What gets you out of bed in the morning?
I wake up looking forward to work, but I also get up because I need to feed the six horses and assorted cats and dogs that are part of my life.

What’s the best thing about working in the infectious diseases area?
That’s easy – infectious disease research is about creating something that is going to massively improve a huge number of people’s lives, if you get it right.

What’s the worst thing about working in the infectious diseases area ?
The struggle to be a priority. Obviously, the reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic was unprecedented action, but it’s not the only global health issue. You’d be astonished at how many people think malaria has gone away, despite 500,000 children still dying from it every year.

What’s your favourite bar or eatery?
The Crab House on the lakeside in Seattle. They do an amazing lemon and garlic crab. Paired with a crisp white wine, it’s just fabulous.

Which book or film would you recommend above all others?
For a book, my favourite is Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom, or The War of the End of the World by Mario Vargas Llosa. I have a huge library; I could go on!

Which buzzwords/office-jargon get on your nerves?
Speaking in acronyms.

Which book or film would you recommend above all others?
For a book, my favourite is Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom, or The War of the End of the World by Mario Vargas Llosa. I have a huge library; I could go on!

Which buzzwords/office-jargon get on your nerves?
Speaking in acronyms.

Who is your infectious disease heroine or hero?
I know so many incredible people within tropical disease research. In terms of malaria alone, Professor Kevin Marsh (above), who ran the Wellcome Trust unit in Kenya for many years, or Dr Brian Sharp in South Africa – one of the most knowledgeable malaria ecologists I’ve come across

Which person, living or dead, do you admire the most and why?
Mandela – he chose to embody qualities like humility, righteousness and resolution.

What has been your career highlight to date?
I enjoy ambitious projects and setting up the Infection Innovation Consortium is certainly a highlight. Since our launch two years ago we have already enabled 14 consumer products to get to market, helped secure £200m of funding for innovation related to infection control and supported the creation of 176 jobs related to the sector.

What’s your golden rule/piece of advice for someone starting a career in infectious diseases?
Think big and never take no for an answer. Be clear about what you want to achieve, and then go for it. Seek help along the way and don’t sit back and expect the world to give you everything that you want. You’ve got to go out there and fight for it.

Janet Hemingway CBE is a professor and a founding director of the Liverpool-based iiCON