Meet the team
Scott O'Neill
Scott O'Neill (PhD FAA FAAAS) is a renowned scientist and founder of the World Mosquito Program. He’s worked at the University of Illinois, Yale University, The University of Queensland and Monash University. He has received awards including the Centenary Medal and Mackerras Medal. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Microbiology.
Michelle Pearce
Michelle Pearce is a senior manager with over 25 years of experience working in international charity finance settings. Her expertise lies in fostering high-performing teams and forging strong collaborations with stakeholders to achieve impactful results in complex environments. A fellow chartered accountant, Michelle has held the pivotal role of Chief Financial Officer at organisations such as CARE Australia, Oxfam Australia, and Movember.
Cameron Simmons
Cameron Simmons is a global leader in clinical and laboratory research in infectious diseases. He spent 13 years with the University of Oxford, based at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Vietnam, where he saw severe dengue cases and developed a passion for preventing mosquito-borne diseases. He has published over 200 research papers, and consulted with the World Health Organisation, and vaccine and drug development companies.
Tracy Loh
Tracy Loh is a healthcare leader and pharmacist, who has held various global roles in big pharma and biotech. She has extensive experience in business development, strategic partnerships, and is passionate about expanding access to innovative technologies worldwide. Her leadership roles have included managing Moderna´s Asia Pacific commercial regional arm and government / partner relations to deliver COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic.
Peter Ryan
Peter Ryan (PhD) is a medical entomologist specialising in the control of viruses transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. With over 20 years’ experience in public health, specialising in the control of medically important viruses, Peter works closely with public health agencies in target implementation countries to develop the World Mosquito Program’s Wolbachia method to prevent dengue, Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases.
Kieran Walters
Kieran Walters specialises in helping organisations to operate more effectively and reduce complexity. He has advised across many sectors in the areas of strategy, project and investment governance, business process improvement, operating model design and organisational effectiveness. Kieran was previously the Project Governance Lead for BHP's Olympic Dam expansion and is a former partner of IG Partners (acquired by Cyient).
Bruno Col
Bruno Col is a leader and practitioner in communications and public engagement. He has more than 25 years’ experience in communications, including humanitarian and international development communications, digital communications, photography, and film and television production. Bruno has worked across Asia, Oceania, West and East Africa, the Middle East and Europe, including humanitarian responses like the West Africa Ebola crisis.
Katie Anders
Katie Anders is a public health researcher. She has worked in epidemiological research and public health practice for 15 years, with expertise in the design and implementation of field trials, disease surveillance, and clinical research. She previously worked as an epidemiologist and doctoral scholar at the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Vietnam, and as a public health scientist at the UK Health Protection Agency.
Rafael Kaplan
Rafael Kaplan spent over 10 years practising as a corporate & commercial lawyer in law firms in Australia, followed by a senior in-house role in the Office of the General Counsel at Monash University. At the World Mosquito Program, Rafael Kaplan is responsible for providing high quality legal advice, supporting the Board of Directors, and ensuring the organisation is in compliance with its legal obligations in all areas.
Ben Green
Ben Green has over 15 years’ experience in digital strategy and product development, including work in the telecommunications, research, public health, community, education and entertainment sectors. Ben has a background in user experience design and research, product management and significant experience leading agile product delivery teams.
Simon Kutcher
Simon Kutcher has been managing and advising on the implementation of international development projects for more than 25 years. He has extensive experience working on complex integrated programs across many sectors, including spending the past 15 years in public health.
Juanita De Souza
Juanita De Souza is an experienced learning and development professional specialising in the education sector. She has experience in curriculum design for professional learning training for K-12, vocational and higher education educators. Starting in English language teaching and then moving into finance education and professional learning for teachers, Juanita is passionate about learning and supporting professional growth.
Cameron Watson
Cam Watson has over 25 years of experience in digital marketing, banking, and telecommunications, primarily within leading NGOs focused on tackling poverty and injustice globally. He has developed impactful campaigns engaging hundreds of thousands of people to address issues like hunger, malnutrition, violence against women and girls, and disaster response. At the World Mosquito Program, Cam leads strategic efforts to raise awareness and support for combating mosquito-borne diseases.
Albert Joubert
Albert Joubert (PhD) is a molecular biologist and product development professional with over 20 years’ experience in research and development. Al works closely with mosquito production and implementation teams in target implementation countries to develop innovative scaling technologies for the Wolbachia technique. Al previously worked as a research scientist at the CSIRO as well as the University of Stellenbosch.
Alan Mee
Alan Mee is a community engagement leader and practitioner. He has over 15 years’ experience leading global organisations as they engage with communities. Alan specialises in stakeholder engagement, community mobilisation, social risk assessment, cultural heritage, human rights, and social investment. He has worked across North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
Jérémie Gilles
Jérémie Gilles (PhD) is a medical entomologist specialising in the bio-ecology and physiology of disease vectors such as Anopheles and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. He has more than 15 years’ experience working on innovative methods to control mosquitoes, specialising in large-scale rearing.
Nelson Grisales
Nelson Grisales (PhD) is a medical entomologist with more than 15 years of experience in research, technical coordination and project management of vector control projects in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. He is experienced in laboratory, semi-field and field testing and implementation of traditional and innovative technologies for vector control, with a particular focus in capacity building and stakeholder management.
Emmanuelle Le Louarn
Emmanuelle Le Louarn has over 25 years of Human Resources experience across the Automotive, Medical Device, and Pharmaceutical industries. Throughout her career, she has held diverse local and global roles, driving business transformation and growth across various geographies. Emmanuelle is adept in employee engagement, organisational development, talent management, and change management, enabling organisations to align their People and Culture strategy with business objectives.
Thierry Scholle
Thierry Scholle has dedicated his entire career to the fields of cooperation and development. Over the past 20 years, he has specialised in EU and EU Member States funded projects, focusing primarily on business development and project management. Thierry is known for his collaborative approach and has undertaken numerous leadership roles. At WMP, he leads advocacy and external relations efforts, with a primary focus on the European region.
