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One sixth of the world’s population suffers from a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD), representing perhaps the most significant impact on human health. Two of these, leishmaniasis and Chagas disease, are particularly impactful with over 20 million people currently infected, mostly in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). This challenge is heightened by the fact that the few available drugs exhibit serious side effects, have prolonged and/or painful modes of administration, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is rife. 

Working collaboratively, the NTD Network has built and equipped a global community of scientists who, in equitable partnership, are developing new tools, and identifying new drug targets and drug leads to address the challenge of these NTDs.

One of the greatest strengths of the NTD Network has been its ability to bring together researchers across disciplines, institutions and regions in a genuinely collaborative way. For us, this has demonstrated how much stronger science becomes when different perspectives, methods and forms of expertise are allowed to inform one another.

Exquiel Porta

Q&A

What are your feelings on receiving this prize? 

Pradip Sen: It was quite unexpected, and I am thrilled to receive this prize. It is truly an amazing achievement for the entire team.

Flavia Zimbres: It is very satisfying to see a project involving many people, from different groups and countries, recognised for the collective effort of everyone involved. Over the years, many individuals have dedicated themselves to meeting the project’s objectives, and this collaborative work has resulted in awards such as this. I am genuinely pleased to see our work acknowledged and proud of all the team members who made the project possible.

Saba Farooq: This prize is a recognition of our teamwork for a shared mission. It serves as an immense encouragement in the early stage of my career, facilitating my transition from a novice learner to a confident researcher. Most importantly, the prize will help in shaping my focus towards team- and mission-oriented work. 

What was your role within the team? 

Hachemi Khadri: During the initial phase of the NTD Network, my role as a GCRF Fellow at Durham University focused on identifying new therapeutic directions for Chagas disease and leishmaniasis. Working within such a diverse, global consortium was a defining period for my career. It provided the professional foundation that allowed me to transition this work into an independent research programme, which I continue to lead today at Kingston University.

Pradip Sen: I was a network collaborator in the biological aspects of visceral leishmaniasis.

Why is this work so important and exciting?

Jaime Isern: What makes this work so important is its clear, real-world impact. Diseases like leishmaniasis and Chagas disease affect millions of people, mainly in regions where access to safe and effective treatments remains limited, and many current therapies are far from ideal, often toxic, difficult to administer, or simply unavailable. Being part of something that aims to close that gap and bring the best of modern science to diseases affecting the most vulnerable populations is more than just a job; it is a purpose.

The science itself is genuinely exciting. Identifying new drug targets within these parasites, understanding their biology at a molecular level, and applying multidisciplinary tools are all examples of cutting-edge work with the potential to translate into real therapies for real people.

Progress in this field relies heavily on collaboration, as integrating expertise across disciplines and countries is essential to ensure research is both relevant and translatable. Being part of a global network focused on neglected tropical diseases reinforces this. At the same time, the human aspect adds depth to the experience, as working with people from diverse backgrounds who share a common goal helps to keep the focus on what matters. It is rare to find work that truly makes a difference for people who are often overlooked, challenges you intellectually every day, and connects you with talented people from all over the world. 

Flavia Zimbres: This work was exciting because it brought together many research groups, all studying, collaborating, and contributing towards a shared goal: understanding the biology of parasites that cause human diseases and are often neglected. It is also important, as the discoveries made have added valuable knowledge to the field and will be used by other research groups for comparison, further development, or even as a starting point for new studies.

How do you see this work developing over the next few years, and what is next for this technology/research? 

Paul Denny: The collaborations (and friendships) built during the programme still exist and have changed ways of working, meaning that next up are further developments in drug discovery for kinetoplast diseases.

What were the biggest challenges in this project, and how did you overcome them? 

Katrien Van Bocxlaer: The biggest challenges in this project for me were the impact of COVID-19 and the geographical distance between collaborators, including differences in time zones. As a team, these challenges were mitigated by establishing strong connections early on, particularly through the initial kick-off meeting, which provided a valuable opportunity to meet in person and build rapport within a very open and collaborative structure.

Given the international nature of the collaboration, much of the communication was already conducted online, which allowed the team to adapt relatively smoothly during the pandemic. The Durham team led the consortium exceptionally well by organising regular online events, ensuring continuous global communication throughout the project, and fostering inclusivity across the different research stages and locations.

Pradip Sen: The biggest challenge was establishing international collaboration while navigating government regulations and obtaining approvals at multiple levels.

What different strengths did different people bring to the team? 

Ehmke Pohl: In addition to their incredible breadth of scientific expertise ranging from molecular parasitology to synthetic and medicinal chemistry to biophysical techniques, people brought a wealth of research approaches and culture to the team. This led to a real synergy of research ideas and results far exceeding the sum of individual contributions.

