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Tshaka Cunningham is the Chief Scientific Officer of TruGenomix, a company focused on earlier and more effective diagnosis and treatment for individuals with behavioral health conditions, and Executive Director of the Faith Based Genetics Research Institute.

Early life and education
Growing up in Washington D.C., Cunningham was introduced to science at a young age by his grandmother, Alfreda DeGraff Simmons, who was a scientist at the National Cancer Institute and the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, M.D. He said of that time, “From a very early age I thought the lab was fascinating. I was fascinated the first time she showed me cells. That was my draw to science. I couldn't have asked for a better teacher.”

In 1987, Cunningham was named a top 10 award recipient from Project Excellence founded by Carl T. Rowan. He graduated with a BA degree in molecular biology from Princeton University. While at Princeton, he played in Ivy League championships as a wide receiver and received a Student Achievement Award through the Association of Black Princeton Alumni. He went on to pursue a doctoral degree in molecular biology from The Rockefeller University and received a Merck Fellowship to pursue new research directions in HIV biology. His thesis was titled "Exploring the Early Events in the HIV-1 Life Cycle: From Post-Entry Restriction to Nuclear Import. He graduated in 2005 and completed his postdoctoral training in immunology and tumor immunotherapy at the Pasteur Institute and the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, M.D.

Career
Cunningham started his career as a research scientist at Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Inc., where he was focused on the development of assays to identify drugs for cardiovascular diseases. He later served as a Scientific Program Manager in the Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases Rehabilitation Research Program at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs within the Veterans Health Administration’s Office of Research & Development (VHA ORD). He also participated as an advisor to the VHA ORD Genomic Medicine Implementation Program and convened the Million Veteran Program-Diversity Working Group. He created the VA’s Historically Black College and University Research Scientist Training Program (VA HBCU-RSTP), the major diversity outreach initiative sponsored by VHA ORD. Prior to his current role as the Chief Scientific Officer of TruGenomix, Cunningham was the Associate Director of Scientific Collaboration for DIA Global.

Cunningham is a founding member of the non-profit Minority Coalition for Precision Medicine and the Faith Based Genomic Research Institute. The Faith Based Genomic Research Institute works to build trust between the medical community and communities of color to highlight the value of gene therapy. He said, “This philosophy of honest brokers [is] making sure people of color are not only just at the table...we’re eating, we’re determining what’s on the menu, we’re determining what’s being served, and we’re cooking too.” He also served as a deacon at the historic Alfred Street Baptist Church.

In 2011, Cunningham was honored by the Northern Virginia Urban League for his accomplishments in science and his role in the community.