Claassens Mareli Misha
University of Namibia
I am an associate research professor at the University of Namibia and a medical doctor, African research leader as funded by the British Medical Research Council (MRC), Senior Fellow of the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) and Harvard LEAD fellow in Global Health (2021). My research focuses on tuberculosis, HIV and Covid-19 especially within marginalized societies in Southern Africa. I aim to improve implementation gaps by bringing the bench to the bedside and the community through participatory and community engagement approaches, in conjunction with state-of-the-art diagnostics and other technologies. I am convinced that transdisciplinary approaches, for instance One Health and planetary health, could have a monumental impact on health outcomes. I feel very strongly about engaging young girls and women to make their way in the STEMM fields and am embarking on a project titled WoNam (Women in Namibia) to ensure equitable opportunities for all.