Frank Konings

Dr. Frank Konings is a virologist and global health leader focused on advancing infectious disease surveillance, pandemic preparedness, and outbreak response worldwide. He currently serves as Program Director at the Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute, where he oversees epidemiology and pandemic preparedness, capacity building, and global partnerships. He earned a PhD in Virology from New York University, where his research focused on HIV-1 genomic evolution in Cameroon. Dr. Konings played a key role in the global COVID-19 response as a member of the WHO Headquarters Incident Management Support Team and as coordinator of the Virus Evolution Working Group. Before joining WHO Headquarters, he held leadership roles at the WHO Regional Offices for the Western Pacific (WPRO, Manila) and Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO, Cairo), supporting national health authorities in addressing major infectious disease threats, including influenza, MERS, Ebola, COVID-19, and antimicrobial resistance. Beyond operational outbreak response, he has contributed to normative work, including the development and implementation of evidence-based national laboratory policies and strategies. He currently advises international organizations, academic institutions, and foundations, including the International Vaccine Institute, The Pandemic Fund (World Bank), The University of Hong Kong, and the RIGHT Foundation, on global health security and pandemic preparedness.