How important would you say collaboration is for producing high-quality science? How has collaboration influenced your work? 

Tony Wilkinson: Collaboration is very important, as very few significant scientific questions can be addressed with expertise in just one discipline or the resources of a single laboratory. In an international context, collaboration also brings alternative perspectives. It is not only effective in terms of scientific progress, but also rewarding, as collaborative relationships often develop into friendships. Early in my career, the fusion of recombinant DNA technology with biochemistry and protein crystallography was defining. In later years, collaborating as a structural biologist with parasitologists and medicinal chemists has been both exciting and rewarding.

Exequiel Porta: Collaboration is essential for producing high-quality science, particularly in neglected tropical disease research, where the questions are complex and the need for impact is urgent. One of the greatest strengths of the NTD Network has been its ability to bring together researchers across disciplines, institutions and regions in a genuinely collaborative way. For us, this has demonstrated how much stronger science becomes when different perspectives, methods and forms of expertise are allowed to inform one another.

What makes this especially valuable is that the collaboration goes beyond scientific complementarity alone. The Network has created a framework not only for excellent research, but also for capacity building, the training of PhD students and early-career researchers, and meaningful exchange across North–South and South–South partnerships. It creates an environment in which chemical biology, parasitology, structural biology, molecular biology, drug discovery and translational perspectives can truly interact. In a field such as neglected tropical diseases, that kind of collaboration is not simply beneficial; it is essential. It strengthens the quality of the research, broadens its relevance, and helps to ensure that the knowledge and skills generated through the work can have a lasting and wider impact.

Douglas Escrivani: Collaboration is essential for producing high-quality science. Research challenges today are increasingly complex and rarely confined to a single discipline, technique or way of thinking. Collaboration brings together complementary expertise and strengthens scientific rigour, creativity and reproducibility.

As a parasitologist, working closely with chemists has broadened my perspective on drug discovery. Thinking more carefully about the underlying chemistry has helped me design biologically meaningful experiments, select more informative readouts, and interpret parasite phenotypes with greater confidence, distinguishing true biological effects from experimental artefacts. Working collaboratively has also shaped how I approach science more broadly, fostering clearer communication, stronger critical reflection, and shared responsibility for robust and ethical research outcomes.

Carlos Robello: Collaboration is absolutely central to high-quality science. In this project, integrating different disciplines and institutional perspectives was key to achieving results that would not have been possible in isolation. It allowed us to combine technical innovation with biological insight, significantly strengthening both the scope and impact of the work. Importantly, it also opened new avenues for future collaborations, extending the reach and potential applications of our research.

What does good research culture mean to you, and why does it matter?

Mags Leighton: For us, research culture has meant building an egalitarian community of mutual trust, where we know we are valued, safe and supported, enabling us to bring the best of ourselves to the work — and has made our team greater than the sum of its parts.

Steffi Freitag Pohl: Good research culture lives and breathes through respect and acknowledgement — for people, for each other’s work, and for individual circumstances. In this project especially, it was not only desirable, but essential for success.

M Iqbal Choudhary: Good research culture is critically important for productive, high-quality research. It provides an enabling environment where meaningful engagement with experienced researchers supports early-career researchers. Mentoring, guidance and capacity building are key elements of good research culture, where collaboration supersedes competition and the mission is more important than personal gain. The project provided exactly this culture, leaving an enduring legacy of conducting good science and helping humanity to address diseases that are not a priority for the pharmaceutical sector.

In what ways does creativity influence how you think about or carry out your work?

M Iqbal Choudhary: Creativity is crucial for good science. Creative ideas, supported by high-quality research methodologies, lead to meaningful outcomes. In this project, many creative ideas were discussed and tested.

What do you wish more people understood about your field or the chemical sciences in general? 

Saba Farooq: COVID-19 has made the world more aware of the importance of science at the interface of chemistry and biology. The development of vaccines within a few months after the COVID-19 pandemic began was the result of unprecedented international collaboration. Therefore, I wish that people understood how complex it is to identify an effective molecule and develop it into a viable drug. In short, I would say that there is still much to understand about the underlying realities and limitations of the chemical sciences.

Thinking back to earlier in your career, are there any words of wisdom that you wish someone had told you? 

Carlos Robello: Someone might have told me early on that research is not a quick process and often involves rejected projects and manuscripts, as well as negative results. However, the thrill of achieving something truly significant overshadows even those ‘bad times’. In any case, no advice can replace experience; only by facing these challenges firsthand can you truly understand their importance.