Partners Profiles
They are listed in alphabetical order after the project coordinator.
King's College London (Project coordinator)
King’s College London is one of England’s oldest and most prestigious Universities. King’s has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA, and it is now the largest centre for the educationof doctors, dentists and other healthcare professionals in Europe and home to six Medical Research Council centres. Professor Charles Kelly is the coordinator of the CHAARM project and Head of Oral Immunology n the Dental Institute. His research focuses on developing novel microbicides and vaccines to prevent infection with HIV at mucosal sites. His team has developed novel spr-based assays to investigate HIV-gp 120 interaction with host receptors. In CHAARM he contributes with binding studies to WP4.4 and WP9.
Principal scientists and technical personnel involved:
Dr. Roger New
Dr. Karolin Hijazi
Mr. Mukesh Mistry
Mr. Carlo Scala
List of project partners
Academic Medical Center, Center for Poverty-related Communicable Diseases (Partner 20)
The Academic Medical Center (AMC) of the University of Amsterdam is a prominent medical center in the Netherlands and one of the largest hospitals. Also a number of biotech companies – partly AMC spin-offs - are located on the premises. This concentration of expertise makes the AMC ‘more than just a university hospital’ and provides a breeding ground for fruitful scientific collaboration. The Center for Poverty-related Communicable Diseases (CPCD) is embedded in the Department of Internal Medicine of the AMC and provides an academic structure for research and training in international health, with a special emphasis on prevention and treatment of HIV, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases. The AMC will collaborate with the other WP5 and 6 team members on Phase I safety studies of ARV-containing vaginal microbicides to be developed within CHAARM and studies evaluating novel biomarkers for microbicide safety. The AMC will provide links to ongoing IPM-sponsored microbicide trials and ongoing biomarker studies (e.g. an EDCTP-funded study in African women).
Responsible scientist: Dr Janneke van de Wijgert (WP5,6)
Biozentrum of the University Basel (Partner 7)
The Biozentrum is a department of the University of Basel. It is an interdisciplinary institute dedicated to basic molecular and biomedical research. Stephen Grzesiek leads a research group on biomolecular NMR at the Biozentrum. His group has spearheaded techniques for the direct NMR detection and quantification of protein and nucleic acid hydrogen bonds as well as a number of procedures for achieving molecular geometries. These techniques have been successfully applied to the determination of structure, dynamics and interactions of many proteins and various nucleic acid domains involved in HIV and other viral diseases, cellular adhesion, signaling and development as well as to the problem of protein folding.
Responsible scientist: Stephen Grzesiek
Centre of Cooperative Research in Biomaterials, San Sebastian (Partner 15)
CIC biomaGUNE, the Centre for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials, is a non-profit research organization created to promote scientific research and technological innovation at the highest levels in the Basque Country in Spain. It houses up to twelve research laboratories distributed in the Biofunctional Nanomaterials, Biosurface and Molecular Imaging Units.
The Laboratory of Glyconanotechnology (Biofunctional Nanomaterials Unit) will develop multifunctional gold nanoclusters (glyconanoparticles) to combine anti-retroviral microbicides (objective 5, WP9).
Responsible scientist: Professor Soledad Penades (WP9)
Principal scientist and technical personnel involved:
Paolo Di Gianvincenzo, expert in synthetic chemistry and glyconanotechnology
Dr. Blanca Arnaiz, responsible for cell culture and nanoparticles/cell interactions
Dr. Marco Marradi, expert in oligosaccharide synthesis and glyconanotechnology
Centro Fondazione San Raffaele (Partner 11)
The goal of the San Raffaele Scientific Institute, part of the San Raffaele del Monte Tabor Foundation, is to promote innovative research benefiting the care and cure of their patients and to host state of the art education and training for new generations of doctors and scientists, emphasizing a high level of social responsibility. The main HSR tasks are focused on testing potential toxicity of candidate microbicides and the development of RANTES derivatives in combination with other HIV entry inhibitors.
Responsible scientists: Professor Elisa Vicenzi, Dr Luca Vangelista
Principal scientist and technical personnel involved:
Silvia Ghezzi and Dr Massimiliano Secchi
Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique (Partner 3)
The CEA is the French Atomic Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission(Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives). The CEA is active in three main fields: energy, information and health technologies, and defence and national security, building on the synergies between fundamental and technological research. 15,300 people work in nine research centres. The CEA implements an extremely proactive policy on working with its European partners, being involved in more than 180 FP6-projects and acts as co-ordinator for 34 of these and in FP7, notably through technological platforms and the implementation of new forms of partnership between research institutes and industry. The CEA plays a key role in training and human resources throughout Europe, promoting training and opportunities for researchers and students.
