was like to live with recurring bouts of devastating fever that laid low otherwise young healthy people (it was vivax malaria that I first encountered). Joining MMV has finally allowed me to contribute to rolling back the footprint of this dreadful disease.

Ask me about:

The importance of health-system strengthening. While my team primarily focuses on creating access to new malaria medicines, we all understand that broken supply chains mean millions of patients are deprived of access to many essential medicines, not just antimalarials. So wherever possible, we explore how our initiatives can complement other work to improve access to all life-saving medicines, particularly in rural areas where mortality runs highest.