Our team

Meet the MVP core team: A variety of age groups and cultural backgrounds, and some 15 nationalities

MVP is a partnership between PATH and WHO. Most team members are located at the PATH office in Ferney-Voltaire, France; at the WHO office in Geneva, Switzerland; and at the WHO Intercountry Support Team (IST) office in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

The director

The team

The director

Marie-Pierre Préziosi, MD, PhD
Project Director, holds a dual appointment with PATH and with WHO

Marie-Pierre Préziosi was appointed director of the PATH/WHO Meningitis Vaccine Project in March 2012. A member of the MVP team since 2003, Marie-Pierre Préziosi had most recently served as director of clinical development for MVP as part of her role as medical officer at WHO.

In her early years with MVP, Marie-Pierre Préziosi contributed documentation on epidemic meningitis and related vaccine use for informing development of a new meningococcal A conjugate vaccine and introduction strategies. As MenAfriVac™ moved to the clinical phase, she was appointed to lead MVP clinical research activities. In this role, she has led the strategy and implementation of MVP’s clinical development work, has helped foster the ongoing strong relationships between the two MVP partner organizations (WHO and PATH), and has contributed technical guidance to meningococcal vaccine introduction activities and research to define evidence-based policy for optimal vaccine use.

Prior to joining MVP, Marie-Pierre Préziosi was a visiting assistant professor at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University in Atlanta, where she conducted research on the effects of pertussis vaccination. As an epidemiologist at the Institute for Scientific and Technical Research (ORSTOM), she spent several years in Senegal conducting pertussis vaccine trials. Her interest in vaccines started with clinical studies of a Hib conjugate vaccine at Pasteur Mérieux. Marie-Pierre Préziosi earned her medical degree from Claude Bernard University in Lyon and her PhD in epidemiology from Victor Segalen University in Bordeaux (France). She trained in tropical medicine at the Prince Léopold Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp (Belgium) and in field epidemiology at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta (USA).

The team

Rodrigue Barry, BA
Advocacy Officer, WHO/AFRO

Rodrigue Barry joined MVP in May 2005 to develop advocacy and social mobilization activities in Africa. A trained journalist with more than 20 years of experience in the field of health communication, he is based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, where he most recently served as health information and promotion officer at the WHO country office. Previous experience includes news anchor (1987–1988), health reporter (1988–1992), and editor-in-chief (1992–1997) at the National Television of Burkina; and director of the Burkinabè National Broadcasting Company (1997–2000). Rodrigue Barry received a BA in journalism from the Center for Information Science and Technologies at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, Senegal, and postgraduate training in digital media technologies at the International Institute for Communication in Montréal, Canada, and at the Centre Transméditerranéen de la Communication in Marseille, France. He specialized in health communication and advocacy at Aboney Calavi University in Benin.

Monique Berlier, PhD, MA
Director of Communications, PATH

Monique Berlier is responsible for coordinating, leading, and implementing communication strategies for MVP. Her expertise lies in print journalism and in intercultural and visual communication. Prior to joining MVP in June 2002, she taught journalism at the University of Iowa and worked as an editor-in-chief for Le Soleil de la Floride in Hollywood, Florida, and as an editor at the Center for International and Comparative Studies at the University of Iowa. She holds two graduate degrees in communication, including an MA from the University of Louisiana and a PhD in mass communication from the University of Iowa. She earned her BA in Germanic philology from the Catholic University of Louvain in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.

Enricke Bouma, MA
Project Associate, PATH

Enricke Bouma joined MVP in May 2008. She is based in Ferney-Voltaire and provides administrative support to the MVP team. Before joining the project she worked as a freelance translator (Dutch and French to English), editor, and international conference reporter in Geneva. She has also worked as a research assistant with various nongovernmental organizations and as a teacher in adult language education in London, United Kingdom. She holds a BA and an MA in modern history and politics from the University of London; an LLB law degree from the London School of Economics; and a BA in translation from ITV Hogeschool in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Enricke is bilingual in English and Dutch, and she is fluent in French.

