Advisory Board
Independent Ethics Advisory Board (iEAB)
Francis P. Crawley (Chair)
Francis P. Crawley is a philosopher with a lifelong dedication to bioethics, research integrity, and global health. His contributions span research policy, AI ethics, and the development of ethical frameworks for clinical research and biobanking. A key contributor to WHO guidelines on ethics review, Good Clinical Practice, and DSMBs, he has played a pivotal role in advancing ethical standards and improving research practices worldwide. His expertise encompasses health data governance, AI ethics, and human rights in the digital age, with recent involvement in UNESCO’s initiatives on open science and crisis-responsive data policies. He has significant experience in research data and AI applications, particularly in the areas of genomics, digital twins, organoids, and data visitation, bridging cutting-edge science with ethical oversight. Francis has collaborated on health-related research projects across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and CIS countries, addressing diverse regional needs. He has advised global organizations, including UNAIDS, WHO, UNESCO, WMA, and the European Commission. Over the past 25 years, he has served as a reviewer for European Commission, EDCTP, and NIH projects and has contributed to several international ethics review committees.
Thomas Sauter
Thomas Sauter is a full Professor of Systems Biology at the University of Luxembourg. He is Head of the Systems Biology and Epigenetics group within the Department of Life Sciences and Medicine. He serves as the Study Programme Director for the Master in Molecular and Computational Biomedicine and the International Master of Science in Biomedicine. Prof. Sauter has authored over 80 peer-reviewed articles. His research focuses on computational biology, particularly molecular network modeling, and data integration approaches. Prof. Sauter has a proven track record of advancing interdisciplinary research. Prof. Sauter’s expertise in integrating omics data with advanced computational and AI approaches makes him an invaluable member of the COMBAT independent Ethical Advisory Board, where he can provide critical insights into the ethical application of omics and AI technologies in disease mitigation strategies.
Scientific and Technical Advisory Board (STAB)
Niklas Arnberg
Niklas Arnberg is a professor of virology at the department of clinical microbiology, Umeå University. Dr Arnberg’s main interest is in the area of virus-host interactions and uses adenovirus as a model system. Early virus-host cell interactions are important to understand tropism and treatment of wildtype viruses, and for targeting of viral vectors. Dr Arnberg is currently involved in Intelligent Design of Adenovirus Vectors – iAds- an EIC Pathfinder-funded project. Appointed by the Swedish Government and the National Board for Health and Welfare, respectively, Dr Arnberg was engaged in scientific advisory boards supporting Swedish vaccine purchase and implementation of antiviral treatment, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Niklas Arnberg’s expertise in virus-host interactions, antiviral development, and vaccine policy, combined with his advisory experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, provides critical insights and strategies for the COMBAT project’s efforts in dengue mitigation and outbreak response.
Nirmal Kumar Ganguly
Dr. Nirmal Kumar Ganguly, is a renowned medical scientist and public health expert, formerly serving as Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Director of PGIMER Chandigarh, and Distinguished Biotechnology Research Professor for the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. He has authored over 795 research papers, supervised 158 Ph.D. theses, and made significant contributions to tropical, cardiovascular, and diarrheal diseases, vector borne diseases including Dengue as well as immunology and biotechnology. Has been a chair of Instt. of Advanced Virology for nearly 10 years right from inception and has been an evaluator Europian Union Vaccine project and has worked in Dengue including organised several meetings on Dengue vaccine. A recipient of the prestigious Padma Bhushan Award (2008), Dr. Ganguly is a Fellow of several esteemed academies, including the Imperial College Faculty of Medicine, the Royal College of Pathologists, and the Indian National Science Academy.
He holds advisory roles with global organizations, such as WHO, CDC Atlanta, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and has received 118 awards for his contributions to medicine and public health. Dr. Ganguly's expertise and advisory role can significantly contribute to the COMBAT project in shaping dengue mitigation policies by leveraging his deep understanding of infectious diseases, public health systems, and translational research.
Swarup Sarkar
Dr. Swarup Sarkar is a distinguished Indian physician, epidemiologist, public health professional, and diplomat renowned for his extensive contributions to the field of infectious diseases, particularly HIV/AIDS. With a career spanning decade, Dr. Sarkar has played a pivotal role in shaping global health policies and strategies, focusing on combating communicable diseases and advancing public health security worldwide. Dr. Sarkar's career reached a significant milestone as he served as the Director of Communicable Diseases at the World Health Organization's Southeast Asia Regional Office (WHO SEARO), a position he held until his retirement in November 2018. In recognition of his exceptional
contributions to public health, he was honored with the World Health Organization Award for Public Health Excellence in 2018. Dr. Sarkar’s leadership has left an indelible mark on the global fight against infectious diseases. His work has not only influenced health policies at the highest international levels but also transformed the lives of millions by addressing systemic challenges and introducing innovative, sustainable solutions in global health security. By bringing a strategic, data-driven, and equity-focused approach, Dr. Sarkar’s advisory role in the COMBAT project can help ensure that its outcomes translate into actionable, sustainable, and impactful dengue mitigation policies at both regional and global levels.
