Raised in a family of six children, being the only girl and the eldest facing a demanding father, I learned competition and above all to never feel d… - Francine Ntoumi

I started studying in France, where I passed my medical exam and my state doctorate. When I returned to Africa,I wanted to specialize in a field of research that is important to my compatriots. Malaria kills thousands of people in Africa every year. I want not only to fight this disease.

The dynamism of research is assessed by indicators such as publications and patents. With regard to biomedical research, which is my field, the African continent bears the heaviest burden of disease in the world, but it is also the continent that invests the least in research, development and innovation.

I created the country's first molecular biology laboratory at the University of Brazzaville, the capital of Congo. If this project worked, it was only thanks to the support of my colleagues in Tübingen.