Sandra Nanyonga

Sandra Nanyonga is the Mo Ibrahim Foundation Academy Fellow in the Global Health Programme at Chatham House. Her research focuses on how African countries can develop governance systems that protect biological resources, support health security and advance research sovereignty. 

Sandra is founder and executive director of the Pan-African Biobanking Network (PABNet), where she leads continental efforts to advance biobanking governance and research infrastructure across Africa. She oversees development of governance frameworks, quality management standards, and institutional coordination mechanisms that strengthen research capacity and ensure community engagement in biobanking. 

Her work spans biospecimen management, research ethics, and governance in resource constrained settings. She is an ISBER Ambassador for the EMEA region and has published on African biobanking capacity and governance. 

Sandra holds an MSc in Biobanks and Complex Data Management from Université Côte d’Azur and a BSc in Biotechnology from Makerere University.