SEATTLE, May 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
has established a new Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute to develop
and implement prevention strategies for globally important infectious
diseases, including HIV, malaria and cancer.
"Over the past decade, many Hutchinson Center scientists have gained
international stature in the prevention of global infectious diseases,
especially HIV, but also including human papillomavirus, malaria,
Epstein-Barr virus, and other microbes," said Lee Hartwell, Ph.D.,
president and director of the Hutchinson Center. "The development of this
new interdisciplinary institute within the Center acknowledges this
strength and will help it flourish."
The key goal of the new institute is to create an attractive
environment that will enhance the Hutchinson Center's ability to recruit
and retain leading scientists in the areas of vaccine development and
prevention of infectious diseases. A second goal is to facilitate the
Center's ability to partner with others in the region in the creation of a
regional vaccine alliance that will make Seattle and Washington State an
international leader in global infectious-disease prevention.
Because of its interdisciplinary nature, the institute will have three
co- directors representing three disciplines:
* Lawrence Corey, M.D., principal investigator of the Hutchinson
Center- based international HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) and senior
vice president, will oversee the institute's clinical-research component
(the testing of vaccines in clinical trials). Corey is head of the Centers
Program in Infectious Disease and the University of Washington's Virology
Division. He is also a professor of Medicine and Laboratory Medicine.
* M. Juliana (Julie) McElrath, M.D., director of the HVTN Laboratory
Program, principal investigator of the Seattle HIV Vaccine Trials Unit, and
associate head of the Program in Infectious Diseases at the Hutchinson
Center, will oversee the institute's laboratory-sciences activities
(vaccine development). McElrath is also a professor of Allergy and
Infectious Disease at the UW School of Medicine.
* Steven Self, Ph.D., head of the Program in Biostatistics and
Biomathematics at the Hutchinson Center, will oversee the institute's
population-sciences research (biostatistics, epidemiology and population
modeling). Self is also a professor of Biostatistics in the UW School of
Public Health and Community Medicine.
"What excites me is the opportunity that the institute has to foster
vaccine development for global infectious diseases," Corey said. "This is
an area of clinical research with ever-increasing public and foundation
funding. The opportunities are great to do research that impacts public
health."
Corey said the time is right to inaugurate a dedicated institute
because the Hutchinson Center's expertise in HIV-vaccine development has
grown and extended to vaccine design and population-based research in a
wide variety of infectious diseases that are major public-health concerns.
From the perspective of identity, focus and administration, the new
structure is needed, he said.
"Biostatistics and informatics serve as the glue that holds together
all of the elements along the pipeline of vaccine development," Self said.
"I'm excited that the institute creates an integrated research program that
allows biostatistics, bioinformatics and population modeling to be engaged
throughout vaccine design, development, evaluation and implementation."
At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, our interdisciplinary teams
of world-renowned scientists and humanitarians work together to prevent,
diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Our researchers,
including three Nobel laureates, bring a relentless pursuit and passion for
health, knowledge and hope to their work and to the world. For more
information, please visit fhcrc.org.
MEDIA CONTACT
Dean Forbes
(206) 667-2896
SOURCE Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
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Related links:
http://www.fhcrc.org/
CONTACT:
Dean Forbes of Fred Hutchinson Cancer
Research Center, +1-206-667-2896
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