Alemnew Dagnew

Alemnew Dagnew is Head of Vaccines & Biologics Development at the Gates Medical Research Institute (Gates MRI), where he leads the clinical development of the M72 tuberculosis vaccine—addressing a disease that disproportionately affects underserved populations and poses major global health challenges—along with other programs targeting diseases of significant public health importance.

With over 20 years of experience as a physician and researcher, Alemnew brings extensive expertise in infectious diseases and vaccine development. He spent nearly a decade at Novartis and GSK, where he played a key role in the clinical development of vaccines for diseases such as influenza, meningococcal disease, and shingles. Since August 2020, he has led the M72 vaccine clinical development program at Gates MRI, advancing this critical effort with a strong focus on public health impact.

Alemnew has played a key role in vaccine licensure and the conduct of international clinical trials reviewed by regulatory authorities such as the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA), the African Vaccine Regulatory Forum (AVAREF), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and Health Canada.

Alemnew holds an M.D. and M.Sc. in Medical Microbiology from Addis Ababa University. He also earned an M.Sc. in Vaccinology and Pharmaceutical Clinical Development through a joint program from Novartis Vaccines and the University of Siena, and an MPH with a focus on epidemiologic and biostatistical methods from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.