Julie Chaumont, MSc
Clinical Operations Manager, PATH

Julie Chaumont joined MVP in May 2007. She is responsible for assisting with aspects of clinical operations related to the MVP clinical trials in Africa. She contributes to the site selection process and to the clinical protocols; she defines, coordinates, and monitors local training at the clinical trial sites; and she acts as the MVP contact person with contract research organizations. Prior to joining MVP Julie worked as a clinical research associate for several organizations coordinating clinical studies in the fields of oncology, infectious diseases, dermatology, and cardiology. Her past international experience includes participation in training courses in the United States; site selection in Italy, Spain, and Sweden; and coordination of clinical trials in Belgium and the United Kingdom. In addition to her clinical research positions, she has experience in the field of information technology as a product developer and trainer. Julie Chaumont has an MSc degree in molecular biology and biochemistry from Rennes University and a degree in computer technology from Nancy University, France.

Mamoudou Harouna Djingarey, MD, MPH
Epidemiologist, WHO/AFRO

Mamoudou Djingarey has been in charge of the epidemiology unit at the WHO Intercountry Support Team (IST) office (formerly Multi-Disease Surveillance Center [MDSC]) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, since March 2002. He designs and conducts applied research aimed at enhancing integrated meningococcal disease surveillance and response implementation in meningitis belt countries. Before joining MVP in April 2004, Mamoudou Djingarey served as an intercountry epidemiologist, also at the MDSC, where he supported the implementation of Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, and Mali. Earlier positions include medical officer and director of the national health information system for the Ministry of Health in Niger. Mamoudou Djingarey also provides training to health personnel involved in epidemiology, operational research, epidemic disease management, immunization, and health communication and education. He earned his MD from the University of Abdou Moumouni in Niamey, Niger, and his MPH from the University of California in Los Angeles.

Godwin Enwere, MD
Medical Director, PATH

Godwin Enwere leads the development of the meningococcal A conjugate vaccine. He has been with the project since 2006, first as principal investigator and clinical coordinator for the PsA-TT-002 study in The Gambia, and more recently as the MVP pharmacovigilance officer. Prior to joining MVP at PATH he worked at the World Health Organization in Geneva as a clinical trials expert and was project manager on a multination cholera project. As a consultant to MVP, he was also responsible for pharmacovigilance activities and the development of risk management plans. Godwin Enwere worked for several years at the Medical Research Council Laboratories in The Gambia, where he was involved in several clinical trials as principal investigator and clinical coordinator. Godwin Enwere trained as a paediatrician in Nigeria and is a fellow of the West African College of Physicians. He did further postgraduate training at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He is Nigerian and speaks English and Ibo.

Kajsa Hultgren
Project Administrator, PATH

Kajsa Hultgren joined MVP in 2011 as an administrator for the project. Her responsibilities include overseeing the administrative, financial, and contractual requirements for communications, clinical serology, and disease surveillance activities. Prior to joining MVP, she worked as a PATH travel planner for three years. Before coming to PATH she worked as administrative sales assistant with a France-based British kitchen maker, and she was head of administration for the Swedish School in Geneva. Before moving to Switzerland, Kajsa worked as an information system officer in Sweden. Kajsa holds a certificate in computer science, and she speaks Swedish, English, and French fluently.

Denis Kandolo, PhD
Surveillance Officer, WHO/AFRO

Denis Kandolo is based at the WHO Intercountry Support Team (IST) office (formerly Multi-Disease Surveillance Center [MDSC]) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, where he supervises meningitis epidemic surveillance in 14 countries of the African meningitis belt. He has over 25 years of experience in laboratory management, having held several directorships, including general director, at the Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Prior to joining MVP, he worked at WHO/AFRO in Kinshasa where he was program leader in charge of public health laboratories and traditional medicine. In this capacity, he developed and implemented a rehabilitation plan for provincial laboratories in DRC, established a control and quality plan for laboratory activities, and evaluated existing surveillance systems in four African countries. Denis Kandolo earned his degree in laboratory techniques from the Institut Supérieur de Techniques Médicales in Kinshasa, DRC, and his BSc in biomedical technology and his PhD in microbiology from the Catholic University of Louvain in Brussels, Belgium.

