Neil French is Professor of Infectious Diseases and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Head of Department Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Honorary Consultant Infectious Diseases, Liverpool University Hospitals foundation trust and Director of the Wellcome funded Clinical PhD programme for Health Priorities in the Global South. He is a clinical epidemiologist and vaccinologist. He manages a multidisciplinary team of investigators spread across Liverpool and Malawi. He is best known internationally for work on pneumococcal disease in HIV infected African adults. He is a senior researcher at the Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Programme and continues to work on the topic of pneumococcal disease control as well as other vaccine interests including rotavirus, typhoid and Group B streptococcus. In the UK, he is currently taking a zika vaccine developed in Liverpool through phase 1 trials and is CI of a national UK study to diagnose and manage sepsis more effectively in the NHS (PRONTO). As well as academic activities Prof French is an active adult infectious disease physician, serves on the UK Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisation pneumococcal sub group and is a member of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency expert working group for COVID-19 vaccines.