PROF. CLAUDE MAMBO MUVUNYI is a Professor of Clinical Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine and the Director General of the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC). He holds a Bachelor’s degree in General Medicine from the University of Rwanda, a specialization and PhD in Clinical Microbiology from the University of Ghent (Belgium), and a Master’s degree in Medical Virology from the University of Manchester (UK). He brings over 15 years of experience in scientific leadership, public health research, and health systems strengthening at national, regional, and international levels, with a strong focus on infectious diseases, laboratory medicine, and research capacity development in Sub-Saharan Africa.

As scientific Lead for the BRIDGE Project, he provides strategic scientific oversight to ensure the project’s objectives are met by scaling up high-quality research and advanced academic training in infectious diseases, integrated health informatics, and data sciences. His role includes steering scientific priorities and guiding the scientific direction of PhD and postdoctoral training programs, ensuring alignment with African public health priorities, and promoting excellence in research design, data governance, and ethical standards. He supports the integration of laboratory science, genomics, surveillance data, and digital health platforms to strengthen evidence generation and translational research. He also contributes to mentorship frameworks, institutional capacity strengthening, and the establishment and sustainability of Centres of Excellence in Sub-Saharan Africa.

He is a  Scientific Lead within the BRIDGE Network, working across the African–European consortium of universities, research institutes, and public health institutions to advance training, research, and innovation in infectious diseases, health informatics, and data science, with the goal of strengthening resilient, data-driven health systems in Sub-Saharan Africa.