Who we are Meet the team Meet the team The Africa Research Excellence Fund operates from Africa and the UK. We have a small and dedicated team, who are determined to make a difference: Professor Tumani Corrah KBE, MD, PhD, FRCP, PWACP, FAAS, MRG Emeritus Director Professor Corrah, who is Gambian, has over thirty years of progressively senior-level research and leadership experience, ten years of which were as the Unit Director of the Medical Research Council’s Unit, The Gambia. He is medically qualified and has retained active research interests in tropical and infectious diseases, including tuberculosis, HIV and malaria. Professor Corrah is an Honorary Fellow of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and is a member of over twenty scientific board and committee groups worldwide. He is the Emeritus Director of the MRC Unit in The Gambia. Maria Bellocci Head of Business Development and Resources Maria joined AREF in June 2018 as the Head of Business Development and Resources. Maria’s focus is operational efficiency and improvements and ensuring statutory compliance and effective budget management. Prior to joining AREF, Maria worked for charity Whizz-Kidz. During her 11 years there she was responsible for customer services, procurement, budgets and NHS contracts. Irene CokerTraining Events Manager As AREF’s Training & Events Manager, Irene has a crucial role in delivering AREF’s workshops and development programmes. Irene previously worked at QCell Ltd, a provider of telecommunication services in The Gambia. Lamin SannehAcademy Training Events Officer Lamin’s key role as AREF’s Academy Training Events Officer is to help manage and administer the AREF Research Development Fellowships and other Awards.He is a Gambian and has significant experience in HR and Project Management. Dr Dawn DukeHead of Programmes Dawn joined AREF in January 2021 as Head of Programmes to oversee our professional development programmes for postdoctoral researchers in Africa. Dawn has twelve years’ experience in researcher development, most recently as the Head of Researcher Development and Engagement at the University of Surrey. She has a PhD in Neuroscience from Imperial College London and is passionate about the difference research and researchers make to our world. Dr Jill Kent Research Manager Jill Kent joined AREF in February 2021 as Research Manager, to manage and deliver AREF Fellowship competitions. Jill has a PhD in molecular genetics from the University of Edinburgh and an MBA from Cranfield University. She has research and science funding experience from the UK and Australia. For the past 12 years she has lived in Zambia and Tanzania, most recently working as a grants and programme management adviser to the Sickle Cell Programme at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Denise Ganley - Senior Finance Manager Emily Rudolph - Grants Officer Emily Marshall - Communications Officer