Prof. Nothando Ngwenya

Prof. Nothando Ngwenya is the academic lead at the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI), where her work focuses on adolescent mental health, resilience, and HIV self-management. She holds a Wellcome Trust Intermediate Fellowship supporting the development of youth-focused psychosocial interventions for young people living with HIV.

Her research examines how cultural, social, and economic contexts influence decision-making, treatment of adherence, and wellbeing among adolescents facing chronic illness. She also holds honorary academic appointments at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and University College London.

At AHRI, Prof. Ngwenya leads an interdisciplinary research group and mentors early-career scientists. Her work combines behavioral science and public health approaches to design interventions that are locally grounded and scalable within African health systems.