July 20, 2011
Emory University has received a $26 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop a vaccine against HIV/AIDS. In a five-year study, the Emory Consortium for AIDS Vaccine Research in Nonhuman Primates will focus on preventing the initial stages of simian immunodeficiency virus infection; SIV is similar to HIV. The research at Emory's Yerkes National Primate Research Center will concentrate on blocking infection at mucosal sites. "Developing a safe and effective preventive HIV/AIDS vaccine is still a critical part of the fight against this challenging disease that affects more than 30 million people worldwide," said Eric Hunter, PhD, co-director of the Emory Center for AIDS Research, which supports more than 100 investigators carrying out AIDS-related research.