Dr. Tapela is an internal medicine physician, epidemiologist and healthcare innovator who is currently Chief Scientific Officer and VP (Outcomes Research) at the international non-profit, ICHOM. She has been a research associate at BHP since 2015. Her research specializes in understanding the determinants and patient-centered outcomes of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and designing innovative equity-driven interventions addressing these conditions in resource-limited settings. Dr Tapela has over a decade’s experience leading research in the sub-Saharan African region, including co-leading the Potlako+ study: a cluster-randomized trial evaluating a multicomponent intervention for early diagnosis of cancer. Her research and consultancy work are informed by experience in health policy, NCD strategic planning and program evaluation (she is former Head of Botswana’s National NCDs Program). Dr Tapela holds an MD and MPH from Harvard University; she is Associate Physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Division of Global Health Equity) and Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford (Nuffield Department of Population Health).