Professor Francisca Mutapi is a pioneering researcher working on neglected tropical diseases who advocates for locally-led solutions to eliminate these diseases and enable affected communities to thrive and achieve the global development goals. In addition, she is a practising visual artist who has been painting and exhibiting works for over 30 years in Africa and the UK. Showings have included group and solo exhibitions, for example in the National Gallery of Zimbabwe. Commissions have been undertaken for clients in Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone and the UK and artwork has been used for posters, corporate calendars and book covers. She calls Europe and Africa home and the subjects of her artwork come from these two continents. Africa inspires vibrant colours while Europe gives exciting light patterns in her paintings. She is particularly interested in pattern and form in nature and expressed these in figurative, naive and abstract approaches. She is also a nonfiction author whose work looks at themes of belonging, cultural inheritance and hybridity, and the value of heritage. She is represented by Kate Nash Literary Agency in Scotland.