Jacqueline Lee Endt
MVP Assistant, WHO

Jacqueline Lee Endt joined the WHO/PATH MVP partnership in September 2010. She has expertise in social and behavioral sciences, in particular social welfare, and project administration. She holds a BA in psychology from the University of South Africa, National Higher Diplomas in sociology, human resource management, and ceramic design. Prior to joining WHO, Jacqueline gained a strong field experience in training academies in Switzerland and was responsible for a care centre in South Africa. In WHO, before joining MVP, she contributed her administrative expertise and meeting coordination experience to various teams, including Roll Back Malaria partnership, HIV (communication, program management, prevention testing, and counseling). She is fluent in English and French. She is currently completing an MBA program.

Clément Lingani, MSc, BSN
Data Manager, WHO/AFRO

Clément Lingani has over 25 years of experience in epidemiology and data management and has been data manager for MVP since 2003 when he joined the MVP team at the WHO Multi-Disease Surveillance Center (now WHO/AFRO Intercountry Support Team [IST]) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Clément Lingani has university diplomas in epidemiology, data management/cartography, and statistical analysis, in addition to certificates in community public health and primary healthcare. He received the advanced health technician diploma from the National School of Public Health in Burkina Faso and was a consultant for the polio and measles national immunization days campaigns. Previously he contributed to the development and integration of a national surveillance system into the Burkina Faso Ministry of Health. He has also been a data manager in the epidemic surveillance unit and the AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases surveillance service in Burkina Faso. He is experienced at conducting trainings and developing training materials in epidemiology and data management. Clément Lingani has studied and worked in Angola, Belgium, Canada, France, and Mali.

Marie-Françoise Makadi-Scherrer, BA
Clinical Research Associate, PATH

Marie-Françoise Makadi-Scherrer is responsible for aspects of clinical operations related to the MVP clinical trials in Africa. She contributes to the site selection process and to the clinical protocols, and she monitors clinical trial procedures and progress. She also acts as the MVP contact person with contract research organizations. Prior to joining MVP in October 2007 she spent several years at the WHO Initiative for Vaccine Research group, providing administrative and travel planning support and meeting coordination. She has also worked with the World Intellectual Property Organization, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the International Computing Centre of the United Nations. Marie-Françoise has a keen interest in clinical research and was a member of the WHO Ethics Review Committee for three years. She completed two web-based courses on clinical research and basic health research ethics. She received a BA in history and geography from the University of Lyon, France, and completed a distance-learning diploma in clinical research at Lyon II University in 2010 and a distance-learning course in epidemiology at Bordeaux University in 2011.

Lionel Martellet, MA
Clinical Research Associate, PATH

Lionel Martellet joined MVP in December 2005 to provide administrative support to the MVP clinical team. Since December 2006, he has worked on the clinical operations aspect of MVP clinical trials in Africa and India. He contributes to the development of clinical protocols and study guidelines, trial site selection, and site training process. He manages activities with contract research organizations and the clinical sites. Prior to joining MVP, he worked for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in a technical and administrative support role for regional workshops in Africa and Asia on issues of trade, development, and competition. He has also worked for the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research. Lionel Martellet has an MA in international relations from Sussex University, United Kingdom, and a BA in business administration from Temple University in Philadelphia. He is fluent in French and English and is currently learning Mandarin Chinese.

Colleen Ottoson, JD, MPH
Senior Counsel, Legal Affairs, PATH

Colleen Ottoson drafts and negotiates agreements for MVP. She has worked for PATH since March 2001, and she joined MVP in August 2002. Prior to her employment with PATH, she served as in-house counsel to the United States Pharmacopeia and a health maintenance organization, where she specialized in transactional law and health law. She has a JD from the University of Maryland, an MPH from Johns Hopkins, and a BA in psychobiology from Oberlin College.

