Sumaya is a Senior Legal Advisor at the SAMRC and the Programme Manager for the DSTI/KfW/SAMRC Support of Development and Production of Vaccines in South Africa programme. She is an admitted Attorney, Conveyancer and Notary Public of the High Court of South Africa and holds an LLB degree (UWC) and a Master’s in Development Policy and Practice (UCT). She has also completed certificates in Global Health (Stellenbosch University) and Project Management (CPUT). Prior to joining the SAMRC in 2016, she served as a State Law Advisor for the Western Cape Government. With over 20 years’ experience across South Africa’s public and private legal sectors, her current focus areas include public sector procurement and ethics in health research. She serves on the SAMRC’s Human Research Ethics Committee and the Ethics Committee for Research on Animals.