The inception of the UZ-UCSF collaborative research programme was in 1994. It was founded at the University of Zimbabwe, College of Health Sciences by three research scientists, Professor Michael Mbizvo, Professor Nancy Padian and Professor Z Mike Chirenje after receiving a grant to conduct a study aimed at determining if intravaginal practices increase the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV among Zimbabwean women.

The study was conducted by Janneke van de Wijgert, with the assistance of Magda Mwale, Prisca Nyamapfeni and Gertrude Sakutukwa.

In 1999 the site was awarded a research grant to participate in four multi-site HIV prevention clinical trials. Doctor Tsungai Chipato from the University of Zimbabwe became the Principal Investigator of the UZ-UCSF HIV Prevention Trials Unit under the HIV Prevention Trials Network [HPTN].

The unit continued to expand its scope of scientific agenda that covered behavioral and clinical trials. In 2006, the site was awarded a seven year sponsorship to conduct HIV Research through Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) sponsored by Division of AIDS (DAIDS) in collaboration and with four networks namely ACTG, HPTN, MTN and IMPAACT.  The grant has been expanded to run until 2015.

Participating investigators include DAIDS network leadership key personnel:

ACTG – Drs. Tom Campbell (University of Colorado), and James Hakim;

HPTN – Drs. James Hakim and Thulani Magwali;

IMPAACT – Drs. Yvonne Maldonado (Stanford University), Tsungai Chipato, Rose Kambarami, and Mutsa Filda Bwakura;

MTN – Drs. Nancy Padian (University of California at San Francisco), Z Mike Chirenje, and Tsitsi Magure.

UZ-UCSF CTU provides scientific leadership, as well as effective, organized and efficient research-support infrastructure.