Dr Elizabeth Juma works at the heart of malaria research as a Senior Research Officer at the Kenya Medical Research Institute, the national body responsible for carrying out health research in Kenya. In this role, her primary focus centers on conducting clinical trials dedicated to discovering effective malaria treatments and vaccines, which are pivotal to the success of national public health programs.

From 2008 until 2011, Dr Juma served as the National Malaria Control Program Manager at the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation in Kenya. For the past decade, she has participated in the development of health policies and guidelines for the control of malaria in Kenya and across Africa. In addition, she has contributed to the World Health Organization’s malaria treatment guidelines and various training manuals for health workers and program managers. Dr Juma believes that the most rewarding part of her job is the interaction with malaria patients (usually young children and their caregivers) involved in malaria studies. She is continually touched by their humility and unwavering commitment to participate in these efforts to improve global malaria treatment for themselves and future generations.