Robin Biellik DrPH is a retired British epidemiologist trained in public health at London, Cambridge and Texas Universities, with practical field training during a 2-year fellowship progamme at the US CDC. This led to a 40 year international career with UNICEF, WHO and PATH, while posted to several countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Assignments included polio eradication, measles/rubella (MR) elimination, vaccine prequalification, and new vaccine introduction. He currently serves on WHO expert committees on the regional verification of MR elimination and the scientific evidence required to approve MR-MAPs for global deployment. He currently lives near Geneva, Switzerland.
Professor James C. Birchall is the Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Deputy Head of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University. Professor Birchall graduated from Bath University in 1993 and completed his Ph.D. researching drug and DNA delivery systems in 1998 (Cardiff University). Current research includes pulmonary drug delivery and microneedle delivery of molecules, macromolecules, vaccines, auto-antigens, and cells into the skin for therapeutic, immunization, or immunotherapy applications. Professor Birchall has acted as Associate Editor of Critical Reviews in Therapeutic Drug Carrier Systems, a member of the Editorial Board of Expert Review of Medical Devices, a temporary advisor to the WHO, and an expert advisor to the British Pharmacopoeia and conducted research funded by the EU, DFID, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, NIH, Wellcome Trust, EPSRC, MRC, Welsh Government, Royal Society, Innovate the UK and various charities and pharmaceutical companies.
Dr. Alejandro Cravioto is professor of microbiology and public health in the Faculty of Medicine of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. He was born in Mexico, the son of physician and nutritional
scientist Joaquin Cravioto and Cristina O’Farrill. Cravioto received his MD degree in 1973 from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. He completed a Residency in Pediatrics at the National
Institute of Pediatrics, Mexico City, 1973-1976. He also received a Diploma in Tropical Public Health with distinction in 1977 from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. In 1981, Cravioto earned a PhD degree from the University of London. He is a noted expert on child health and diarrheal diseases. He has had more than 200 papers published in international journals and has authored two textbooks.
Dr. Lee Fairlie is the Director of Maternal and Child Health at Wits RHI. She is a Paediatrician and Associate Professor within the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand. She
serves as the Director of the Maternal and Child Health Department at Wits RHI. Prof Fairlie’s clinical and research efforts are centered on the prevention and treatment of HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and other infectious diseases in children, adolescents, and maternal populations, with a focus on those affected by HIV. Prof Fairlie obtained her MBChB from the University of Cape Town in 1997 and her Paediatric Specialist qualification (FCPaeds SA) from the University of the Witwatersrand in 2005. Since 2012, she has led the clinical research site at the Wits RHI Shandukani Research Centre. Her expertise extends to various global health committees, including the WHO/IMPAACT HIV, Hepatitis, STIs Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Therapeutics Working Group and the CEPI-Maternal Immunisation Working Group. Prof Fairlie also contributes to national health policy as a member of the National Department of Health and Southern African HIV Clinicians Society HIV guideline committees for children, adolescents, and
PMTCT. She is the co-National Principal Investigator for the CommuniTB study in South Africa and co-chair the Vaccines working group within the WHO Inclusion of pregnant women in TB drug and vaccine research Working group.
James L. Goodson is an Epidemiologist and Senior Scientist at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He has extensive experience in global health spanning more than 25 years. He has worked in complex humanitarian emergencies for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Doctors without Borders (MSF). In 2006, Goodson started at the CDC to serve as an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officer in the Global Immunization Division. Today,
he is a renowned global measles expert and continues his work with the CDC in the Global Immunization Division, leading measles elimination efforts, developing research and innovations, and conducting outbreak investigations. He has authored and published more than 100 scientific journal articles and book chapters on measles, rubella, polio and immunization services delivery. Goodson holds a Master of Public Health degree in Epidemiology with a Certificate in International Humanitarian Assistance from the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health.
Dr. Sonali Kochhar, MD, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle; Scientific Researcher, Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical
Center, Rotterdam and Medical Director, Global Healthcare Consulting, has twenty years of experience in a Leadership position for Global Phase I-IV Clinical Research, Epidemiology and Safety Studies for Vaccines and Drugs conducted in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Africa and India in Adult and Pediatric
populations, Infectious Diseases, Vaccines for Pregnant Women, Introduction of New Vaccines, Healthcare Systems Strengthening (including Governance, Capacity Building, Logistics, Supply Chains) for Immunization and Maternal and Child Health programs, Pandemic Preparedness, HIV/AIDs Prevention, Care and Treatment, Maternal and Child Health, and working with vulnerable and at-risk
populations (including MSMs, IDUs and Sex Workers). She has been responsible for leading international projects and teams in thirteen Asian and five African countries, Europe and the U.S. She has co-authored internationally accepted Safety Standards, Case definitions of Adverse Events, Guidelines and Template
Research Protocols for Vaccine Research. She is the Lead for the development of Maternal and Neonatal Case Definitions for Maternal Immunisation (MI) and has co-authored guidelines for safety data for MI clinical trials and studies.
