Claude Pirmez is a physician and scientist, currently managing the Grand Challenges Brazil program, a joint initiative between the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Trained as a pathologist, she joined the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) in 1986, where she developed her career as a researcher in the field of immunopathology of infectious diseases. As deputy director of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute and afterwards as vice-president of Research of FIOCRUZ, she oversaw Fiocruz’ strategies in health research and led research programs addressing public health priorities. She was Editor-in-chief of the Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, a centenary biomedical scientific journal. She is also coordinating an innovative research program focused in Covid-19, as an effort to present solutions through research projects that can help the implementation of strategic actions in health care as well as the reduction of important social inequalities.