Dr Le Doare is UKRI Future Leaders Fellow and Professor of Global Health within the Paediatric Infectious Diseases Research Group at St. George’s, University of London, based at MRC/UVRI @LSHTM Uganda. Her research interests are age-related immune responses to infectious diseases, in particular to Group B-streptococcus (GBS). She is interested in improving our knowledge of how maternal antibody in vaginal fluid, blood and breast milk is passed to babies and how this protects them from colonisation and disease. Her focus is on harnessing these tools of nature (basic pathophysiology and immunity) to improve vaccines and prevention strategies, coupled with clinical vaccine studies at her maternal vaccination platform site in Kampala, Uganda. She leads the periCOVID study to inderstand the immunology and transmission of COVID19 from women to infants and how antibodies might protect against infection in the newborn period. The aim is to reassure new mothers that they can safely care for their babies and breastfeed them without harm. We also hope to help hospitals develop infection prevention and control procedures to allow women to attend antenatal care safely during the pandemic and for their infants to attend for vaccination and sick visits. She is passionate about training the next generation of female scientists working in Africa to improve maternal and child health. She receives funding from the EDCTP, MRC and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.