About

Benjamin Chi, MD, MSc, holds appointments in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Department of Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He lived in Lusaka for over a decade (2003-2015), where he led a research portfolio focused on the prevention of mother-to-child transmission, HIV care and treatment, and maternal and child health. He has served on guideline committees for the World Health Organization and as a consultant to UNICEF, working to translate research into policy. Since returning to Chapel Hill in 2015, his activities in Zambia have expanded to other neighboring countries, including Malawi, Zimbabwe, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In addition, Dr. Chi leads several research training programs designed to foster U.S. collaborations abroad, including the UNC Global Women’s Health Fellowship and the UJMT Fogarty Global Health Fellows Consortium. He is an active mentor to numerous faculty and fellows—from the U.S. and abroad—with dedicated NIH support for these efforts.

Awards and Honors

• Fogarty International Center Advisory Board, NIH, 2024-Present 
• Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Therapeutics Working Group for HIV, Hepatitis, and STIs, World Health Organization, 2022-Present 
• Chief Scientific Officer, Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, 2012-2014
• Maternal and Child Health Guideline Development Group, World Health Organization, Department of HIV/AIDS, 2012-2013
• Obstetrics Co-Chair, PMTCT Scientific Committee, IMPAACT, 2010-2013
• Fellow, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2008
• Diplomate, American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2006
• Technical Working Group for PMTCT and Pediatric HIV Treatment, Zambian Ministry of Health, 2003- 2015

In the news

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  Benjamin Chi Successfully Renews K24 Mentoring Grant

  Benjamin Chi, MD, MSC, the Institute’s Associate Director of Fellowship Programs, has successfully renewed a K24 mentoring grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. This will be the second five-year grant cycle for which Dr. Chi has received this award. Dr. Chi is a Distinguished Professor … Read more

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  Engaging Family Members to Support Breastfeeding and Anti-Retroviral Therapy, to Prevent Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV

  Children who are HIV-exposed and uninfected experience poor growth and development compared to children who are HIV-unexposed and uninfected. Exclusive breastfeeding with adherence to anti-retroviral therapy is a recommended practice for preventing mother-to-child transmission, but there are barriers to adherence.   A pilot study led by Stephanie Martin, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department … Read more

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  It’s a Wrap: The 2nd Annual Global Health Scholars Symposium

  The 2nd Annual Global Health Scholars Symposium took place Friday, Feb. 16, showcasing the impactful work of 43 trainees in the U.S. and around the world. Near and far, approximately 250+ participants came together to share and learn about global health research. Opening Remarks Suzanne Maman, PhD, the associate dean for global health at UNC … Read more

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  Fogarty Fellow Investigates Stigma and Barriers to PrEP for Women in Sex Work

  Ramya Kumar‘s face lights up when she talks about her work in Zambia, and her chosen family in the Lusaka community. For nearly a decade, she has lived and worked as an epidemiologist in Zambia, investigating and responding to urgent outbreaks of disease. “I loved Zambia so much that I never left after arriving in … Read more

Education