Espoir Bwenge Malembaka is an infectious disease epidemiologist and in-country lead for projects on cholera and mpox in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He previously worked as a physician in the pediatric department at the Bukavu Provincial General Referral Hospital and contributed to field epidemiological studies in conflict and post-conflict settings at the Université Catholique de Bukavu (UCB). At Johns Hopkins University, he leads projects in DRC after four years as a post-doctoral fellow. His work focuses on strengthening surveillance systems in resource-limited settings and advancing vaccinology, with a particular emphasis on waterborne and poverty-associated infectious diseases.