Francisca Mutapi

Professor Global Health Infection and Immunity, The University of Edinburgh, since 2001per ORCID

Publishing since 2002, latest 2026

I am a Professor in Global Health, Infection and Immunity at the University of Edinburgh and co-Director of the Global Health Academy. I also hold honorary positions at the Universities of Oxford and KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. My work on neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) is target-oriented and interdisciplinary. I conduct and lead basic scientific research that has had an extraordinary impact on the policy, practice and control of NTD s, especially in Africa. My work has… More on ORCID

Parasitology
Ecology
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Infectious Diseases
Nutrition and Dietetics
Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health

Publications: 1112002–2026
Citations: 3,389to those papers
h-index: 34i10-index 70
Field-weighted impact: 2.321.00 is the world average
World top 10%: 28%31 of 111 scored papers
Open access: 82%91 papers free to read

10 other works — preprints, datasets and the like — are listed but not counted.

By year

Papers, and the citations to them

Publications, left axisCitations to that year’s papers, right axis2026 still in progress

Career

As their ORCID record read on October 4, 2026

Positions

Professor Global Health Infection and Immunity, School of Biological SciencesThe University of Edinburghsince 2001

Education

PhD (Biological Sciences), Department of ZoologyUniversity of Oxford1993–1997
BSc Hons (Biological Sciences), BiologyUniversity of Zimbabwe1989–1991

Honours, memberships and service

Member, Strategic Advisory Group, Malaria and NTDsWorld Health Organizationsince 2026
Member, Strategic Advisory Group

Publications

111 in all

L’Afrique a besoin de données pour accélérer l’élimination des MTN.
2026Nature AfricaJournalSenior author0 citations10.1038/d44148-026-00031-0
Africa needs data to drive NTD elimination
2026Nature AfricaJournalSenior author0 citations

Download CV:PDFWord

Citations received each year

Peerford

To all their work, old papers included. Google Scholar also counts citations from theses, books and web pages, so its line runs higher.

What they work on

From the classification of each paper

Subfields

Parasitology8274%
Ecology3532%
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health3431%
Infectious Diseases2422%
Nutrition and Dietetics2422%
Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health2422%
Molecular Biology1312%
Immunology1211%
Small Animals87%
Health Information Management55%

Health Sciences
Life Sciences
Physical Sciences

Topics most written on

Parasites and Host Interactions82
Parasite Biology and Host Interactions35
Child Nutrition and Water Access24
Global Maternal and Child Health24
Research on Leishmaniasis Studies13
Helminth infection and control8
Malaria Research and Control8
Global Health and Surgery7
Zoonotic diseases and public health6
Amoebic Infections and Treatments5
Global Health and Epidemiology5
Immune responses and vaccinations4

Who they write with

Their most frequent co-authors, and the papers those co-authors share

Where their co-authors are

96% of their papers have a co-author abroad

papers co-written256781127Home

Most frequent partner countries

United Kingdom107
Zimbabwe92
South Africa27
United States21
Tanzania11
Switzerland9
Australia7
Spain6

Papers with at least one author in that country.

Institutions written with most

University of EdinburghGB104 papers
University of ZimbabweZW88 papers
Centre for Immunity, Infection and EvolutionGB37 papers
National Institute of Health Research, ZimbabweZW36 papers
University of KwaZulu-NatalZA20 papers
University of GlasgowGB11 papers
University of OxfordGB8 papers
Ministry of Health and Child WelfareZW8 papers
National University of Science and TechnologyZW8 papers
World Health OrganizationCH7 papers

Where they publish

PLoS neglected tropical diseases25
BMC Infectious Diseases8
Nature Africa6
Frontiers in Immunology5
International Archives of Allergy and Immunology4
Parasite Immunology4
Parasitology

Development goals addressed

From each paper’s title and abstract

3Good health and well-being59
2Zero hunger9
14Life below water6
17Partnerships for the goals3
10Reduced inequalities2
1No poverty1
6Clean water and sanitation1
9

Most cited

Review of 2022 WHO guidelines on the control and elimination of schistosomiasis
The Lancet Infectious Diseases17
2022276 citationsWorld top 10%Open access · Green
Parasite-Derived MicroRNAs in Host Serum As Novel Biomarkers of Helminth Infection
PLoS neglected tropical diseases
2014158 citationsWorld top 10%Open access · Gold
Schistosoma haematobium Treatment in 1–5 Year Old Children: Safety and Efficacy of the Antihelminthic Drug Praziquantel

Trustee, NAWeidenfeld-Hoffman Trustsince 2024

Adjunct Professorship, West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious PathogensUniversity of Ghanasince 2023

FellowRoyal Society of Edinburgh2020

Honorary Professor, School of Nursing and Public HealthUniversity of KwaZulu-Natalsince 2017

Elected FellowZimbabwe Academy of Sciencessince 2017

Globah Health Funding Panel Deputy chair, panel memberUK National Institutes of Health Researchsince 2017

David Livingstone MedalRoyal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow2016

Elected FellowAfrica Science Leadership Programsince 2015

On their papers

Every institution they have given on a paper.

Schistosomiasis and stunting: microbial and metabolic mechanisms in early childhood

2026Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological SciencesJournalOpen accessSenior author0 citations10.1098/rstb.2025.0094

An actionable roadmap for NTD morbidity, disability, and disfigurement management

2025PLoS neglected tropical diseasesJournalOpen accessFirst authorCorresponding1 citation10.1371/journal.pntd.0013760

Breaking the cycle of neglected diseases

2025Nature AfricaJournalSenior author1 citation10.1038/d44148-025-00218-x

Rompre le cycle des maladies négligées

2025Nature AfricaJournalSenior author0 citations10.1038/d44148-025-00217-y

Diversity and composition of gut protist in young rural Zimbabwean children

2024Frontiers in MicrobiomesJournalOpen accessSenior author0 citations10.3389/frmbi.2024.1399160

A new roadmap for neglected tropical diseases

2022Nature AfricaJournalFirst authorCorresponding4 citations10.1038/d44148-022-00125-5

SARS-CoV-2 Serological testing in frontline health workers in Zimbabwe

2021PLoS neglected tropical diseasesJournalOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding28 citations10.1371/journal.pntd.0009254

Determining the burden of fungal infections in Zimbabwe

2021Scientific ReportsJournalOpen accessSenior author23 citations10.1038/s41598-021-92605-1

How it can be read

82% free to read

Diamond 3 · 3%Free to read and to publish
Gold 65 · 59%In an open-access journal
Hybrid 12 · 11%Open in a subscription journal
Bronze 4 · 4%Free to read, no open licence
Green 7 · 6%A copy in a repository
Closed 20 · 18%Behind a paywall

Who funds it

95 of 111 papers name a funder

Wellcome Trust52
National Institute for Health and Care Research37
Medical Research Council25
University of Edinburgh25
National Institutes of Health23
World Health Organization22
Thrasher Research Fund19
Government of the United Kingdom18

Industry, innovation and infrastructure

PLoS neglected tropical diseases3

2011118 citationsWorld top 10%Open access · Gold