Prof Sheila Makiala is head of the Department of Clinical Virology at the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). She is currently involved in several research projects bringing together both local and international research institutions. Her research interests include epidemiology of emerging diseases, tropical infectious diseases and zoonosis control. She undertook residency in medical microbiology and graduate studies in tropical infectious disease. Through these additional trainings, she gained advanced knowledge and skills in human medical microbiology, including laboratory diagnosis of infectious agents (bacteria, viruses, fungi) and drugs susceptibility testing. The acquired specialized knowledge and skills were then applied in the field through work experience in laboratory and outbreak management in developing countries (DRC and Gabon). After finishing her PhD, she applied for a postdoctoral fellowship at Hokkaido University, Japan, under a program aimed at fostering global leaders in zoonosis control to build resilience against threats from emerging diseases. This postdoctoral fellowship has greatly contributed to enhancing her understanding of infectious diseases while applying the ‘One Health Approach’ for comprehensive and sustainable management of emerging infectious diseases.