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The division of immuno-virology is part of the Institute for emergent diseases and innovative therapies (IMETI) of the Life Science Direction (DSV) of the French Atomic Alternatives Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). The division of immuno-virology directed by Dr Roger Le Grand is a joint research unit combining the CEA and Paris XI University which led in 2002 to the creation of Mixed Research Unit E1 (UMR E1).
- The major research programs conducted in the division of immuno-virology are focused on viral/host interactions and pathogenesis and the design and evaluation of new therapeutic and preventive approaches.
Responsible scientists for CHAARM WP11: Dr Roger Le Grand
Principal scientific personnel involved:
Dr Nathalie Bosquet, responsible of laboratory of innovative therapies and prevention of viral infections (TIPIV) which is part of division of immuno-virology.
- The Chemistry Laboratory for life sciences (LCV) is in charge of WP4.4 developing new peptide and protein with improved microbicidal activity, also investigating the potential of large scale production of peptide by fermentation.
Responsible scientist of CHAARM WP4.4: Dr Loïc Martin
Principal scientific and technical personnel involved:
Dr Pascal Kessler, PhD, biochemist
Olivier Combes, technician
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) (Partner 16)
Constituted by an Act of Parliament in 1945, the CSIR is one of the leading scientific and technology research, development and implementation organisations in Africa. The organisation undertakes and applies directed research and innovation in science and technology to improve the quality of life of the people of South Africa and the sub-region. Building measurable value into its work through local and international partnerships remains a key component of its endeavours to provide world-class technology. The CSIR is committed to supporting innovation in South Africa to improve national competitiveness in the global economy. Science and technology services and solutions are provided in support of various stakeholders, and opportunities are identified where new technologies can be further developed and exploited in the private and public sectors. The core focus of CSIR Biosciences is to provide bioscience solutions that improve health, fight disease and support private and public sector industry in a manner that is sensitive to the prevailing local and global economic realities and the natural environment.
Responsible scientist: Dr Rachel CHIKWAMBA (WP4.3)
Scientific and technical personnel involved: Dr Ereck Chakauya Post Doctoral Fellow
European AIDS Treatment Group (Partner 27)
The EATG has currently 100 members in over 30 countries from the WHO-Euro region. Focusing on scientific research, prevention, treatment, care and information dissemination for persons living with HIV, the EATG has developed a vast expertise in this field over the last 15 years, building on the experience of its members of whom a majority are living with HIV. Many of them work in national AIDS service or community organisations. EATG activities also include regulatory affairs, the European legal framework affecting vulnerable populations, chronic patients and scientific research, plus human rights issues.
EATG is involved in WP6, to help identifying target groups for dissemination of CHAARM activities. Besides the scientific community and industry, target groups foreseen are: patients and their associations, community advocates, civil society associations involved in health issues, regional and local agencies, public bodies and media. In close partnership with Minerva, EATG will facilitate the organisation of 4 dedicated workshops focusing on CHAARM scientific activities and achievements starting from the second year of the project. Besides CHAARM partners, target groups for the workshops will be European researchers, industry representatives, patient organisations and HIV/AIDS advocates at large. The workshops will be half-day events and will take place in different countries in the occasion of large scientific international events and conferences.
Responsible personnel: David Haerry, Thandi Haruperi (WP12)
Gilead Sciences (Partner 22)
Gilead Sciences is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes innovative therapeutics in areas of unmet medical need. The company’s mission is to advance the care of patients suffering from life-threatening diseases worldwide. In the area of HIV and antiviral drugs, the company has developed Viread (tenofovir DF), Emtriva (emtricitabine), Truvada (tenofovir DF/emtricitabine) and ATRIPLA, which are commonly used for the treatment of HIV infection. Gilead Sciences is headquartered in Foster City, California, but has operations in North America, Europe and Australia.
Responsible scientist: Dr James Rooney
Imperial College London (33)
Consistently rated amongst the world's best universities, Imperial College London is a science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research that attracts 14,000 students and 6,000 staff of the highest international quality. The work will be hosted by the Department of Medicine which is one of the largest teaching and research organizations in the UK, with a reputation for excellence and a vibrant and international working community. It has an annual research spend of £60M with a cohort of around 400 PhD students and an extensive teaching program. Professor Robin Shattock coordinates CHAARM project with Professor Charles Kelly (KCL). He was previously leading a research group at the St. George's University working within the Center for Infection (Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine) on the pathogenesis and transmission of HIV infection, with a particular emphasis on the development of prevention strategies applicable to the developing world. His research group at the St. George's University has been instrumental in elucidating the early mechanism of HIV transmission. Prof. Shattock works with Dr. Carolina Herrera specializing in the evaluation of microbiocide candidates for vaginal and rectal use and in particular the evaluation and selection of potential drug combinations.
