Biography

Prof Linda-Gail Bekker (MBChB, DTMH, DCH, FCP (SA), PhD) is the Director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre at the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, UCT and Chief Executive Officer of the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation. Prof Bekker is a physician, scientist and infectious disease specialist. Her research interests include programmatic and action research around antiretroviral roll out and TB integration, prevention of HIV in women, youth and MSM. She is PI of the NIH (USA) funded UCTCTU and remains actively involved in the work of the four associated clinical research sites and four DAIDS networks. She has led numerous investigator driven studies in HIV treatment, prevention and tuberculosis. Bekker serves on numerous international scientific and advisory committees and served as President-Elect (2014- 2016) and then President (2016-2018) of the International AIDS Society. She is a A+ rated scientist, has published >600 peer-reviewed papers.