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Navigating Challenges in HIV-1 Vaccine Field for Young Investigators

Discover the unique obstacles and opportunities young investigators face in HIV-1 vaccine research, including scientific, career development, and structural challenges, as well as strategic approaches for success.

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Navigating Challenges in HIV-1 Vaccine Field for Young Investigators

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  1. Challenges for Young Investigators in the HIV-1 Vaccine Field Dan H. Barouch Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center August 3, 2008

  2. Importance of Innovation and New Investigators • Summit on HIV Vaccine Research and Development held on March 25, 2008 at NIH • Broad agreement on the following three themes: • Major scientific challenges face the HIV-1 vaccine field • Increased innovation and discovery research required to address these challenges • Critical to recruit and to retain new investigators • Commitment by funding organizations to foster innovation and attract new investigators to this field • Challenges = Opportunities

  3. Unique Challenges Facing Young Investigators in the HIV-1 Vaccine Field • Scientific Challenges • Career Development Challenges • Structural Challenges

  4. Scientific Challenges • Extensive viral clade and sequence diversity • Immune correlates of protection unclear • Viral evasion of humoral and cellular immune responses • Ab responses typically type-specific • No method exists to elicit broadly reactive NAbs • Attenuated viruses unsafe for human use • Lack of a small animal model • Little pharmaceutical interest • Failure of antibody and T cell-based vaccine candidates to date (VaxGen gp120, Merck rAd5-Gag/Pol/Nef)

  5. Career Development Challenges • Broad-based and flexible training required • Multidisciplinary research • Complex experimental systems • Longitudinal and dedicated mentorship critical • Postdoctoral/clinical fellows • Junior faculty • Limited funding available • Flat NIH budgets and reduced paylines • Increasing age of receipt of initial major NIH grant • Institutional support required • Competing demands on junior faculty in academic medical centers • Need for institutional commitment and protected research time

  6. Structural Challenges • Consortium-based “big science” vs. investigator-initiated research projects • Collaboration vs independence • Timeline/milestone approach vs innovation/creativity • Goal-oriented vs exploratory research • Substantial resources often required for developing a novel vaccine concept • NHP challenge studies • Human clinical trials • New ideas are needed and encouraged • New investigators are often the source of innovation • Resources rarely concentrated in the hands of new investigators

  7. Unique Challenges Facing Young Investigators in the HIV-1 Vaccine Field • Age distribution of investigators • Many senior investigators appear to be of similar age, likely related to their synchronous entry into field in mid-1980s • The responsibility to continue the HIV-1 vaccine field will fall onto the next generation of investigators (and the one after that) • Role of junior investigators therefore needs to be viewed as a critical priority for the HIV-1 vaccine field • Funding organizations • Conference organizers • Senior investigators • Institutions

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