HIV Immunology Symposium-Uganda AIDS Conference

描述(由申请人提供)： 这项提议旨在建立一系列正在进行的非洲艾滋病毒免疫学会议。拟议会议的一个主要目标是传播疫苗免疫学领域与非洲艾滋病毒感染有关的最新发展。第二个目标是促进非洲和国际艾滋病毒科学家之间的互动和合作，目的是在与非洲有关的健康问题的背景下制定研究建议，以解决艾滋病毒流行病。重点是打破当地地区和研究中心及其各自的合作或资助机构之间可能存在的障碍。会议策划人是来自非洲和美国的艾滋病毒免疫学领域的知名科学家，他们在非洲工作了多年。我们的第一次乌干达艾滋病会议于2006年12月在坎帕拉举行。讨论的主题包括介绍目前对艾滋病毒免疫致病机制的了解、艾滋病毒与非洲地方病的相互作用以及疫苗开发。第一届UAC会议的演讲者是来自美国、英国、塞内加尔、南非和塔纳齐亚的教职科学家。会议共接待了120名与会者，包括来自非洲和美国的年轻研究人员的口头摘要介绍。我们计划在2008年主办第二届UAC会议，重点是艾滋病毒疫苗。该计划将为讨论和交流想法提供充足的时间，以产生新的研究假设和建议。第一次会议开始了一个网络，以促进该地区研究人员的免疫学培训和研究。这导致了2007年在非洲R13传染病专题讨论会上的联合协作和组织。我们现在建议协调UAC和IDA系列会议，以推动每年在乌干达和南非举行的年度研讨会。其目标是保持和培养一代年轻的研究科学家，并鼓励区域和国际艾滋病毒调查人员之间继续合作。这次研讨会将把来自非洲的主要艾滋病毒研究人员与美国研究人员小组聚集在一起，分享与非洲艾滋病疫苗相关的重要的已发表和正在进行的研究成果。最终目标是加强迫切需要的科学议程和计划，以解决撒哈拉以南非洲毁灭性的艾滋病流行问题。2008年题为“艾滋病疫苗在非洲”的会议的重点将是讨论目前和未来在艾滋病毒疫苗研究、开发和临床研究方面的进展。会议还将促进正在进行的与非洲艾滋病毒有关的研究的公开讨论，并建立新的合作，以促进对非洲艾滋病毒发病机制和预防的当前了解。该论坛还旨在鼓励来自非洲的青年科学家，并向他们提供指导和信息，让他们参与抗击艾滋病并为之作出贡献。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal aims to establish a series of ongoing HIV immunology meeting in Africa. One major objective of the proposed meeting is to disseminate the most recent developments in the field of vaccine immunology as it pertains to HIV infection in Africa. A second objective is to promote interaction and collaboration between African and international HIV scientists with the purpose of developing research proposals to address the HIV epidemic in the context of the health issues relevant to Africa. The focus is to break down possible barriers between local regions and research centers and their respective collaborating or funding institutions. The conference planners are established scientists from Africa and the U.S. in the field of HIV immunology and have worked in Africa for many years. Our first Uganda AIDS Conference (UAC) took place in Kampala in December 2006. The topics discussed included presentations on the current understanding of HIV immunopathogenesis, the interaction of HIV with diseases endemic to Africa, and vaccine development. The speakers in the first UAC conference were faculty scientists from the U.S., U.K., Senegal, South Africa, and Tanazia. The conference hosted a total of 120 participants and included oral abstract presentations by young investigators from Africa as well as from the US. We plan to host the second UAC conference in 2008 with the focus on HIV Vaccine. The program will allow ample time for discussion and exchange of ideas to generate new research hypotheses and proposals. The first conference began a network to promote immunology training and research among investigators from this region. This led to the joined collaboration and organization in the R13 Infectious Disease in Africa (IDA) Symposium in 2007. We now propose to coordinate the UAC and IDA conference series to promote a yearly symposium in Uganda and South Africa in respective alternative year. The objective is to maintain and foster the generation of young research scientists and encourage continued collaborations between regional and international HIV investigators. This symposium will bring together key HIV researchers from Africa together with a panel of US researchers to share important published and ongoing research findings relevant to an AIDS Vaccine in Africa. The ultimate goal is to enhance the scientific agendas and programs that are urgently needed to address the devastating AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. The focus of the 2008 meeting, entitled "AIDS Vaccine in Africa," will be to discuss current and future progress in HIV vaccine research, development and clinical studies. The meeting will also foster open discussions of the ongoing studies related to HIV in Africa and to forge new collaborations that will accelerate the current understanding of HIV pathogenesis and prevention in Africa. This forum is also intended to encourage young scientists from Africa and provide them with guidance and information to participate and contribute to the fight against AIDS.