Challenges of International Coordination of Vaccine Trials During an Outbreak
Since 2002, Dr. Henao-Restrepo has been a medical officer at the Initiative for Vaccine Research (IVR), Department of Immunization Vaccines and Biologicals at the World Health Organization (WHO).
In August 2014, Dr. Henao-Restrepo was temporarily assigned to the Ebola Research and Development team. She coordinates the Ring vaccination trial in Guinea and Sierra Leone.
Dr. Henao-Restrepo is currently the Team Leader for implementation research at IVR. Among other issues, Dr. Henao-Restrepo is responsible for a project to review the evidence and inform the development of adjusted policy recommendations for vaccines currently in use in the immunization programme. She also led a project to develop and assess a measles aerosol vaccine.
Dr. Henao Restrepo has also contributed to the Expanded Programme of Immunization and served as the WHO global focal point for the measles and rubella control efforts between 1999 and 2002.
Prior to arriving in WHO Geneva in 1997, Dr. Henao- Restrepo completed a peripatic 10-year career in international health with WHO with assignments in the WHO South East Asia Regional Office, Eastern Africa, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Colombia where she worked in the implementation and evaluation of strategies to eradicate poliomyelitis and, eliminate measles and maternal and neonatal tetanus.
Dr. Henao-Restrepo was born and raised in Colombia, South America. After obtaining her Degree and Medical Doctor and Surgeon from the University of El Rosario in Bogota, Colombia, she received a master’s degree in communicable disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.