About Us

Since its formation in 2008, the Global Laboratory Initiative (GLI) has provided a focus for TB within the framework of a multi-faceted, integrated approach to laboratory capacity strengthening through a network of international partners.

Organizationally, GLI is one of the seven Working Groups of the Stop TB Partnership. Functionally, it serves as an independent, technical expert advisory group to WHO, the Stop TB Partnership, development and funding agencies, and countries. Structurally, the GLI consists of individuals with expertise in multiple disciplines, representing constituencies of stakeholders and/or institutions involved in global and country-level laboratory strengthening.

The GLI core group has representation from key constituencies including national and supranational reference laboratories, high TB and MDR-TB burden country programmes, technical partners, donors and civil society. The WHO Global TB Programme provides the GLI secretariat.

GLI Core Group Governance and Operating Procedures [.pdf]

GLI Core Group members

MemberAffiliationConstituency and Region
Maka Akhalaia Country TB-laboratory Specialist
Stop TB Partnership Tajikistan
Dushanbe, Tajikistan 		Technical agencies and implementation partners involved in global and country-level laboratory strengthening
Uladzimir Antonenka Program Manager
Institute of Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine
Supranational Reference Laboratory for Tuberculosis
Gauting, Germany 		Technical partners
Supranational Reference Laboratory
Khalide Azam Senior Laboratory Specialist
SATBHSS Project
East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC)
Arusha, Tanzania 		High burden countries;
Technical agencies and implementation partners involved in global and country-level laboratory strengthening
Roger Calderón Espinoza Laboratory Director
Partners in Health
Lima, Peru 		Civil society organisations
Sarabjit S. Chadha Regional Technical Director
The Foundation For Innovative New Diagnostics
New Delhi, India 		Technical agencies and implementation partners involved in global and country-level laboratory strengthening
Fernanda Dockhorn Costa General Coordination of Surveillance of Respiratory Transmission Diseases of Chronic Conditions
Brasilia, Brazil 		High burden countries;
National TB programmes
Alex Durena TB Diagnostics Technical Advisor
United States Agency for International Development
Washington, United States 		 
Christopher Gilpin Global Laboratory Coordinator
Migration Health Division
International Organization for Migration
Geneva, Switzerland 		Technical partners involved in global and country-level laboratory strengthening
Patricia Hall
Vice-Chairperson 		Lead, TB and Clinical Monitoring Team
International Laboratory Branch
Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Atlanta, United States 		Technical agencies;
Supranational Reference Laboratories
Sarder Tanzir Hossain Senior TB Diagnostic Specialist
Infectious Disease Detection and Surveillance (IDDS) project
Dhaka, Bangladesh 		High burden country; Technical agencies and implementation partners involved in global and country-level laboratory strengthening
Kristin Kremer Senior Laboratory Scientist
KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation
The Hague, The Netherlands 		Technical partners involved in global and country-level laboratory strengthening
Marguerite Massinga Loembé Senior Laboratory Advisor
Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)
Libreville, Gabon 		Technical agencies and implementation partners involved in global and country-level laboratory strengthening
Tetsuhiro Sugamoto Laboratory Scientist
Research Institute of Tuberculosis
JATA(Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association
Tokyo, Japan 		Technical agencies; Supranational Reference Laboratories
Elisa Tagliani
Chairperson 		Research Scientist
Emerging Bacterial Pathogens Unit
San Raffaele Scientific Institute (SRL Milan)
Milan, Italy 		Supranational Reference Laboratories
Abiola Olajumoke Tubi Microbiologist / Laboratory Manager
National TB and Leprosy Control Programme
Abuja, Nigeria 		High burden countries; National Reference Laboratory
Wayne van Gemert
Observer 		Technical Officer
TB Diagnostics Market Strategies
Geneva, Switzerland 		Technical partners

GLI Secretariat

Carl-Michael Nathanson
nathansonc@who.int 		Technical Officer
Global TB Programme
World Health Organization
Geneva, Switzerland 		World Health Organization