revolving door to the world of vaccine took a quick tour today as the head of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise has announced his retirement and a new foundation for vaccine research was born.
Alan Bernstein, who took the reins at the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise based in New York in 08, has contributed to the nascent organization to join researchers, funders and advocates. Under his leadership, the company has formed a secretariat published a strategic plan to guide the field and launched a program for young researchers. "I feel like I accomplished much of what I set out to do," said Bernstein Science Insider. "It's time for a new direction, and I am a strong supporter of pass the torch. "
Bernstein, who previously headed the Canadian health research Institutes, consider taking a few months off before exploring new employment opportunities. José Esparza, Senior advisor on vaccines against HIV at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will serve as interim president until the board selects a new one.
Meanwhile, scientists and advocates of all research vaccine launched still another effort to increase funding and coordination. the Foundation for vaccine research, based in Washington, DC, has recruited a board stacked with several researchers on HIV / AIDS to the forefront, including Ronald Desrosiers of the New England Primate Research Center, Simon Wain-Hobson from the Pasteur Institute in Paris, and Robin Weiss of University College London.
Peter Hale, an advertising specialist who has long worked with researchers on HIV / AIDS, started the foundation. "Nobody has been campaigning or lobbying for any vaccine research, and it desperately needs," said Hale. "Science and technology are there, but the resources are not." It plans to organize telethons to raise money, which he said, will be awarded to grants that review committees evaluate quickly. "There are teams of scientists out there crying for money, and we only had two main sources of funds, the US National Institutes of Health and the Gates Foundation," says Hale.
The foundation also wants to deal with the prevalence of misinformation about vaccines that convinced thousands of new parents to abandon the vaccine for their babies. "It is a huge problem, and someone has to take over," said Hale. "No one, except a few brave individuals like Paul Offitt-who is on our board of directors, has yet."
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