Prof. Thumbi Ndung'u, PhD

Thumbi Ndung’u is the Director for Basic and Translational Science at the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI); the Programme Director for the Sub-Saharan African Network for TB/HIV Research Excellence (SANTHE); Professor of Infectious Diseases at University College London; Scientific Director of the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s HIV Pathogenesis Programme; and Associate Member of the Ragon Institute. He has a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Nairobi, completed a PhD in Biological Sciences in Public Health from Harvard University, and performed post-doctoral research in Virology at Harvard Medical School. He is a recipient of the South African Medical Research Council Gold award for scientific contributions that have impacted on the health of people and is a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa and an African Academy of Sciences Fellow. His research focuses on understanding how the immune system may be harnessed for HIV prophylactic or therapeutic strategies.