New IAS Presidential Award Honours Dr. Jack Whitescarver For His Outstanding Achievements at the Forefront of the Response to AIDS

published on July 20, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

20 July 2010 (Vienna, Austria) – The International AIDS Society (IAS) honours Dr. Jack Whitescarver, Associate Director for AIDS Research of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Director of the NIH Office of AIDS Research, for his outstanding commitment to the global fight against HIV and his pioneering work in the field. During the closing session of the XVIII International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2010), Dr. Jack Whitescarver will be the first recipient of the IAS Presidential Award.

The IAS Presidential Award, presented for the first time during AIDS 2010, aims to recognize the achievements of an individual who demonstrates a long history of leadership and excellence as a pioneer or advocate at the forefront of the response to HIV and AIDS. The award highlights an individual’s contribution that results in increased knowledge, skills, creative solutions or evidence-based policies and programmes to enhance the global response to AIDS. The Presidential Award is a recognition award, with no monetary value.

Dr. Jack Whitescarver serves as both the NIH Associate Director for AIDS Research and as Director of the Office of AIDS Research. He received his doctorate degree in medical microbiology in 1974 from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), following which he pursued his post-doctoral research at the Harvard School of Public Health. In 1977, Dr. Whitescarver completed a year in the NIH Grants Associates Program and became the Special Assistant to the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). It was during this tenure that Dr. Whitescarver first reported to the NIAID on the possibility of the emergence of a new infectious disease, now known as AIDS, and he helped develop the initial federal response for research on AIDS. In 1988, Dr. Whitescarver was recruited as the Deputy Director of the newly established Office of AIDS Research (OAR) at the NIH. He served as Acting Director of the OAR from October 2000 until June 2002, when he was named its permanent Director. During his tenure, he has launched visionary domestic and international research and training initiatives to meet the ever-changing challenges of the epidemic.

“Dr. Whitescarver has been a supporter of innovation in HIV research since the emergence of the epidemic,” said IAS President Julio Montaner, “He has worked tirelessly to strengthen research capacity, to support the work of younger investigators and to ensure that new scientific research benefits the millions infected with HIV and AIDS.” He has received numerous honors and awards, including the Alumnus of the Year Award from the UMDNJ Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and the Award for Distinguished Service from the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

The IAS Presidential Award will be presented on Friday, 23 July, in Session Room 1, Closing Session by Julio Montaner and Elly Katabira, IAS Presidents.

About the IAS

The International AIDS Society (IAS) is the world's leading independent association of HIV professionals, with 14,000 members from 190 countries working at all levels of the global response to AIDS. Our members include researchers from all disciplines, clinicians, public health and community practitioners on the frontlines of the epidemic, as well as policy and programme planners. The IAS is the custodian of the biennial International AIDS Conference, which will be held in Vienna, Austria from 18 to 23 July 2010.

About NIH

The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical, behavioral and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

For more information:

Michael Kessler
Media Consultant, AIDS 2010
Email: mkessler@ya.com
Tel: +34 655 792 699/ +43 69917285633

Lindsey Rodgers
Communications Assistant
Email: Lindsey.Rodger@iasociety.org
Tel: + 43 699 172 85 623

Alan Brotherton (Geneva, Switzerland)
Director of Policy and Communications
Email: Alan.Brotherton@iasociety.org
Tel: +43 699 172 844 53

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BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS

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New IAS Presidential Award Honours Dr. Jack Whitescarver For His Outstanding Achievements at the Forefront of the Response to AIDS

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