Lisa Haddad

Lisa Haddad is executive director and chief medical officer of the Center for Biomedical Research (CBR) at the Population Council. She leads pre-clinical and clinical development efforts to advance CBR’s sexual and reproductive health product portfolio, including novel contraceptives and multipurpose prevention technologies (MPTs). She jointly leads CBR’s strategy, fundraising, finances, and overall management with Brid Devlin.

Haddad joined the Council in 2019 after over a decade as faculty in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Division of Family Planning, at Emory University School of Medicine. There, she focused her research on reproductive health among high‑risk populations, particularly women living with and at risk for HIV. Her work has advanced understanding of the interactions between sex hormones and the reproductive immune system and has informed clinical care and prevention strategies for women who require both effective contraception and HIV prevention.

Haddad has served as a principal investigator or co-investigator on several research projects including the Women’s Interagency HIV Study, a longitudinal study to understand the natural history and impact of HIV on women in the United States; and the CHIME study, a prospective cohort aimed at elucidating the interplay of both endogenous and exogenous sex hormones and the vaginal microbiome on the reproductive immune system. More recently, she has led and contributed to major HIV prevention and product‑development initiatives, including the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) and MATRIX (Microbicides to Advance HIV Prevention Technologies through Responsive Innovation and Excellence), where she serves as a principal investigator on efforts to advance next‑generation, woman‑controlled HIV prevention technologies.

Haddad is the principal investigator of the P50 Contraception Development Research Center, funded by the US National Institutes of Health. The P50 Center focuses on the development of a novel non‑hormonal MPT vaginal ring designed to provide contraception alongside broad protection against HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Across her portfolio, her work bridges basic science, clinical research, and implementation, with a strong emphasis on user‑centered design and global access.

Haddad completed the Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Massachusetts General Hospital Integrated Residency Program and a fellowship in Family Planning at Emory University School of Medicine. She has pursued both biological and behavioral research to better understand and address women’s reproductive health needs globally, with the goal of reducing disparities in care and expanding access to safe, effective, and acceptable reproductive health technologies.

An internationally recognized scholar and leader in the field, Haddad has authored more than 180 peer‑reviewed publications and has received numerous awards for her research, teaching, and mentorship. She is a frequently invited speaker to national and international audiences on topics including HIV and contraception, MPTs, adolescent reproductive health, and STIs.

Haddad received her MD from the State University of New York in Stony Brook, an MS from New York University, and an MPH from the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health.