Kelika A Konda

Kelika A Konda is a Clinical Associate Professor (Part-Time) of Population and Public Health Sciences at the University of Southern California, maintaining a research presence in Lima, Peru since 2004. She also serves as an Associated Researcher at Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, collaborating with the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Sexuality, Society, and AIDS on HIV prevention clinical trials targeting gender and sexual minorities.

Her academic foundation includes a Master’s in Social and Behavioral Interventions (2005) and PhD in Infectious Disease Epidemiology (2010), both from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, preceded by Peace Corps service in the Dominican Republic. She completed post-doctoral training in Global Health at UCLA and secured an NIMH-funded K01 award for HIV prevention research with gay couples in Peru.

Dr. Konda’s research focuses on reducing HIV burden among sexual and gender minorities through interventions addressing social and economic instability, advancing understanding of transmission dynamics and prevention strategies. With over 100 peer-reviewed publications, she actively contributes to the HVTN and ACTG Social and Behavioral Working Groups, shaping HIV clinical trial frameworks.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2024-2025) reveals dominant themes in PrEP implementation science, syphilis vaccine development, and digital health interventions. Key trends include migration impacts on transgender women’s HIV vulnerability, peer navigation for care linkage, and socioeconomic barriers to healthcare across Latin America, particularly in Peru, Brazil, and Mexico.

She has secured significant research funding including her NIMH K01 award and leads multi-country collaborations through initiatives like ImPrEP. While specific student names aren’t listed, her extensive co-authorship patterns indicate active mentorship of junior researchers in global health.

At Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Dr. Konda directs clinical trials through the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Sexuality, Society, and AIDS, focusing on community-level HIV prevention strategies for high-risk populations in urban Peru.