Simon Gottwalt studied Molecular Biotechnology with a concentration in drug research in Heidelberg and Santiago de Compostela. He gained professional experience in the health sector of the GIZ, by initiating a fundraising and awareness campaign for an Indian NGO and by engaging in disaster-relief efforts in Peru. During his year as Mercator Fellow, Simon will explore the access barriers to already existing medicines as well as possibilities to foster the development of new drugs that act against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).