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UK Ambassador to Brazil explores tropical diseases and health research at UCL

13 February 2026

His Majesty’s Ambassador to Brazil, Stephanie Al-Qaq, visited UCL in London in late January to discuss research on neglected tropical diseases and other health priorities, and to explore opportunities to strengthen collaboration with Brazilian institutions.

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Ambassador Al-Qaq met Professor Geraint Rees, UCL Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation & Global Engagement), alongside Professor John Hurst, Pro Vice Provost (International Health) and Vice-Dean (International), Faculty of Medical Sciences, and colleagues from across UCL. The visit also included representatives from the UK Science and Technology Network at the British Embassy in Brasília.  

Discussions highlighted UCL’s strengths in areas of shared relevance to the UK and Brazil, with a particular focus on neglected tropical diseases. UCL academics delivered a series of presentations, offering a multidimensional view on dengue research across digital surveillance, eco-epidemiology and health-system preparedness. The session also highlighted the UK’s growing relevance to dengue, advances in vaccine science, and how the built environment influences mosquito exposure and broader health outcomes. The group continued the conversation during a tour of UCL Respiratory facilities in the Rayne Building, hosted by Professors Rachel Chambers and Jeremy Brown. Professor Hurst is a respiratory specialist and is funded by the UK NIHR to study chronic lung diseases in Brazil, in partnership with the Federal University of São Carlos. 

The meeting also reflected the scale of existing UCL links with Brazil. Between 2020 and 2024, UCL and Brazilian institutions co-authored 2,371 publications, with Brazil ranking 16th among UCL’s global research collaborators in that time. Activity is particularly concentrated in health fields, including clinical neurology and neurosciences, and UCL’s top co-publishing partners in Brazil include Universidade de São Paulo.  

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Professor Rees said the visit underlined the value of sustained research partnerships that connect excellent science with real-world needs: UCL was keen to build on strong researcher-to-researcher links with Brazilian partners, and is excited to work with the Embassy and the Science and Technology Network to help open new pathways for collaboration in health, climate and wider areas of shared priority. 

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