Glenda Gray, MBBCH, FCPaed (SA), DSc (honoris causa), is the President & CEO of the South African Medical Research Council. She is a Research Professor of Paediatrics at the University of the Witwatersrand, and a director at the Perinatal HIV Research Unit. Based in South Africa, she is the Co-PI of the HVTN and Director of HVTN Africa Programs. She is a member of the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division at the Fred Hutch. She has expertise in the field of mother to child transmission of HIV, adolescent HIV prevention and treatment, and HIV vaccine and microbicide research. She received the Femina “Woman of the Nineties” Award, for her contribution to Perinatal HIV Research.

In 2002, together with James McIntyre, she was awarded the Nelson Mandela Health and Human Rights Award for pioneering work done in the field of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV-1. Glenda was awarded the IAPAC “Hero of Medicine” award for work done in the field of HIV treatment in children and adults. In 2009, together with James McIntyre she received the N’Galy-Mann lectureship at CROI in recognition of their HIV research contribution in South Africa. She is a member of the Academy of Science in South Africa, as a foreign associate into the U.S. Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and a member of the African Academy of Science. She is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology. In 2013, she received the Order of Mapungubwe, South Africa’s highest honor, for achievements in the international arena, which has served South Africa’s interests. In the same year, she received the EDTCP outstanding African Scientist award. She holds two honorary doctorates in recognition of her work in HIV in South Africa. She is the Protocol Chair for two phase 2B HIV vaccine trials being conducted in Southern Africa. She serves on the South African National Research Foundation Board and is a member of their R&D sub-committee of the Board. She is a Board member of GARPD, an entity focusing on antimicrobial resistance. She also serves on international task teams for TB research as well as scientific advisory committees for HIV research such as CHAVI.