He started his academic career as a lecturer in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Natal in 1993, and progressed through the ranks at that institution until his promotion to Associate Professor in Gender Studies in the School of Anthropology, Gender & Historical Studies, Faculty of Humanities, Development and Social Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2006. Joining the HSRC in July of the same year, he served in various capacities in, among others, the Gender and Development Unit, the Policy Analysis and Capacity Enhancement Programme and finally the Human and Social Development Research Programme as Executive Director. Professor Reddy has published widely in his fields of expertise, notably gender studies and HIV/AIDS. He has authored or co-authored a large number of published peer-reviewed policy briefs, chapters in books and articles in several internationally accredited journals and has been the editor, co-editor or co-author of four books, and served as lead or guest editor of several special editions of journals. He successfully completed various funded research projects and maintains a number of active research collaborations nationally and internationally, in addition to delivering numerous papers at seminars and conferences. He has maintained an active presence in professional and academic bodies, and chairs the local organising committee of the World Social Sciences Forum taking place in Durban, SA in September 2015.

His fields of expertise are gender studies and HIV/AIDS