Prof. Dr. Yaovi Mahuton Gildas Hounmanou

Dr. Yaovi M. Gildas Hounmanou is an Associate Professor of Microbial Genomics at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, a Research Group Leader at the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin, and a Research Fellow with the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). Over the past decade, Gildas has worked across Africa, Asia, South America, and Europe at the intersection of genomics, One Health surveillance, and digital health. His work combines genomics, metagenomics, machine learning, and decentralized sequencing to study antimicrobial resistance (AMR), emerging pathogens across human, animal, food, and environmental systems. He is also involved in developing community-centered early warning and response systems for climate-sensitive waterborne diseases in Benin. Gildas has led and leads competitive research funding from organizations including the European Commission (JPIAMR), IDRC Canada, DANIDA, ESCMID, IFS Sweden, and the NIH-Gates Foundation partnership with the African Academy of Sciences (AAS). Alongside his research activities, he contributes to strengthening genomics and bioinformatics capacity in Africa through training programs and infrastructure development through his non-profit organization “CHANGE NGO”. He has authored and co-authored more than 80 peer-reviewed scientific publications and serves as a reviewer and editorial contributor for several international journals, including Nature Communications, The Lancet, Microbial Genomics, BMC Genomics, and Applied and Environmental Microbiology. His recognitions include the ESCMID “30 under 30” Award and selection as a United Nations Global Talent for Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG3).