Celebrating 1,000 VALIDATE Members
VALIDATE is a global vaccine research network connecting researchers around the world who focus on three pathogen groups - Mycobacteria (including tuberculosis, leprosy and buruli ulcer), leishmaniasis, and melioidosis. By supporting collaboration, funding early-career researchers, and strengthening capacity in endemic countries, VALIDATE helps accelerate the development of vaccines for diseases that are too often overlooked.
Reaching 1,000 members marks a major milestone for our growing international community, now spanning 79 countries. This page celebrates the people behind VALIDATE - our shared achievements, key moments in the network's journey, and the collective impact of a global effort to improve health through vaccines.
The Road to 1,000 Members - A Timeline of VALIDATE
Welcoming Our 1,000th Member - Jéssica Brandão Dos Santos
We're delighted to introduce Jéssica Brandão Dos Santos, the official 1,000th member of the VALIDATE Network - a milestone that reflects the continued growth of our global community working on vaccines and neglected infectious diseases.
Jéssica Brandão Dos Santos is a biomedical scientist at Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Brazil, specialising in immunology, infectious diseases, and leprosy. She works as a Laboratory Analyst on a Phase 1B/2A clinical trial evaluating the LepVax vaccine, and is also a Postdoctoral Researcher in Tropical Medicine at Fiocruz, where her research focuses on neutrophil immune responses in leprosy and inflammatory reactional states. Her work bridges basic immunology with clinical and translational research, contributing to efforts to improve understanding, prevention, and treatment of leprosy.
We asked Jéssica a few questions about her journey, her research, and what it means to be VALIDATE's 1,000th member.
When did you first come across VALIDATE, and what made you decide to join?
"I first came across VALIDATE through a recommendation from my postdoctoral supervisor. She spoke very positively about the network, and I was particularly drawn to its strong focus on neglected diseases such as leprosy, which has been the central focus of my research since my early steps in science. For this reason, joining VALIDATE felt like a natural and meaningful step for me."
What do you research?
"My research is about the immune response of neutrophils to infection by Mycobacterium leprae."
Looking ahead, how do you hope VALIDATE will support you, your research, or your career?
"Looking ahead, I see VALIDATE as an important opportunity to connect with researchers in my field worldwide and to develop meaningful scientific collaborations that can strengthen my research and career. I am particularly motivated by the possibility of contributing to a global scientific effort focused on vaccine development and the elimination of leprosy, as well as other neglected diseases addressed by VALIDATE."
Finally, how does it feel to have accidentally become the 1,000th VALIDATE member?
"I was genuinely surprised - I don't think anyone expects to become a milestone like that! At the same time, I felt very happy to see how significantly VALIDATE has grown, and I hope the network continues to expand even further in the coming year."
Infographics Celebrating VALIDATE's Achievements
These have been shared across our Twitter/X and LinkedIn channels - you can download them below and we'd love you to help spread the word by sharing with your networks.
Click each image below to load the inforgraphic, or right click and select "save image as".
VALID8 - 1,000th Member Special
VALID8 is our quick-fire interview series, where we ask members eight short questions to learn more about their research, their impact, and what drives their work. To mark VALIDATE reaching 1,000 members, this special edition flips the script - asking members how VALIDATE has shaped their careers, and what advice they would share with our 1,000th member.
