Eleni Aklillu is a Professor of Tropical Pharmacology, senior research scientist, and Research Group Leader at the Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden. She holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics from Karolinska Institutet, an M.Sc. in Biochemistry, and a Bachelor of Pharmacy from Addis Ababa University.

Professor Aklillu is a clinical pharmacologist with extensive expertise in pharmacogenomics of infectious diseases in African populations. Over the past 25 years, she has led numerous multinational clinical research initiatives, including randomized clinical trials focused on optimizing the treatment and prevention of major infectious diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases. She has secured several highly competitive research grants and has mentored more than 25 PhD graduates throughout her career.

Currently Professor Aklillu serves as a WHO Temporary Advisor, member of the WHO-TDR Scientific Working Group for Implementation Research and TDR Global. She is a Fellow of both the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh and the African Academy of Sciences. Additionally, she has held leadership roles as vice-chair and member of the Strategic Advisory Committee for the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) and the Swedish Research Council Committee for Development Research.