Words of Welcome from the Chair and Co-Chair

Dear Colleagues: on behalf of the AIDS Vaccine Conference Steering Group, it is our honor to invite you to attend the AIDS Vaccine 2007 Conference to be held August 20-23 in Seattle, Washington, USA.

Since the AIDS Vaccine 2000 Conference in Paris, this event has emerged as the premier forum for the exchange of scientific information relating to the difficult task of developing an effective vaccine against HIV. As the devastation created by this unrelenting epidemic continues unabated in most parts of the world, the importance of finding a vaccine to prevent HIV infection becomes more acute. No other vaccine has been sought after with such urgency by all members of our global society, and at no other time has it become so evident that scientific collaboration is essential to increasing the speed of HIV vaccine development.

AIDS Vaccine 2007 is the first Conference to be organized under the auspices of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise—an alliance designed to promote innovation and collaboration to speed the search for an HIV vaccine. The primary goal of the AIDS Vaccine 2007 Conference is to maximize opportunities for collaboration and information exchange and assemble some of the most experienced scientists involved in the field of HIV vaccine and HIV biology from developed and developing countries.

The Conference will bring together not only the top scientists in the field, but also public health experts, clinicians, epidemiologists and members of the corporate sector with a common interest in HIV vaccine development to share their successes and failures and build collegial relationships to ensure more effective future collaborations. An effort of great magnitude is needed to accomplish the goals of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise and this annual convening provides the forum necessary for the field to advance.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Sheraton Seattle Hotel for three days of intense and provocative learning and exploration to increase the speed at which an effective HIV vaccine is discovered.

Larry Corey
Conference Chair

Jose Esparza
Conference Co-Chair