Seven creators from around the world will partner with TB Alliance to connect new audiences with the people and science working to end the world’s deadliest infectious disease
NEW YORK (October 7, 2026)—TB Alliance today announced seven content creators selected for its inaugural Creator Collective, a new initiative bringing the stories and science of tuberculosis (TB) to new audiences around the world. This November, the creators will join TB Alliance at the Union World Conference on Lung Health in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Through their distinct voices and perspectives, they will create engaging content to help bring TB into conversations far beyond the conference halls.
TB remains the world’s deadliest infectious disease, claiming more than one million lives each year.
Although it is present in every country, TB receives limited public attention, particularly in high-income countries. The Collective brings together voices from high-burden countries, including India, Indonesia, and South Africa, and high-income countries, including the United States and Canada, to help close this awareness gap. Through stories connecting scientific advances with the lives of people affected by TB, its members will bring the disease and the research to eradicate it to audiences who rarely encounter either in their daily feeds.
“Scientific progress must translate into better lives for people with TB. Building much greater public awareness and understanding of the disease and support for the work to overcome it is a critical part of that effort,” said Mel Spigelman, MD, President and CEO of TB Alliance. “The stories and science of TB are both incredibly important and interesting, but we often fail to relay them in ways that capture the attention of the public. These creators specialize in making people curious and interested by turning complex ideas into content that resonates. By connecting creators with the people working on the front lines of TB, we hope to inspire more people to join the movement to end it.”
The Collective brings together creators from Brazil, Indonesia, India, South Africa, Canada and the United States with backgrounds ranging from infectious disease research to nursing, and content ranging from scientific explainers to travel and lifestyle. That breadth is central to the program’s ambition: to reach people through voices they already follow and trust.
In Rio, members of the Collective will explore TB research and connect with scientists, TB survivors, and advocates. They will also share their expertise through a panel and workshop on digital storytelling and science communication. Beyond the conference, TB Alliance is coordinating a local TB clinic visit through CEDAPS (Centro de Promoção da Saúde), a Brazilian organization focused on community participation, health promotion, and access to care. The visit will give creators a firsthand look at TB treatment in Rio and how the disease directly impacts people and communities.
Meet the Inaugural Creator Collective
The seven members for the 2026 Creator Collective are:
- Arthur Menezes (@hey.arthur.nyc) – A Brazilian-American creator and infectious disease researcher based in New York City. Dr. Menezes holds a PhD from Princeton University and his content spans lifestyle, travel, entertainment, and personal experiences, bringing an unexpected perspective to science storytelling.
- Cambria Nwosu (@cjnlegalnurse) – A registered nurse, legal nurse consultant, and health communicator in the United States. Dr. Nwosu makes complex health, science, and policy issues understandable and actionable, helping audiences navigate the systems and decisions shaping their care.
- Danielle Spice (@sciencewithspice) – A scientist and science communicator in Canada, Dr. Spice develops cell therapies in biotech and shares her enthusiasm for genetic engineering and human stem cells online. She makes science approachable by encouraging everyone’s curiosity.
- Fahira Novanra (@tuberculosis.tv) – An Indonesian health communications professional and Director of Tuberculosis TV, Novanra creates engaging TB education content to raise awareness, challenge stigma and discrimination, and encourage community participation.
- Nicholas Jackson (@nick.immunologist) – An immunology researcher and science communicator in the United States, Dr. Jackson shares evidence-based science in an accessible way and advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM, encouraging more people to pursue scientific careers.
- Rashmi Rai (@rashmiraiofficial) – An Indian creator with a decade of experience, Rai connects with audiences through health, fitness, and parenting content. Her work also addresses issues including HPV vaccination and HIV/AIDS, bringing health conversations into everyday life.
- Zakithi Mkhize (@blackgirl.scientist) – A biomedical scientist, medical writer, and founder of Black Girl Scientist Media in South Africa, Dr. Mkhize combines scientific rigor with digital storytelling to make credible health information accessible and support young people, especially Black girls, on their STEM journeys.
Follow the Collective as its members bring their perspectives to Rio and share what they learn with audiences around the world. Learn more at tballiance.org/creators.
About TB Alliance
TB Alliance is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to finding faster-acting and affordable drug regimens to fight TB. Through innovative science and with partners around the globe, we aim to ensure equitable access to faster, better TB cures that will advance global health and prosperity. TB Alliance operates with support from Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (United Kingdom), Gates Foundation, Germany’s Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) through KfW, Global Disease Eradication Fund (South Korea), Global Health Innovative Technology Fund, Korea International Cooperation Agency, MedAccess, Raoul Follerau Foundation, South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, United States Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), United States Department of State, United States National Institutes for Health – National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), and United States National Institutes for Health – National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). For more information, please visit: www.tballiance.org.
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