The Vaccine Research Institute (VRI), Laboratory of excellence, was established by the French National Agency for Research on AIDS and viral hepatitis (ANRS – France REcherche Nord & sud Sida-HIV Hépatites) and the University of Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC) to conduct research to accelerate the development of effective vaccines against HIV/AIDS, and (re)-emerging infectious diseases. The VRI’s structure strengthens the links between basic research and translational research, patient’s associations and the socio-economic world, contributing to accelerating vaccine development.

The VRI is structured around research teams with multi-disciplinary expertise, a network of national and international thought leading scientists, a clinical network of physicians, core facilities and innovative immunomonitoring platform.

The VRI is closely linked to the department of clinical immunopathology (Hospital CHU Mondor), which has been involved in more than 20 clinical trials in the field of HIV and primary immunodeficiencies.

More than 1200 HIV-infected patients are followed in this clinical department. Since 2007, the clinical department extended its clinical research program by the creation of Clinical Center for HIV Vaccinology aimed at recruiting healthy volunteers and developing HIV vaccine clinical trials.

The VRI Clinical Core in conjunction with the ANRS clinical center network, sets up the VRI Phase I/II vaccine clinical trials that aims to identify the prime/boost strategy to be developed in Phase IIb.

The scientific goals of the VRI offer significant opportunities for innovation as they intend to:

• • develop and extend the portfolio of candidate vaccines for HIV and (re)-emerging infectious diseases to be tested in clinical trials

• • improve the technology of immuno and viromonitoring for vaccine trials

• • strengthen the partnership between immunologists, virologists, cell biologists, molecular biologists, pre-clinical model specialists and clinicians

• • develop novel partnerships with industry

• • pursue a social science program to analyze the specific issues related to communication on HIV and overall vaccinology

• • bring strong expertise on regulatory, legal and ethical aspects

• • provide the optimal environment for improved coordination of an integrated scientific program and of dedicated funding