Flore Pallardy, MA
Clinical Assistant, PATH

Flore Pallardy provides administrative support to the clinical development team. Before joining MVP in July 2011, she worked for EuropeAid, the European Commission's Directorate General for Development and Cooperation. Based in Brussels, she contributed to the evaluation of cooperation programs of the European Union in developing countries. Flore also worked for a few months in Togo and South Africa, respectively for the Togolese NGO Friends International and the Centre for Chinese Studies, where she participated in development projects and conducted field surveys. Flore obtained her first degree from Centre d'Études et de Recherches sur le Développement International (CERDI, Clermont-Ferrand, France) where she also did her master in developmental economics and project management. Flore is French and speaks English fluently.

William A. Perea, MD, MPH
Epidemiological Officer/Coordinator CED, WHO

William Perea is coordinator of the Control of Epidemic Diseases Unit in the Pandemic and Epidemic Diseases Department. This unit is responsible for strengthening global health security preparedness, prevention and control of epidemic and pandemic diseases. William Perea joined WHO in 2002.  He has worked in public health for the past 25 years in Nicaragua (Centers for Disease Control), France (Epicentre, WHO Collaborating Center), Cambodia (AEDES/UNICEF), New Caledonia (New Caledonia AIDS Committee), Colombia (Territorial Health Direction), Malawi, and Sudan (Médecins Sans Frontières). His areas of expertise include project management, operational research, epidemiology of communicable and tropical diseases, epidemiological surveillance, and emergency preparedness and response. He received his MD from the Universidad del Rosario in Bogota, Columbia, and a masters of public health and tropical medicine from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. He also earned a certificate in applied epidemiology from the Institut pour le Développement de l'Epidémiologie Appliquée and the Centers for Disease Control at Veyrier-du-Lac in Haute-Savoie, France.

Jean-Marie Préaud, MSc
Senior Technical Officer for Pharmaceutical Operations, PATH

Jean-Marie Préaud has more than 30 years of experience in veterinary and human vaccines. Prior to joining MVP in March 2003, he served as general manager of the Vaccine Center of Shire Biologics in Sainte-Foy, Québec, Canada, where he was responsible for material and human resources management, production, engineering, and industrial development. Other employment includes several positions at Virbac and Rhône Mérieux, two French manufacturers of pharmaceutical and biological products for veterinary use. Jean-Marie Préaud has worked on technology transfer projects in Spain, Poland, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, China, Australia, the United States, and India. He received a DEUG in chemistry and biology and a certificate in structural and metabolic biochemistry from the Faculté des Sciences in Nantes, France. He completed his engineering degree in biology at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Biologie Appliquée à la Nutrition et à l'Alimentation (ENSBANA) at the University of Dijon, France.

Davegnee Servoz
Clinical Assistant, PATH

Davegnee Servoz joined the Meningitis Vaccine Project in May 2014 as a clinical assistant. Davegnee is not new to MVP: between 2005 and 2009, she provided crucial support to the communication and administration teams. In her new position, she coordinates the final clinical archiving for the project and supports the review of clinical documents and presentations. She also provides logistical support for team meetings and teleconferences with project partners and acts as a contact person to clinical team members on travel status.  Prior to joining MVP, Davegnee served as a receptionist and an administrative assistant with Amkor Technology Euroservices in France. Davegnee holds a commercial and bilingual secretary diploma from the Schulz School in Geneva. She is a native from the Mauritius Island.

Gillian Stevens
Project Administrator, PATH

Gillian Stevens joined MVP in 2006 and is the lead administrator for the project. She oversees the administrative, financial, contractual, and logistical requirements of the project and provides support to the clinical team. Prior to joining MVP, she worked as a product development manager within the UK dairy sector and in New Zealand as operations manager for a food processing manufacturer. In addition she has worked as an English teacher for business clients in Geneva, Switzerland, where she was also responsible for designing English courses. Gillian Stevens holds a Higher National Diploma in food technology and a Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults.

