Dr Manica Balasegaram is GARDP's Executive Director and has been instrumental in leading GARDP through its three-year incubation to an independent legal entity, during which time GARDP launched four programmes and built a skilled and dedicated team with expertise from a range of sectors and backgrounds.
Manica trained as a medical doctor at the University of Nottingham, UK from where he started his career in internal and emergency medicine. From 2001 onwards, he worked as a doctor and researcher in several countries in Sub- Saharan Africa and Southern Asia. He also gained significant experience working in humanitarian emergencies and responses, largely with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). At the end of 2007 he joined the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative as Head of Leishmaniasis Clinical Program - a position he held for four years before returning to MSF as Executive Director of their Access Campaign. He joined GARDP in June 2016 and is currently a board member of the Medicines Patent Pool as well as of FIND's Scientific Advisory Committee. Manica's experience spans clinical and public health practice in infectious diseases and international work on health policy & access to medicines. He has served on numerous technical and health policy panels and expert groups. He also has substantial experience in conducting and overseeing clinical trials and drug development projects.