Mitzy Gafos started working in the field of HIV in 1996. She worked for the United Kingdom Department of Health for many years in service development, eventually working as the National Primary Care lead for the Sexual Health and Drug Misuse team. In 2004, she joined the Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies research site in the rural Umkhanyakude district of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Mitzy is the site co-principal investigator of the Microbicides Development Programme 301 clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of PRO2000/5 0.5% microbicide gel.

Mitzy completed a Bachelors degree in African History and Politics at the School for Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), and a Masters degree in Reproductive and Sexual Health Research at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). She also holds a lecturer post at the University of KwaZulu Natal, and is a distance based tutor for the Masters in Clinical Trials at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.