She is an epidemiologist whose research focuses on structural determinants of HIV/STI infection in sub-Saharan Africa particularly in among adolescents and young women. Dr Pettifor has expertise on sexual behavior, HIV prevention, HIV testing, and structural interventions among adolescents and young adults in sub-Saharan Africa and has published extensively in the area of HIV and sexual behavior among youth in sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Pettifor is PI of a large NIH funded randomized controlled trial in South Africa (HPTN 068) which examined the impact of a cash transfer conditional on school attendance on HIV incidence among young women—this is the study on which this grant is to be based. She is co-chair the HPTN adolescent science committee and has published over 80 articles in peer reviewed journals, primarily on HIV in sub-Saharan Africa.