Progress and Pathways Toward an Effective HIV Vaccine joint with Emerging Technologies in Vaccine Discovery and Development Organizer(s): M. Juliana McElrath, Pamela J. Bjorkman and Beatrice H. Hahn Date: January 28 - February 01, 2018 Location: Fairmont Banff Springs, Banff, AB, CanadaAfter three decades, HIV-1 continues to afflict and kill millions of people worldwide. A safe and effective vaccine that elicits potent and durable protective immunity has the greatest prospect to end the AIDS epidemic. Development of an HIV vaccine has proven scientifically challenging, as evidenced by only one weakly efficacious regimen after evaluation of four distinct regimens. However, the field is in a phase of rapid growth and innovation for new vaccine strategies that hold promise for efficacy. Such emerging, novel findings will be the focus of this meeting, and will include: 1) Technological advances in structural properties of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein and its recognition and interactions with potent neutralizing antibodies; 2) Improved animal model platforms that can better mimic the transmitted founder HIV-1 strains and human immune recognition; 3) Greater understanding of host B and T cell immunobiology in the lymphoid germinal centers that is critical to optimize candidate vaccines and immunization regimens; 4) New tools for interrogating human immune repertoire; and 5) highlights of promising strategies in first in human to efficacy studies. Emphasis will be placed on unpublished findings and advances specifically relevant to human immunology and HIV vaccine targets. Global Health Travel Award Deadline: August 29 2017 Scholarship Deadline: October 4 2017 Discounted Abstract Deadline: October 4 2017 Abstract Deadline: November 2 2017 Discounted Registration Deadline: December 6 2017 We gratefully acknowledge the generous grant for this conference provided by: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)Grant No. 1 R13 AI136747-01 Funding for this conference was made possible (in part) by 1 R13 AI136747-01 from the National Institutes of Health. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. |