Last week, we welcomed Dr. Kirsten Vannice, Senior Program Officer at the Gates Foundation, to CHRF. Having followed and supported several areas of our work over the years, Dr. Kirsten spent the day getting to know the people and systems behind the research, visiting our laboratories, joining research presentations, and seeing our hospital surveillance work firsthand.
She also spent time with our Building Scientists for Bangladesh community, hearing how the initiative grew from a simple question asked by young girls who wanted to know whether they, too, could become scientists.
We ended the day with a conversation about Dr. Kirsten’s own journey, from an early interest in physics to a career in global health. What stood out throughout her story was a strong drive to work closer to the problems, understand what can truly change outcomes, and help move evidence toward meaningful impact.
It was a fitting way to end a day centered on the people, questions, and purpose that ultimately give science its meaning.
