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Statement from the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise Board of Directors
Dr. Alan Bernstein Stepping Down As Executive Director of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise
8 June, 2011(New York, NY) - The Board of Directors of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise, a unique alliance of independent research organizations, funders and advocates dedicated to accelerating the development of a preventive HIV vaccine, today announced that Alan Bernstein, Ph.D. will step down after three and a half years as the inaugural executive director of the Enterprise Secretariat at the end of June 2011.
Dr. Bernstein, who previously served as founding president of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR),
will remain active in the field of health research and global health. Dr. Bernstein became executive director of the Global HIV
Vaccine Enterprise in 2008. During his tenure, the Enterprise established its Secretariat and international headquarters;
developed the second comprehensive, forward-looking Scientific Strategic Plan for HIV vaccine research; led stakeholder
consultations on the results of the first trial of an HIV vaccine to show partial protection against HIV; played a
catalytic role in the development of a regional HIV vaccine research initiatives in Africa and Asia; championed
the critical role of young and early-career investigators, and of new scientific technologies, in the search
for an HIV vaccine; and assumed a greater role in the direction of the annual AIDS Vaccine conference.
"The extraordinary, collaborative efforts of Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise stakeholders have brought us into an era of
unprecedented advances in HIV vaccine research," said Dr. Bernstein. "Thanks to their efforts, we now know that an HIV vaccine is
achievable. Contributing to this process has brought me great personal and professional satisfaction, and has reinforced my
belief in how much can be accomplished to overcome both scientific challenges and global health disparities through the
concerted, collaborative efforts of developed and developing world funders, investigators and partners."
"The commitment of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and of other stakeholders to the Enterprise and its vision of global
collaboration remains strong. We look forward to the Enterprise Secretariat continuing to facilitate the work of key funders and
implementers to accelerate the development of a safe and effective vaccine that can help end the global HIV epidemic," said
Interim Enterprise Board President, José Esparza, M.D., Ph.D., who is the senior advisor on HIV vaccines at the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation.
Since its founding, stakeholders of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise have increased government, foundation and industry
support for HIV vaccine research; promoted new tools, systems and information sharing strategies to speed research; and supported the
creation of collaborative vaccine development centers and initiatives to address longstanding scientific and organizational
obstacles in HIV vaccine research. The Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise's 2010 Scientific Strategic Plan for HIV vaccine
development presents a shared vision and strategy to transform recent scientific advancements into faster, smarter
and more productive research to develop an HIV vaccine. More information about the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise
and efforts to develop a safe and effective vaccine against HIV is available at http://www.vaccineenterprise.org.
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About the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise
The Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise is a unique alliance of independent research organizations, funders and advocates dedicated to
accelerating the development of safe and effective HIV vaccines. Enterprise stakeholders are the global leaders in HIV vaccine
research: the African AIDS Vaccine Partnership, the Global Advocacy for HIV Prevention (AVAC), AIDS Vaccine for Asia Network,
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, European Commission, GlaxoSmithKline, Government of Canada, the International AIDS
Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), the Medical Research Council, Merck, National Agency for research on AIDS and Viral Hepatitis
in France (ANRS), Novartis, sanofi pasteur, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID), U.S. Military HIV Research Program, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS),
Wellcome Trust and World Health Organization.
Contacts
Jennifer Brunet
+1 (212) 461-3693
jbrunet@vaccineenterprise.org
Mark Aurigemma
+1 (212) 600-1960
mark@aucomm.net
"Reproduced with permission - Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise"
Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise
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