IAVI REPORT – VOL. 21, NO. 1, 2017

This issue of IAVI Report marks an important milestone—it ushers the publication into its third decade.

Much has changed in HIV research during the last 20 years. Life-saving antiretroviral therapy works remarkably well, new prevention approaches such as pre-exposure prophylaxis have been proven highly effective, and vaccine research is progressing both clinically, with a recently launched efficacy trial, and pre-clinically, with several candidates being designed to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies.

The style of IAVI Report has changed quite dramatically too. The content is broader, with coverage of more diverse vaccine-related issues and HIV prevention efforts at large. There are also many new features that were introduced over the years, among them the beautiful scientific images that grace the cover.

It is a testament to the science, which is so dynamic and captivating that even as we enter our third decade in covering HIV vaccine research there is always more to report on and write about. Some of that scientific work is highlighted here. In this issue, we report on the latest advances from the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, held this February in Seattle. We also spoke with Mark Connors of the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases about the most recent broadly neutralizing antibody his lab isolated from an HIV-infected volunteer and what the advances in antibody discovery mean for HIV prevention.

We also describe in depth the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), an organization that sprung up in the aftermath of the latest and largest Ebola outbreak and aims to fill the gaps in vaccine development for emerging pathogens that are considered among the top infectious disease threats with pandemic potential. CEPI recently appointed its inaugural chief executive officer, Richard Hatchett, whom we spoke with about his plans for the newly formed coalition.

Writing about the continuous innovation that is transforming vaccine development is part of what makes all of our jobs at IAVI Report a pleasure.

—Kristen Jill Kresge