Dr. John Nkengasong

Dr. John N. Nkengasong brings an extensive background in impactful global leadership to his role as Executive Director, Higher Education, Collaboratives, and Strategic Initiatives at the Mastercard Foundation. From June 2022, he served as the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and in August 2023, he became the Senior Bureau Official for Global Health Security and Diplomacy (GHSD) at the U.S. Department of State. In these roles, he led efforts to strengthen global health security and promote international cooperation to address health threats, including the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

We previously partnered with Dr. Nkengasong during his tenure as the first Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in Ethiopia where he played a key role in Africa's COVID-19 response, securing 400 million vaccine doses for the continent. He also held leadership roles at the U.S. CDC, focusing on global HIV and tuberculosis programs.

A virologist with over 30 years of experience, Dr. Nkengasong has served on multiple influential boards, including the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation. He received his BSc from the Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé, Cameroon; his MSc from the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium; and his PhD from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Brussels, Belgium. He also received a Diploma in Leadership and Management from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Dr. Nkengasong has received numerous accolades, including recognition as one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, the Virchow Prize for Global Health, and the African of the Year Award. He has published over 250 peer-reviewed works and continues to advance global health through research and leadership.