Dr Heidi Albert

Dr Albert completed her Pharmacy and Pharmacology degree and PhD in pharmaceutical microbiology at the University of Bath, UK, and following postdoctoral research studies in the United States, she relocated to South Africa where she started her career in diagnostics. She completed a Masters in Public Health specialising in Health Economics at the University of Cape Town.

In 2007, she joined the FIND, the global diagnostics alliance, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, that aims to develop and deliver fit-for-purpose diagnostic solutions for diseases of poverty. From 2008 and 2010 she led the establishment of FIND’s TB diagnostics research laboratory in Kampala, in collaboration with Uganda’s NTP. Since 2014, she has held the position of Head of FIND South Africa, responsible for FIND’s activities in the country and providing regional support. She leads FIND’s work on diagnostic network optimization across multiple diseases, bringing cutting edge data analytics to the design of diagnostic networks to increase access to services in the most cost-efficient manner.

Dr Albert was a Core Group Member of the Global Laboratory Initiative (2014-2018) and GLI Africa and has participated in various WHO technical consultations and other exercises for global policy development as well as tools to assist countries to implement new tools and strengthen laboratory systems. She brings more than 20 years of wide-ranging experience in TB diagnostics and laboratory systems strengthening, from research and development of new diagnostics, test evaluation and both hands-on and technical assistance roles, development of testing strategies in low- and middle-income settings.