Pekka Lähteenmäki is the director of clinical trials, HIV and AIDS program, managing the microbicide effectiveness experiment. His areas of expertise include clinical development trials, experimental endocrinology, obstetrics and gynecology, and gynecological endocrinology. Prior to joining the Council, Lähteenmäki worked at Leiras Oy, a pharmaceutical firm, as vice president of research and development, as well as for the Family Federation of Helsinki and the University of Helsinki. He also served as a consulting senior scientist for the Population Council's Center for Biomedical Research from 1989 to 1997 and ran the Council's core radioimmunoassay laboratory at the University of Helsinki.

Lähteenmäki has written or contributed to more than 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals and 65 editorials and reviews. He also has given presentations all over the world. Lähteenmäki earned an M.D. and a Ph.D. from the University of Helsinki.