CFAR to host AIDS Vaccine 2010 conferrence

The Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise (the Enterprise) today announced that the Center for AIDS Research at Emory University (CFAR) in Atlanta, Georgia will serve as Local Host of AIDS Vaccine 2010, the largest and most important global scientific conference focused on AIDS vaccine research. AIDS 2010 is to be held September 28 to October 1, 2010. This annual international conference brings together scientists, community advocates, funders, and policy makers from around the world to hear cutting edge scientific results, exchange new ideas, educate future leaders, and engage a diverse community of scientists in the quest for an HIV vaccine.

"The Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise is committed to accelerating the search for a safe and effective vaccine through scientific collaboration and global initiatives that bring together the world's best researchers, scientific organizations, advocates, funders, and policy makers for common purpose," said Alan Bernstein, Ph.D., executive director, Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise. "Our annual AIDS Vaccine conference is one such initiative and we look forward to collaborating with the Center for AIDS Research at Emory University to plan and implement the premier conference dedicated to HIV vaccine research."

AIDS Vaccine 2010 will feature daily plenary presentations by leading researchers, clinicians, and community advocates, and oral and poster presentations of hundreds of research papers addressing every aspect of HIV vaccine development and testing. The conference is expected to attract more than 1,000 researchers, clinicians, and community advocates from around the world to Atlanta.

Eric Hunter, Ph.D., Georgia Research Alliance eminent scholar and co-director, Center for AIDS Research at Emory University will chair AIDS Vaccine 2010 with support from the following co-chairs: James Curran, M.D., MPH, dean, Rollins School of Public Health and co-director, Center for AIDS Research, Emory University; Carlos del Rio, M.D., Hubert chair, department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health and co-director, Center for AIDS Research, Emory University; and Harriet Robinson, Ph.D., senior vice president of research and development, GeoVax, former director, division of Microbiology and Immunology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University.

"The Center for AIDS Research at Emory University is pleased to host the AIDS Vaccine 2010 conference in Atlanta. Because Atlanta is the epicenter for the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the Southeast, the development of a viable vaccine is a very relevant objective for our community," said Eric Hunter, Ph.D., whose research is conducted at the Emory Vaccine Center. "The devastation of HIV/AIDS is well known, and the need for continued scientific inquiry and global awareness of the disease remains critical in the quest for an effective HIV vaccine."

AIDS Vaccine 2010 aims to help cultivate a global network of scientific talent to carry the field of HIV vaccine research into the future. AIDS Vaccine 2010 will welcome a large cohort of promising early career scientists both nationally and internationally through conference scholarships and travel support.

AIDS Vaccine 2009, with the French National Agency for Research on AIDS and Viral Hepatitis (ANRS) serving as Local Host, will be held in Paris, France from October 19 to 22, 2009. AIDS Vaccine 2008 was held in Cape Town, South Africa.