Team
Editorial committee
Gary Finnegan – Editor-in-Chief for Break Dengue
Gary has a degree in physiology, an MSc in science communications, and has worked as a health journalist and editor for 10 years. He was a national winner at the EU Health Prize for Journalists in 2009, 2010, and 2011. Having always been interested in health, he joined the Break Dengue team to be part of a broad coalition focused on defeating a disease that affects some of the world’s most vulnerable people. As the Editor-in-Chief, Gary plans and prepares content for Break Dengue with the support of the editorial team.
Read Gary’s stories.
Kamran Rafiq
Kamran is the Communications Director at the International Society for Neglected Tropical Diseases.
After graduating from The School of Pharmacy, University of London in Pharmacology and Toxicology Kamran went on to complete his Masters in Neuroscience at the Institute of Psychiatry and The Maudsley,Kings College London.
He has worked as a research scientist at Schering-Plough Research Center at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, Italy working on neuropeptides and novel mechanisms of pain transmission and Parkinson’s Disease modelling.
Upon returning to the UK he worked for Reuters Business Insights setting up their drug discovery intelligence unit and then as Sales Director for Datamonitor being an integral part of the acquisition and subsequent integration of the company Life Science Analytics and then as Managing Director at Global Data overseeing both Pharma/Biotech and Medical Device Diagnostics market teams.
Associate Professor Dr. Pratit Samdani
Honary Associate Professor of Medicine at Sir J.J. Group of Hospital and Unit Head G.T.Hospital, Jaslok Hospital, Breach Candy Hospital, Bhatia Hospital, Saifee Hospital, Cumballa Hill Hospital, Global Hospital, MumbaiHailed as one of Mumbai’s Top Doctors by India Today and recipient of “Excellence in Medicine” award in December 2012 (in Delhi) and June 2013(in Mumbai), Dr. Samdani has a wealth of experience in various fields of medicine, including Infectious Disease, Endocrinology, Cardiology, and Neurology. As his greatest passion is teaching, he has trained several graduate and postgraduate students. With the increasing prevalence of dengue in his country and feeling the burden (through his patients) of a very preventable tropical disease, Dr. Samdani has a keen interest in both educating doctors about dengue and treating this disease.
Read Dr. Pratit Samdani’s stories.
Jeffrey Hii
Dr Jeffrey Hii is the Senior Vector Control Specialist of Malaria Consortium Asia. From 2003-2012 he was WHO Malaria Scientist in Solomon Islands and Philippines, and was responsible for providing technical support on malaria control and Neglected Tropical Diseases to the Ministry of Health. Dr Hii is an entomologist and has 30 years’ experience in public health and operational research particularly in developing countries working at the district and national levels. Dr Hii has been active as a consultant for the MC, AusAID, WHO and others since about 1987. In WHO, Dr Hii has monitored and supported the evaluation of cost-effective guppy fish and container screening for prevention and control of dengue in Cambodia, Laos and Philippines. For the past year, Dr Hii has provide training and tools for the evaluation of positive deviance and combination of insect growth regulator and guppy fish for dengue vector control in Myanmar and Cambodia, respectively.
Read Dr. Jeffrey’s stories.
Contributors
Wanweena Tangsathianraphap
Wanweena has a degree in Political Science majoring in the International Affairs and an MSc in Marketing. She has 8 years of experience in media, marketing and communication. Having an interest in the development sector, she has joined Malaria Consortium as an External Communication Officer for Asia to help resonate the movement and effort to tackle malaria, dengue and other neglected tropical diseases in the region. She is currently based in Bangkok, Thailand.
Read Wanweena’s stories.
Alison
Dengue Tribe reporters
Ana Salvá – reporter for Laos
Ana holds a degree in journalism and a master’s degree in world history. As a freelancer currently based in Bangkok, she is a regular contributor of the Spanish newspaper El País for Southeast Asia covering issues related to the Millennium Development Goals. She has worked with other media, such as TV5 Monde, RTL Germany, and Altaïr magazine. Her work is focused on women and human rights.
Read Ana’s stories.
Laura Villadiego – reporter for Laos
Laura is a Spanish journalist based in Southeast Asia since 2009. As a freelancer, she has worked in Spain with Efe, Público, El Confidencial, and eldiario.es, and with international outlets such as Al Jazeera, TV5 Monde, and South China Morning Post. She mainly reports on social and labor issues, with a focus on the global dimension of our daily lives.
Read Laura’s stories.
Scientific Advisor
Bernadette Hendrickx
Medical Doctor, currently CEO of Science Applied to Human Biology Consulting. Has worked for over 35 years in the pharmaceutical industry, mainly in the vaccines field. Regulatory Affairs and Pharmacovigilance have been her main focus with several registrations obtained in the US, Europe (EMA) and countries in Asia and South America.
Prudence Marjorie Hamade
Prudence is a clinical doctor with 45 years of experience in the public health sector, principally focused on paediatrics, immunization and disease control.
Since 2008 she worked as Senior Technical Advisor for Malaria Consortium based in London. In this role, she provided technical inputs and quality assurance for the global project portfolio, particularly the current CDC-funded research project in the Greater Mekong Sub-region, and a USAID-funded malaria prevention and case management program in Ghana.
Other technical inputs include development of capacity building materials now used nationally in Nigeria, participation in an operational research program and oversight of an ICCM and nutrition program in South Sudan.
John Hustedt
I currently works as the Senior Technical Officer for Malaria Consortium in Cambodia, and he is a PhD student at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. John’s past experiences include working with the Expanded Program on Immunization with the World Health Organization; the Environmental and Occupational Disease Epidemiology Unit at the New York City Health Department; the Bacterial Special Pathogens Branch at the US Centres for Disease control and Prevention; and the Sociology and Health division of the Vietnamese Academy of Social Science.
Stakeholder Engagement
Anne-Marie Hamoir
Master in Biology from Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium).
Has dedicated more than 30 years in Global Pharmaceutical / Vaccines industry in Medical (Information and Communication), Learning Strategy and development of capabilities, Corporate Digital Strategy, Global Commercial Operations and Customer Experience senior roles.
Leader of complex cross functional strategic innovative projects in multicultural environment, engaging senior leaders and multiple stakeholders.
Is currently a Senior Consultant for Pharma and contributor to the Synergist (Break Dengue and Patient focus Medicine Development initiatives)