London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Current work

For the past year, Melvin Sanicas has served as the International Medical Director at Exact Sciences, focusing on cancer diagnostics for all types of cancer. Prior to this, he spent 15 years of his career working on vaccines for infectious diseases.

Dr Sanicas has made significant contributions to global health, from combating COVID-19 to developing vaccines for influenza, dengue, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases.

He says, ‘It was really my work on infectious diseases and immunology that got me this award, especially my work in terms of creating a global network of experts focusing on tuberculosis and also a similar one in Asia-Pacific for influenza.’

In addition to his work in labs and clinical trials, he advocates for evidence-based public health policymaking, simplifying complex science into actionable strategies. Notably, while at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, he led the launch of the Collaboration for Tuberculosis Vaccine Discovery (CTVD), a global network driving innovation in vaccine research.

Melvin’s journey to LSHTM

When asked what inspired him to become a medical doctor in the first place, he spoke thoughtfully and realised it was due to his mother. ‘She always wanted to become a doctor, but due to financial issues she couldn’t pursue this. Although she never put any pressure on me, subconsciously I wanted to pursue it for her. So, she could still live her dream in a way, through me.’

Melvin’s journey to LSHTM was driven by his growing fascination with infectious diseases and how they spread—but also, as you might have guessed, by the influence of other alumni!

‘I was working in Singapore at the Health Sciences Authority, and my managers were LSHTM alumni. Their depth of knowledge and expertise in the field was so inspiring, I knew I wanted to follow in their footsteps,’ Melvin shares.

He reflects further: ‘Looking back 18 years ago, it was alumni who inspired me and changed the trajectory of my career. Now, I want to do the same for the young students studying here or those planning to join LSHTM.’

Paying it forward

As a mentor and advocate for young scientists, Dr. Sanicas has dedicated significant time to nurturing the next generation of healthcare leaders. Through lectures, mentorship programs, and public speaking engagements, he has inspired countless students and professionals to pursue careers in science, medicine, and public health. As an alumnus, Melvin has volunteered with LSHTM since 2020 and was a MentorMe mentor and a Pentacell Alumni Ambassador in the past year.

The benefits as a mentor are always understated. It’s not only about giving back, but it’s also about building skills. He says:

"I would encourage fellow alumni to become a mentor because you will gain leadership skills, fresh perspectives, personal growth and satisfaction from helping others. Mentoring is a mutually beneficial experience that contributes to personal growth and community development."