Jean B. Nachega, MD, PhD, MPH, associate professor of epidemiology at Pitt Public Health, has been recognized by the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) as one of 10 distinguished leaders highlighted in 2026 for their contributions to advancing global health research and innovation in Africa.
The recognition is part of an EDCTP series highlighting influential leaders whose professional achievements, community impact and leadership have advanced global health.
A native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nachega has more than 25 years of experience in patient care, teaching and HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis research. He has led studies funded by the National Institutes of Health, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), EDCTP and the Welcome Trust and has authored more than 265 peer-reviewed publications.
In addition to his role at Pitt Public Health, Nachega is a professor of infectious diseases and part-time director of the Biomedical Research Institute (BMRI) at Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences in Cape Town, South Africa, where he contributes to advancing interdisciplinary biomedical research, scientific capacity strengthening and international research partnerships.
He also serves as an ad hoc consultant to the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and is a member of the Congolese Academy of Sciences, the Academy of Science of South Africa and the African Academy of Sciences.
Nachega's research focuses on HIV, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases affecting Africa. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he contributed to multinational studies across Africa examining the impact of COVID-19 among vulnerable populations, including children and pregnant women, generating evidence that helped inform clinical care and immunization guidance. In 2010, he received an EDCTP Senior Fellowship to study tuberculosis-associated immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (TB-IRIS), helping advance understanding of immune responses during HIV and tuberculosis treatment.
His current research focuses on mpox and other emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases such as Ebola, while continuing to strengthen research capacity through collaborations across Africa.
“I am deeply honored to have been included among this group of international researchers in recognition of contributions to infectious diseases research, clinical research capacity strengthening and global health across Africa,” Nachega said. “It also reflects the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health's longstanding commitment to global health research and international collaboration.”
-Ava Dzurenda