Dr Wendy Harrison and Professor Margaret Gyapong start the second year of joint Presidency
Dr Wendy Harrison and Professor Margaret Gyapong will continue their leadership of RSTMH with a second year as joint Presidents.
Last year, Dr Harrison and Professor Gyapong began their roles of RSTMH joint Presidents, marking the first time in history that we have had two presidents.
The announcement was made at the RSTMH Annual General Meeting, formed as part of the 2025 Annual Meeting which took place in London on 26 September.
"My Honorable colleague Dr. Wendy Harrison and I appreciate the confidence you have in us to continue our term in office. We do not take it for granted. It has been teamwork from day one and as we navigate the global financial crisis which has affected disease of poverty and health systems in various ways, we hope to continue to work together to realize the mission and vision of the society," says Professor Margaret Gyapong.
"Stepping into the second year of this co-presidency with my esteemed colleague Professor Margaret Gyapong is both an honour and a responsibility, as together we champion authentic, equitable partnerships across disciplines and geographies. Only by working side by side in this way can we address the profound public health threats that neglected tropical diseases and other challenges pose to communities worldwide,” says Dr Wendy Harrison.
With Professor Gyapong and Dr Harrison continuing in their position for the next year, Professor Jimmy Whitworth will remain as Past President and Professor George M Varghese will continue as President Elect and will step into the presidential role at the AGM in 2026.
Governance changes
A series of Governance changes were also announced at the Annual General Meeting 2025.
This year, we had one Elected Trustee vacancy on the Board. Following Trustee elections Professor Olaoluwa Pheabian Akinwale has been re-elected as an RSTMH Trustee.
The terms of office of Trustees Professor Jimmy Whitworth and Professor David Mabey have been extended by the Board for two years and three years respectively.
Professor Gail Davey OBE has stepped down as a Trustee and Tijana Williams is the new co-opted Trustee, for the final year of Professor Davey’s tenure.
“It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Professor Davey as Trustee, during her time as President, and as part of the Grants and Awards Committee. Her incredible knowledge, experience and support is very appreciated, and she’s had a pivotal role in helping RSTMH achieving its successes, whilst navigating challenging times. Gail has given her time for RSTMH for many years. We thank her for this, and wish her the very best in many other roles,” says Tamar Ghosh.
On her appointment, Tijana said: “I’m honoured to join the Board of RSTMH and contribute to its mission of advancing global health through research, innovation, and inclusive collaboration.”