Anna-Ursula Happel

Anna-Ursula Happel is a translational scientist with experience in clinical and laboratory sciences, who is currently the Senior Research Officer in the Division of Immunology and Associate Member of the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine at the University of Cape Town.

Anna-Ursula leads multiple research projects focused on improving mucosal health of women, and the intersection of reproductive health, mucosal microbiota and infant immunity, with close collaborations within South Africa, Kenya and the United States.

Her long-term career vision is to actively contribute to the development of locally implementable intervention strategies and policies to improve maternal and child health in Southern Africa and beyond. She is passionate about creating enabling environments and mentoring the next generation of African scientists.