Strengthening capacity for drug discovery and development in sub-Saharan Africa
Medicine for Malaria I Written Interview I 16 March 2026
Strengthening capacity for drug discovery and development in sub-Saharan Africa
In January, MMV hosted two fellows as part of the Research Alliance to Foster Infectious Disease research, Knowledge sharing and Innovation (RAFIKI) project, which is supporting the next generation of drug discovery talent in sub-Saharan Africa. The Global Health Mentorship Programme connects African and European researchers/experts to build skills and foster collaboration. This initiative is part of RAFIKI’s broader effort to strengthen capacity for drug discovery and development across sub-Saharan Africa through targeted training and infrastructure actions and is co-funded by the European Union, the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and Medicines for Malaria Venture.
Sub-Saharan Africa bears a disproportionate burden of global infectious diseases, posing major challenges for public health and development in the region. Despite promising progress for African drug discovery in recent years, stronger infrastructure can enable the development of tailored solutions for critical public health needs.
The two secondees who each spent a month with MMV in Geneva, across January and February 2026, share their experience:
Dr Candice Soares de Melo, Chief Investigator at the Holistic Drug Discovery and Development (H3D) Centre in Cape Town, South Africa
What is your main area of expertise and current project focus?
I am a medicinal chemist and project leader with over a decade of experience in pre-clinical drug discovery for tuberculosis and malaria. I have led numerous hit-to-lead and lead optimization programmes at H3D, collaborating with a global network of researchers across both industry and academia. In my current role as Chief Investigator and Malaria Portfolio Lead at H3D, I provide scientific and strategic leadership to a multi-disciplinary team focused on delivering pre-clinical candidates for malaria treatment and chemoprevention.
What was the most useful aspect of the fellowship for you?
During my research visit to MMV, I gained valuable hands-on exposure to early clinical development in malaria drug discovery, expanding my experience into this critical stage of R&D. By participating in project meetings and engaging with the cross-functional teams, I developed a deeper understanding of the rigorous candidate selection process and clinical trial planning. These discussions strengthened my appreciation of how pharmacology, safety, efficacy and overall developability are carefully evaluated to advance a clinical candidate, so that there is a meaningful impact for patients.
What has your experience working with MMV been like?
As a visiting scientist at MMV, I found it to be an incredibly purpose-driven and collaborative place to work. There’s a strong shared commitment from all the departments within MMV to delivering better antimalarial medicines, and that sense of impact was present in everyday discussions. The scientific conversations were thoughtful and in-depth, but also open, and the teams were willing to share knowledge, which made it easy to engage and exchange ideas.
My time at MMV highlighted the tangible impact of our work and deepened my commitment to developing effective malaria treatment and chemoprevention for the populations most affected in Africa.
Dr Jessica Thibaud, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Biochemistry, Stellenbosch University
What is your main area of expertise and current project focus?
I am a medicinal chemist by training, and I currently hold a postdoc in the Birkholtz laboratory at Stellenbosch University. I am currently involved in the discovery of novel antimalarial lead candidates in Africa. This is a flagship project forming part of the Grand Challenges African Drug Discovery Accelerator network of drug discovery researchers established by the H3D Foundation with support from the Gates Foundation and LifeArc.
What was the most useful aspect of the fellowship for you?
I have learned so much from my time at MMV. I think my biggest takeaway has been the compound triaging process that the R&D team at MMV uses to identify new targets with potential for hit optimization, as well as the various techniques when it comes to designing arrays around the identified hits.
How will this fellowship help strengthen drug discovery in your lab back home?
I have been back to my job for almost three weeks and have been implementing my learnings from MMV almost daily. I am currently co-supervising an MSc student who needs to carry out hit expansion for her project, and we have some additional new chemical matters targets for which I am in charge of designing arrays. This would have been incredibly difficult without the knowledge I gained at MMV through my training with both James Duffy, Senior Director, Drug Discovery, MMV and Diego Gonzalez Cabrera, medicinal chemist consultant, MMV.
Jess also participated in an MMV supported workshop in Ghana in December 2025 to help co-create an AI drug discovery software, dd4gh. In this short video she discusses how the new platform will enhance her drug discovery research.