Brian Greenwood is a public health researcher whose work has had extensive impact in the understanding and control of infectious diseases in Africa. Brian’s pioneering studies of malaria have shaped contemporary prevention and treatment strategies, contributing to a 54 per cent drop in malaria mortality rates in Africa between 2000 and 2013.

Working in Nigeria and Gambia, Brian conducted several trials proving the life-saving benefits of childhood vaccination against the bacterial infections that cause meningitis and pneumonia. His work in malaria included demonstration of the effectiveness of insecticide-treated bed nets — a cornerstone of modern malaria prevention.

Brian is an adviser to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and World Health Organization, and has co-ordinated international consortia in malaria research and capacity development. In 2008, the Japanese government awarded Brian the first Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize for medical research, and in 2011 he was knighted in the New Year’s honours.