Professor Anete Trajman is a Full Professor of Internal Medicine at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and a leading expert in tuberculosis prevention and care. Her research focuses on improving the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of tuberculosis (TB), particularly latent TB infection and the cascade of care for people exposed to the disease.
Anete has led influential international studies that helped inform global TB treatment guidelines and, more recently, spearheaded the ExpandTPT implementation project, demonstrating that TB preventive treatment can be successfully scaled up in high-burden settings in Brazil.
Alongside her academic work, Anete contributes to national TB policy through the Brazilian TB Research Network and serves on the advisory board of Brazil’s National TB Programme. She is the Local Chair of the Union World Conference on Lung Health 2026, which will take place in Rio de Janeiro in November.
Having attended the Union Conference for many years, and your deep involvement with the various aspects of The Union (e.g., TB section, scientific programme), what does it mean to you to welcome the conference to your home country of Brazil, as Local Chair?
It is an honour and a privilege to have my country host this event in Rio de Janeiro, my beautiful city. Attendants will have the opportunity to learn more about the newest aspects of TB diagnosis, management and follow-up, from the perspective of the most prestigious scientists worldwide, but also from the civil society point of view.
We expect a massive participation of activists and representatives of users of one of the largest public health systems in the world, and we can learn a lot from them. Brazil has experience in the collaboration of scientists, policy makers, stakeholders and civil society, and it will be enlightening to share how we have built it, our challenges and our successes.
Conference Scientific Committee members of the Brazilian TB Research Network, including myself, are working to ensure that the conference programme reflects the needs of high-burden TB countries. We are also excited to discuss – in the country with the largest source of oxygen on Earth, the Amazon forest – the impacts of environmental changes on lung health.
The International Women's Day 2026 theme 'Give to Gain' is encouraging a mindset of generosity and collaboration.
How has the support of others influenced your career?
I have been lucky to meet the major experts in public health and TB prevention. Besides sharing their expertise, they understood the value of working in high TB settings, and of raising research questions related to these settings. They were also willing to embrace researchers and students from these countries. I cannot name them all, but I thank each one of them. I must express my special gratitude to Dr Dick Menzies, from McGill University, Montreal, who believed in me throughout my career. Since 2010, I have been a visiting professor at this prestigious institution.
How are you giving to the next generation of public health experts?
At my University in Rio, I still teach junior medical students the art and craft of physician-patient interaction, even in the era of AI. I also supervise undergraduate students in early-stage scientific activities, highlighting the need for methodological and ethical rigour in research. I teach scientific communication, focusing on clear questions and messages. I have supervised over 150 undergraduate and graduate students. I try to have them as true collaborators, understanding that we all have knowledge and experience to share. Whenever possible, I encourage and support them presenting their work in conferences and writing manuscripts.
What advice would you give women who are at the beginning of their career in medicine/research?
Women are Nature's quintessence of "give to gain". We still have to face prejudice and fight for recognition in many contexts. I advise resilience and persistence; we have many qualities that enhance and elevate health research and medical practice, including generosity, organisation, multitasking and care.
To young mothers, I say: keep calm, babies won't be babies for long, enjoy them while you can. Maternity is our greatest gift and responsibility in life – women deserve it! It is time-consuming and energy-depleting, but there will be time for everything. Keep going!
I am the mother of two and the grandmother of two. I enjoy every single moment I can with my family, and still have time to produce.