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GCNTDR announces Executive Board to support expanded global mission

Mar 4
3 min read

Updated: Aug 14

Members of the original Executive Board of the London Centre for NTD Research with WHO NTD Director, Mwele Malecela
Members of the original Executive Board of the London Centre for NTD Research with WHO NTD Director, Mwele Malecela

The Global Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (GCNTDR) has announced the appointment of new Executive Board members, marking a significant milestone in its evolution from the London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (LCNTDR) to a globally oriented platform for research collaboration and capacity strengthening.


The newly appointed Executive Board brings together leading experts from across academia, public and animal health, and research institutions in both disease-endemic and non-endemic countries. The Board will play a critical role in guiding the Centre’s strategic direction, ensuring alignment with global priorities, and strengthening partnerships that support country-led approaches to neglected tropical disease (NTD) and neglected zoonotic disease (NZD) control and elimination.


The Executive Board includes:


The appointments come as the Centre expands its remit under its new identity as GCNTDR. Originally established in 2013, LCNTDR brought together leading London-based institutions, including Imperial College London, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the Natural History Museum, and the Royal Veterinary College, to generate evidence for NTD control and elimination. Its work has contributed to a broader global movement catalysed by milestones such as the London Declaration on NTDs in 2012, which mobilised unprecedented partnerships across sectors.


The transition to GCNTDR reflects a strategic shift toward more direct engagement with research institutions in endemic countries, alongside a stronger focus on One Health and national capacity strengthening and country ownership, priorities that sit at the heart of the World Health Organization’s 2021–2030 NTD roadmap.


Under its expanded mandate, GCNTDR will focus on:

  • Strengthening national research capacity by supporting institutions and researchers in endemic countries

  • Advancing implementation science, including the evaluation of integrated NTD interventions within primary health care systems

  • Promoting One Health approaches that address the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health

  • Expanding research on drug resistance and its implications for NTD control


Commenting on the new appointments, GCNTDR Director Professor Joanne Webster FMedSci FRS said: “The establishment of our new Executive Board comes at a pivotal moment for the Centre. As we transition to a truly global platform, it is essential that our governance reflects the diversity, expertise, and perspectives of the global NTD community. This Board will be instrumental in ensuring that our work remains scientifically rigorous, globally connected, and firmly focused on advancing collaborative One Health approaches and global NTD priorities.”


The formation of the Executive Board comes at a critical time for NTD programmes. While 58 countries have eliminated at least one NTD and hundreds of millions of people receive treatment each year, significant gaps remain in diagnostics, surveillance, and health system integration. Addressing these challenges will require stronger cross-sector collaboration and increased investment in locally led research and innovation.


In this context, the new Executive Board is expected to help guide GCNTDR’s role as both a centre of research excellence and a partner in strengthening research ecosystems in endemic countries. By reinforcing its commitment to collaboration, capacity building, and One Health approaches, the Centre aims to accelerate progress toward the global goal of ending NTDs as a public health problem by 2030.

 
 
 

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