Leticia Del Carmen Castillo Signor
Leticia Del Carmen Castillo Signor is a leading Guatemalan scientist specializing in virology and tropical diseases, focusing on dengue and other viral infections. She was pivotal in establishing dengue diagnostics in Guatemala, leading the country's first seroepidemiological survey in 1994. Her work secured vital equipment for the Central Laboratory of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (MSPAS), marking a turning point for national virology. Ms. Castillo Signor has led key research projects, including the epidemiological and genetic study of dengue (1999–2015) and the clinical characterization of the virus across sentinel sites, strengthening Guatemala's understanding of dengue dynamics and informing control strategies. She oversees environmental poliovirus surveillance in Guatemala, ensuring
preparedness against reintroduction risks. Ms. Castillo Signor has significantly advanced Guatemala's capacity to combat dengue and other viral threats through her dedicated research and leadership, improving public health outcomes nationwide. In 2023, she was awarded the Superwoman to Fight Against Dengue and Other Viral Diseases by Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (National Secretariat of Science and Technology). Ms. Castillo Signor's advisory role in the COMBAT project will be instrumental in advancing dengue mitigation strategies in Guatemala. With her decades-long expertise in virology and tropical diseases, particularly her leadership in dengue surveillance and diagnostics, she brings a deep understanding of the virus's epidemiology, genetic evolution, and transmission dynamics.
Her experience conducting Guatemala's first seroepidemiological survey and leading key research on dengue provides critical insights into the local burden and behavior of the disease, ensuring that mitigation strategies are evidence-based and context-specific.
Gail McConnell
Gail McConnell is Professor of Biophotonics at the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK. Following a first degree in Laser Physics and Optoelectronics (1998) and PhD in Physics from the University of Strathclyde (2002), she obtained a Personal Research Fellowship from the Royal Society of Edinburgh (2003) and a Research Councils UK Academic Fellowship (2005), securing a readership in 2008 and professorship in 2012. The work in Gail’s multidisciplinary research group involves the design, development and application of linear and nonlinear optical instrumentation and new methods for biomedical imaging, from the nanoscale to the whole organism. Her group has pioneered Mesolens microscope that enables imaging very large field of view with high resolution. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, a Fellow of the Institute of Physics, and a Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society. Prof. McConnell’s advisory role will play a critical role in the COMBAT project by contributing her expertise to the development and optimization of advanced microscopy techniques for studying dengue and related viral diseases.
Luca Businaro
Prof. Luca Businaro is a micro and nanotechnology scientist with more than twenty years of experience in the development of top-down fabrication techniques and their exploitation in several research and industrial fields with particular regard to nanophotonic, plasmonics, and microfluidics. He started working on machine vision hardware and software development (1994-2000). In 1998, he founded Awarex S.r.l., a small enterprise, active until 2003, aimed at developing the application of augmented reality for tourism in archaeological sites. Since 2000, he has been moving towards nanotechnologies, particularly micro and nanofabrication, for interdisciplinary applications. Prof Businaro’s primary scientific interest is the application of nanophotonics and microfabrication techniques to recreate and study cell systems interaction (immune system – cancer, glia- neurons) on the chip. At present, he is moving towards hybrid on-chip/in-silico strategies aimed at developing advanced micro-physiological systems. He is also the founder and president of the Italian Organ-on-Chip Society, a scientific society devoted to disseminating and stimulating research in the Organs-on-Chip field. By aligning the project with cutting-edge organ-on-chip methodologies, Prof. Businaro’s advice will elevate COMBAT's capacity for impactful, translational research and pave the way for novel, scalable solutions for pandemic preparedness.
Saumitra Das
Prof. Saumitra Das is a leading virologist and microbiologist, currently serving as a Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Calcutta (1992) and pursued postdoctoral research at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), focusing on host-virus interactions with Polio and Hepatitis C viruses. He later served as an Assistant Research Virologist at UCLA before returning to India in 1998 to join IISc.
Prof. Das’s research centers on the biology and pathogenesis of RNA viruses, including Hepatitis C, Dengue, Coxsackievirus B3, and SARS-CoV-2, unraveling host-virus interactions and identifying novel therapeutic targets. With over 110 publications and 11 patent applications, Prof. Das’s contributions are widely recognized. He has received numerous accolades, including the National Bioscience Award (2005), the NASI-Reliance Platinum Jubilee Award (2010), the Ranbaxy Research Award (2012), and the Sir J.C. Bose National Fellowship (2014). A fellow of all three National Science Academies in India and a member of the American Society of Virology, he has made significant advancements in both fundamental and translational virology.
As the former Director of the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG), Prof. Das played a pivotal role in steering genomic research in India. Notably, he served as the Coordinator of the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), contributing to genomic surveillance and policy-making during the COVID-19 pandemic. His innovative and impactful work continues to shape virology research and public health, particularly in the fight against RNA virus-related diseases.
As a Scientific Advisory Board Member for the COMBAT project, Prof. Das brings a wealth of expertise in RNA virus biology, host-pathogen interactions, and translational virology. His research on dengue virus, along with other positive-strand RNA viruses such as Hepatitis C and SARS-CoV-2, positions him to provide invaluable guidance in unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying dengue replication and pathogenesis.
Ethics Mentor
Jonathan Andrew
Jonathan Andrew is a Human Rights Law expert and program management professional with extensive experience in international human rights law, policymaking, and data protection. Known for building strong relationships with senior leaders, stakeholders, and diverse, cross-cultural teams, he has worked across multiple geographic regions. With a
comprehensive professional network in the legal and human rights community, his expertise spans data analytics, privacy, and data protection, as well as IT networks and security, alongside a proven track record in project management, research development, and education. His deep understanding of privacy and data protection laws, coupled with his expertise in IT security, makes him an invaluable asset to the COMBAT project. By ensuring compliance with international data protection standards and ethical principles, he can safeguard sensitive data and biological samples from non-European
countries. His knowledge of UN Guiding Principles and cross-border data policies will ensure that the project adheres to global ethical and legal frameworks while protecting participant privacy and maintaining data security. He will act as an Ethics Mentor and will support the LU in preparing the ethical deliverables.