Dr. Phyllis Kanki is a Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health. Her research is focused on the virology, pathogenesis and molecular epidemiology of HIV in Africa.

Dr. Kanki's long term research collaborations in Senegal for over 24 years, provided the initial characterization of HIV-2 and demonstrated reduced virulence, transmission, and progression to disease and interactions with HIV-1 subtypes from West Africa. In 2000, with a $25 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, she created and directed the AIDS Prevention Initiative in Nigeria (APIN). This provided the collaborative foundation for the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) providing prevention, care, and HIV antiretroviral therapy in Nigeria, Botswana, and Tanzania beginning in 2004.  In addition to the capacity building for clinical, laboratory, and research capabilities, the program has provided treatment to over 150,000 AIDS patients to date. The PEPFAR program in Nigeria has developed an extensive electronic medical record system that provides real time access to over 90,000 patients on antiretroviral treatment.  The PEPFAR program's operational research deals with HIV diversity, drug resistance, ART adherence, and HIV co-infections including tuberculosis and hepatitis.

In 2002 she received the Distinguished Research Alumnus Award from the University Of Minnesota College Of Veterinary Medicine. In 2008 Dr. Kanki received an honorary doctorate of science, and the Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Development of Public Health in Africa from the University of Ibadan. Dr. Kanki is also a member of the Institute of Medicine, National Academies of Sciences.  In 2010, the University of Ibadan, Nigeria received a Medical Education Partnership award from the Fogarty International Center and Professor Kanki led the Harvard component of this consortium effort. She is a visiting Professor at Northwestern University School of Medicine, University of Ibadan and the University of Jos, Nigeria.  

Dr. Kanki has over 200 publications to her name including studies that evaluate the HIV prevention, treatment and care programs, drug resistance in HIV and tuberculosis, the impact of various HIV co-morbidities, and evaluation of novel HIV point of care technologies.  She holds an S.D. (1985) at the Harvard School of Public Health and a D.V.M. (1982) from the University Of Minnesota School Of Veterinary Medicine.