Yuxiao Tang, PhD, MSc
Biostatistician, PATH

Yuxiao (YiJia) Tang joined MVP in August 2007 when she started to work for PATH. She is responsible for reviewing statistical analysis plans, clinical statistical data, and clinical statistical reports. Prior to joining PATH, she was a faculty member and statistician at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, where she collaborated with a multidisciplinary team of researchers at Rush Institute for Healthy Aging, Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, and Department of Internal Medicine of Rush Medical College. Before that, she served as a faculty member at Shenyang Architectural and Civil Engineering Institute in China. Yijia Tang received her BSc and MSc in mathematical statistics from Nankai University in Tianjin, China; and she has a PhD in statistics from the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

Carol Tevi-Benissan, PhD, MD
Technical Officer for Resource Mobilization, WHO/AFRO

Carol Tevi-Benissan is MVP's principal focal point within WHO AFRO for all questions related to the introduction of the meningococcal A conjugate vaccine. She liaises with WHO HQ and other partners to facilitate vaccine introduction in Africa, and she leads the resource mobilization efforts on behalf of MVP. In that role, she identifies potential donors, nurtures relationships with current and future donors, and supports country authorities in the meningitis belt in mobilizing resources for the cofinancing of the project. Before joining WHO in 2008 she managed a number of projects strengthening the public health sector in Africa. Prior to that, she was the technical advisor for HIV projects in several African countries. Carol Tevi-Benissan earned her doctor of medicine degree and her PhD in public health from Université Paris VI in France, and she received additional postgraduate training in tropical microbiology and virology at Institut Pasteur and Université Pierre and Marie Curie, respectively. She has worked and lived in France, Gabon, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States, while short-term work assignments have taken her to more than 15 countries worldwide. She comes from Togo and speaks English, French, and Mina fluently.

Koffi Enyonam Tsogbe, MD, MPH
Medical Officer, WHO/AFRO

Koffi Tsogbe joined MVP in summer 2011 to support the implementation of standard operating procedures for meningitis surveillance and control in the African meningitis belt. He provides technical support in the response to epidemic outbreaks, the organization of reactive mass campaigns, and the introduction of MenAfriVac™. Prior to joining MVP he was a team leader at the Democratic Republic of Congo WHO country office where he worked on polio eradication and other national EPI programs. In this capacity he liaised with international development partners such as the US Agency for International Development and UNICEF. Koffi Tsogbe served as a public health officer both in refugee camps in Chad for the UN Refugee Agency and in Pakistan for the UNICEF polio program. He was also UNICEF’s regional advisor for measles in southern and eastern Africa before moving to Rwanda where he worked on reducing maternal and child mortality. Koffi Tsogbe comes from Togo, where he first trained as a doctor. He also holds an MPH from San Diego State University. Koffi Tsogbe speaks Ewe, French, and English fluently.

Fabien Veh Kessé Diomandé, MD, MSc
Vaccine Introduction Consultant, WHO

A public health physician with many years of experience working in the public health sector at local, national, and international levels, Fabien Diomandé joined MVP in November 2007 as a consultant for the introduction of the meningococcal A conjugate vaccine. He has experience as an HIV/AIDS specialist and technical advisor for the Global AIDS Program, Côte d’Ivoire; as a medical officer/EPI technical officer for WHO in Nigeria; and as an EPI technical officer for WHO in Niger. Fabien Diomandé has also participated in several exchange fellowships and research programs in the United States, Belgium, and Côte d’Ivoire. He has a doctorate in medicine from the School of Medicine, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and an MSc in disease control from Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium. In 2006 he won the Stephen R. Preblud "Excellence in Science" Award, and in 2004 he won the Charles C. Shepard Science Award for "Outstanding Scientific Contribution to Public Health."