Trailblazers with Garry: a conversation with Marcus Lacerda

"Trailblazers with Garry" is a series from Global Health Matters, where host Garry Aslanyan sits down with trailblazers — thinkers, leaders, and influencers shaping the future of global health — for short face-to-face conversations, available in both audio and video formats. It’s a chance to get to know the people behind the work and hear their perspectives on the current global health landscape. For this episode, Garry sat down with Marcus Lacerda at WHO headquarters in Geneva. Marcus joined TDR as Director in March 2026 from Fiocruz Amazônia and Fundação de Medicina Tropical Doutor Heitor Vieira Dourado in Brazil. He is a Brazilian infectious diseases physician and tropical medicine researcher whose work has profoundly influenced malaria elimination strategies and the broader field of global health. Born in Taguatinga, near Brasília, Brazil, Marcus reflects on the Catholic missionaries who first took him deep into the Amazon, his insights on vivax malaria as a silent social killer — a disease that not only takes lives but also robs children of learning abilities — and what it will take to close the gap between research innovation and real-world impact.Related episode documents, transcripts and other information can be found on our website.Subscribe to the Global Health Matters podcast newsletter.  Follow us for updates:@TDRnews on XTDR on LinkedIn@ghm_podcast on [email protected] on Bluesky Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed during the Global Health Matters podcast series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of TDR or the World Health Organization.  All content © 2026 Global Health Matters.