Kenya Biovax Institute Appoints Dr Michael Lusiola As CEO

Dr Michael Lusiola has been appointed as the CEO/Director-General of Kenya BioVax Institute (KBI) effective June 2022. He takes over from Dr Rabera Kenyanya who has been the Acting CEO/DG since December 2021.

Dr Lusiola is an experienced, senior healthcare executive and pharmaceuticals business leader. He is a pharmaceutical research and development business executive with over 20 years of experience in a multinational setting.

He brings to BioVax a wealth of extraordinary medical-scientific knowledge and expertise as a dynamic and respected leader, having most recently worked as a VP in global clinical development (immunotherapies) at AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, UK and USA.

Dr Luisola’s broad clinical experience and scientific achievements during his tenure at the UK National Health Service (NHS) in senior management and leadership positions over several years are testament to his capability to steer the organization and deliver its mandate in this complex healthcare environment.

“We are confident that, after a competitive recruitment process, we have found in Dr Lusiola, a healthcare and business leader who will head the organization with distinction, scientific innovation, commercial business acumen and integrity. Meanwhile,  we are truly grateful for the exemplary work done by Dr Rabera during her role in an acting capacity,”,” said Mugo Kibati, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Kenya BioVax Institute.

Dr Lusiola’s appointment comes at a time when The BioVax Institute is undergoing inception, with the primary mandate to manufacture and commercialize specialized human health products and technologies (HPTs), including vaccines, gene therapies and assistive medical and diagnostic devices.

He attained his graduate and post-graduate academic qualifications from Harvard USA (post-graduate, global public health), Reading UK (post-graduate, business management and administration), Liverpool and Aston UK (post-graduate, evidence-based medicine) and Nairobi Kenya (graduate, pharmacy).

Dr. Lusiola has memberships at the Institute of Clinical Research (MICR) UK, the Royal Society of Medicine (MRSM) UK, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (MRPS) UK, and the International Society for Vaccines.