Professor Kenneth Ngure of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) has been elected President of the International AIDS Society (IAS), becoming the first Kenyan to lead the global organisation that shapes HIV research, prevention and treatment policy.
The appointment places Kenya at the centre of global HIV discussions, with Ngure expected to help steer international strategies on HIV prevention, treatment, research innovation and healthcare delivery.
An Associate Professor of Global Health at JKUAT's School of Public Health, Ngure is a globally recognised HIV prevention scientist with nearly three decades of experience in biomedical research, implementation science and public health leadership.
Academic Journey and Research Career
Ngure began his academic journey at Kenyatta University, where he earned a Bachelor of Education (Science) degree before pursuing a Master of Public Health at the University of Nairobi.
He later obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Science, Technology and Innovation, followed by a Master of Science and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), strengthening his expertise in global health and HIV research.
Currently serving as an Associate Professor at JKUAT, where he previously served as Dean of the School of Public Health, Ngure is also an Affiliate Professor in the Department of Global Health at the University of Washington.
His research has focused on HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment and service delivery across eastern, central, southern and western Africa.
Ngure was a site investigator in the landmark Partners PrEP Study, which demonstrated the effectiveness of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in preventing HIV transmission among couples.
He later contributed to the Partners PrEP Demonstration Project and the Partners Scale-Up Project, which explored expanding HIV prevention services to larger populations.
He has also led research into HIV self-testing as a strategy to improve access to PrEP services among Kenyan men and women.
Global Leadership and Scientific Contributions
Before his election to the IAS presidency, Ngure served in several international scientific leadership roles.
He sits on the Expert Committee on Clinical Trials of Kenya's Pharmacy and Poisons Board and is a member of the Behavioural Research Group of the International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials Network (IMPAACT).
He also co-chairs the Implementation Science Working Group of the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN), which develops evidence-based HIV prevention strategies globally.
Within Kenya, he has supported the Ministry of Health through its PrEP Technical Working Group and was recently appointed to the World Health Organization Technical Advisory Group on Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).
Ngure has authored more than 250 peer-reviewed scientific publications and supervised 49 postgraduate students.
Among his notable achievements is co-chairing MTN-034, a multinational clinical study evaluating HIV prevention options for adolescent girls and young women in Africa.
His contributions have earned him international recognition, including the Senior Researcher Award at the 2023 International Conference on HIV Treatment, Prevention and Adherence and election as a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences in 2024.
