He Cracked Malaria’s Genome in Mali. Now He’s Advising the UN

W hen Abdoulaye Djimdéfinally had a moment to talk, he was in a hotel room in Nairobi, Kenya, his Internet connection flickering, cameras off to save bandwidth.He had another meeting to get to.He always has another meeting to get to.Djimdéwas appointed in March to the United Nations Secretary-General's Scientific Advisory Board, a body that advises on science and technology.It is, he says, a space where African scientific voices are needed.The board provides independent, evidence-based guidance on science and technology for sustainable development and policymaking.Djimde's appointment brings an African viewpoint, particularly on infectious diseases, genomic surveillance, and research capacity."We African scientists research malaria because we live the problem.It is a very important advisory role�the committee tackles important science issues in terms of innovation, directions that the world's science is taking, and discusses how these new directions and innovations would impact society at large," Djimdésays."Having African voices represented in those discussions would bring into consideration the perspective of the African continent."That perspective has been forged over decades of fieldwork.