Seven Innovators Poised to Transform Global Health, Agriculture, and Pandemic Readiness

The biggest challenges in global health and development — from feeding a hotter planet to stopping drug-resistant infections — require not only funding and political will but fresh scientific breakthroughs. Below are seven under-recognized scientists, technologists, and entrepreneurs whose innovations could reshape health systems, food security, and pandemic preparedness.

César de la Fuente — AI-driven antibiotic discovery

Every 15 minutes in the United States someone dies from an infection no longer controlled by existing antibiotics. César de la Fuente, who leads the Machine Biology Group at the University of Pennsylvania, is pioneering AI-based antibiotic discovery. His team produced the first computer-designed antibiotic to show efficacy in preclinical models and launched “molecular de‑extinction,” reconstructing antibiotic-like molecules found in extinct species, including Neanderthals.

To scale the search for useful bioactive compounds, the group developed the AI engine APEX, which has already identified promising molecules from sources as varied as ancient penguins and vanished magnolia species. With drug-resistant infections projected to cause millions of deaths annually by midcentury and limited commercial incentives for new antibiotics, this kind of academic innovation is especially vital. — Sigal Samuel

Esther Wanjiru Kimani — affordable AI crop diagnostics for smallholders

On a sunny morning in central Kenya, an inexpensive solar-powered device can scan bean leaves for faint disease signs and send early-warning texts to farmers. Built by Esther Wanjiru Kimani, founder of Farmer Lifeline Technologies, the device runs on on-board machine-learning models and is designed for low-cost, off-grid use.

Kimani grew up in a rural Kenyan village and later studied computer science at the University of Eldoret. In field trials, farmers using her system reduced crop losses by up to 30% and increased yields by roughly 40%. In 2024 she won the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation. Her work demonstrates how context-aware technology can protect livelihoods, reduce unnecessary pesticide use, and strengthen food resilience. — Paige Vega

Gagandeep Kang — building India’s vaccine research and trial capacity

Gagandeep Kang has been instrumental in moving India’s vaccine ambitions into practice. Early in her career she researched diarrheal diseases that hospitalized hundreds of thousands of children and helped create the infrastructure and ethics frameworks that translate vaccine research into safe, effective public programs.

Her contributions include work on rotavirus vaccines that culminated in Rotavac’s global approval and wide rollout, advising governments and the WHO, and leading efforts to strengthen clinical trial capacity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was a clear, evidence-driven public voice. Now at the Gates Foundation, Kang oversees programs on enteric infections, diagnostics, and genomics — the vital systems that support public health delivery. — Pratik Pawar

Geoffrey Otim — expanding synthetic biology capacity in Africa

Synthetic biology — redesigning organisms to perform useful tasks — has enormous potential to generate local value from biological resources. Geoffrey Otim, founder and CEO of SynBio Africa, is advancing that vision by building networks, training, and events to accelerate synthetic biology across the continent.

Otim brings frontline outbreak experience from labs in Uganda and is completing doctoral work on microbially produced sustainable aviation fuels. He helped found East Africa’s first iGEM team and organized the continent’s inaugural synthetic biology conference. His work focuses on applying engineered biology to create sustainable fuels, clean energy, and locally driven health solutions. — Shayna Korol

Soham Sankaran — building local mRNA vaccine capacity with PopVax

A former robotics researcher, Soham Sankaran left a PhD program during the pandemic to tackle vaccine inequity. In 2021 he founded PopVax in Hyderabad to design broadly protective mRNA vaccines and build local manufacturing capacity in the Global South.

PopVax uses computational design to target viral regions less likely to mutate and is developing manufacturing tools and delivery technologies. Their next-generation COVID-19 booster is slated for upcoming U.S. trials, and funders including BARDA and philanthropic partners have supported projects such as a needle‑free mRNA vaccine patch. Sankaran frames this work as both technical and moral: local capacity and intellectual-property control are essential for equitable pandemic response. — Pratik Pawar

Maxwell Scott — modernizing screwworm control with genetics

Screwworms — parasitic flies whose larvae consume living tissue — remain a serious agricultural and animal-health threat where they persist. Maxwell Scott at North Carolina State University has modernized the classic sterile insect technique by developing male‑only lines and exploring CRISPR-based approaches that reduce fertility within wild populations.

His engineered male-only strains have been field-tested to measure dispersal and longevity, and genetic approaches could reduce the need for repeated sterilized releases. Political and public acceptance will shape where gene-based strategies are adopted, but these tools could become critical as climate change expands pest ranges. — Pratik Pawar

Yibo Li — heat‑resilient rice through targeted genetics

Yibo Li of Huazhong Agricultural University identified a temperature-sensitive gene that undermines rice grain quality and yields as nighttime temperatures rise. By screening more than 530 varieties across multiple sites and either editing the gene or breeding naturally resistant strains, Li’s team preserved both yield and grain translucency under heat stress, work published in the journal Cell.

Modified or resistant varieties maintained harvests while susceptible crops lost as much as 58% in some tests. Since more than half the world’s population relies on rice as a staple, these findings could be a model for breeding climate-resilient staples like wheat and help protect food security as global temperatures increase. — Paige Vega

How these stories fit together: each profile highlights a leavening truth — breakthroughs often come from combining deep local knowledge with cutting-edge science. From AI-revived antibiotics to community-centered agricultural tech, these innovations point to a future where equitable capacity and novel tools drive resilience against disease, pests, and climate stress.