Dr. Tendai Mugwagwa is a health economist and infectious disease modeller, currently serving as Director, HTA Value and Evidence at Pfizer Inc. In this role, she develops global strategies to demonstrate the value of new medicines and vaccines, supporting improved patient access across diverse health systems.
Dr. Mugwagwa was a member of the inaugural cohort of graduates from the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in South Africa in 2003. She went on to earn a Master of Science in Applied Mathematics from the University of Cape Town in 2005 and a PhD in Theoretical Immunology from Utrecht University in the Netherlands in 2010. Her doctoral research focused on T-cell dynamics and immune response modelling.
Her career spans academia, government, and the pharmaceutical industry. She began as a high school teacher in Zimbabwe before transitioning to academic research, including modelling Influenza A at the University of Rochester Medical Center (USA) and tuberculosis transmission and control at Imperial College London (UK). At Public Health England, she applied quantitative modelling to inform health policy, with a focus on reaching vulnerable and underserved populations.
A committed member of the AIMS community, Dr. Mugwagwa has remained actively engaged with the network since graduating. She has tutored and supervised students across multiple AIMS centres and co-developed an infectious disease modelling course delivered in South Africa, Tanzania, and Cameroon in collaboration with fellow AIMS alumnae.
Beyond her professional work, she is an advocate for mathematics and science education. She volunteers in initiatives supporting women in STEM, promotes flexible work policies for parents, and mentors young scientists exploring careers across sectors. She also serves as a trustee of the Mathematics Education to Empower Africa charity and regularly engages with youth across the continent, highlighting the critical role of mathematical sciences in shaping effective health policy.