Tapela currently heads Botswana’s national non-communicable diseases (NCD) program within the Ministry of Health. In this capacity she has led the finalization of Botswana’s first national primary health care guidelines, including strengthening the primary care platform, integrating standardized high-impact NCD interventions, and leading the shift towards community-based healthcare delivery. She also serves as the principal investigator for several NIH-funded research projects; most recently, a planning grant to establish a center for NCD research excellence in Southern Africa.