Our organisation

Epicentre has a board consisting of 10 members: four from MSF-Operational Center France, one from MSF WaCA (West and Central Africa), one from MSF-Operational Center Switzerland and four with other relevant experience including the President of the board. 

It meets at least twice a year. The board approves the Epicentre budget.

President

• Maryline BONNET - Epidemiological doctor

Vice-President 

• Fred EBOKO - Director of Research - IRD, Political Scientist and Sociologist

Treasurer

• Kone Louis PENALI - Medical doctor

Members

• Isabelle DEFOURNY * - Medical doctor and President of MSF France
• Jean-François CORTY * - Medical doctor
• Estrella LASRY * - Medical doctor
• Lynda WOI-MESSE * - Medical doctor
• Philippe SUDRE ** - Medical doctor
• Balki HAROUNA *** - Nurse
• Mehul DHORDA - Biologist Researcher

*Representing MSF France Board
**Representing MSF Switzerland Board
*** Representing MSF WaCA Board

Epicentre's executive management is composed of the Executive Director, Emmanuel Baron, the Director of the Research Department, Rebecca Grais, and the Director of the Epidemiology Intervention and Training Department, Klaudia Porten. The research activities are based either in Paris (France), Maradi (Niger), Mbarara (Uganda); or decentralized in for example Brussels, Geneva, London, New York, Cape Town, Dakar, Dubaï et Yaoundé. Staff can also be based at field locations where there are longer-term projects.

As part of the MSF movement, Epicentre is mostly (about 2/3) funded through MSF’s public fundraising.

Epicentre also collaborates and leads projects aligned with Epicentre’s mission from other sources of funding. Those other funders include the Agence nationale de recherche contre le sida et les hépatites, Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, the Elsevier Foundation, Wellcome Trust, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership , the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Mott Mac Donald, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, the World Health Organization, and UnitAid, Wellcome Trust. 

For the past couple of years Epicentre has an annual budget of over 16 million Euros.

The success of Epicentre's projects depends on the diversity of professionals with complementary skills. As new challenges arise, we evolve by integrating new profiles. This diversity of talent is a reality in every country where we operate.

It is also reflected in the representation of women and men within Epicentre, which is committed to gender diversity and continues to pursue a policy of professional equality.

Epicentre obtained a score of 93 points out of 100 on the French Equality F/H index in 2021 for its staff under French contract.

For more information

This index evaluates the professional equality between women and men within companies in the form of an overall score out of 100 points, which each company calculates on the basis of the following 4 indicators

• Pay gap between women and men: 38 points obtained/40
• Gap in the proportion of women and men who have had a salary increase: 35 points obtained/35
• Pay rises on returning from maternity leave: 15 points obtained/15
• Number of employees of the underrepresented gender among the top 10 highest earners: 5 points obtained/10 (overrepresentation of women)

Below the 75-point threshold, the company must define and implement corrective measures within three years.