Responsible scientist: Professor Robin Shattock, Dr Carolina Herrera
Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Partner 14)
Instituto de Salud Carlos III, from the Ministry of Health, is the Spanish equivalent to the Centers for Diseases Control in the U.S.A. National Center for Microbiology is the reference for infectious diseases in the country. It has responsibilities in basic and clinical research, epidemiological surveillance and control of outbreaks including emergent diseases.The main focus of research of our group (AIDS Immunoathogenesis Unit) for more than 15 years has been HIV pathogenesis, in particular the mechanisms involved in HIV latency and reactivation and viral entry. In the CHAARM project the AIDS immunopathogenesis Unit contribute in developing the cellular models of HIVinfection and in the assessment of microbicidal activity. Furthermore this Unit will be involved in modelling and in producing specific viral constructs for the evaluation of microbicides.
Responsible scientist: Professor José Alcamí
Scientific and technical personnel involved:
Mayte Pérez-Olmeda (PhD in virology)
Luis Miguel Bedoya del Olmo (PhD). Professor of pharmacology
Elena Mateos (laboratory technician)
Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) of Antwerp (Partner 4)
The Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) of Antwerpen is one of the world’s leading institutions in research and teaching on tropical medicine and health care in resource-poor settings (human and veterinary). It does so in close collaboration with partner institutes all over the world. Yearly, about 700 people follow advanced and postgraduate courses.
The Virology Unit, of the Department of Microbiology, co-developed a family of potent and broad spectrum entry inhibitors, called CD4 miniproteins and provided in vitro evidence that integrase inhibitors could constitute interesting candidates.
Responsible scientist for WP8: Dr. Guido Vanham
Principle scientists and personnel involved:
Dr. Philippe Selhorst
Mr. Jo Michielsen
The Epidemiology and Control Unit (STI/HIV) will test microbicide compounds in in vitro models and perform clinical trials in healthy women.
Responsible scientist for WP5 and WP6: Dr. Vicky Jespers
Principle scientists and personnel involved:
Ms. Marie Laga
Ms. Tania Crucitti
Ms. Thérèse Delvaux
Ms. Liesbet Mertens
International Partnership for Microbiocides (Partner 25)
The International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) works to accelerate the development of safe, effective and affordable microbicides for women in developing countries. Microbicides are products being developed to prevent the transmission of HIV during sexual intercourse. Based in the United States with offices in South Africa and Belgium, IPM works with partners around the world. IPM’s goal to deliver safe and effective microbicides to women in developing countries as soon as possible cannot be achieved without the political will, cooperation and help of many others. IPM is, therefore, committed to working with its partners to create a positive and receptive environment for the development and introduction of microbicides. IPM is very supportive of the goals of the consortium and has offered to provide specific antiretroviral compounds for development as microbicides as appropriate and if our agreements with partners do not prohibit this access.
Responsible scientist: Dr Pamela Norick
Karolinska Institutet (Partner 26)
The Karolinska Institute (KI) is a medical university with 22 scientific Departments covering all aspects of medicine and biomedicine. KI is ranked among the top 10 biomedical Universities in the world. Infectious Medicine, CIM, Department of Medicine, at Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, is a center focusing on research related to chronic infections and has state-of-the-art equipment required to perform the proposed research within the framework of CHAARM project
Responsible scientists: Associate Professor Anna-Lena Spetz, Professor Edvard Smith
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Partner 9)
The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven was founded in 1425. Since its foundation it has been engaged in scientific research, education and services to the society. It covers all kinds of disciplines, including Medical Sciences. The Faculty of Medicine contains several Departments, including the Department of Microbiology and Immunology that is located in the Rega Institute. This Institute was founded in 1954 by Professor Piet De Somer and named after Professor Josephus Rega who was rector magnificus in the 18th century in Leuven. It hosts the Department of Microbiology and Immunology of the Faculty of Medicine. Since its inception, the Rega Institute homes also the Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. In the Framework of CHAARM Project three main branches are involved:
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The Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Rega Institute
The research team at the Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy consists of several internationally recognized academic researchers. The general focus is on the chemotherapy of virus (HIV, but also HCV, influenza, papilloma and herpes viruses) infections and cancer. Several novel antiviral drug leads and therapeutic concepts have been discovered and successfully put forward by this Research Group. Responsible scientists: Professor Dominique Schols and Professor Jan Balzarini (WP8). -
The Laboratory for Pharmacotechnology and Biopharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
The Laboratory for Pharmacotechnology and Biopharmacy is responsible for the formulation of candidate compounds in vehicles suitable for ad-hoc (coïtal-dependent) microbicide delivery. This involves the development of analytical assays, preformulation studies and formulation development and evaluation. In addition to the work directly related to the microbicide development pipeline, a number of general issues regarding the formulation of microbicides are under investigation. Responsible scientists: Professor Patrick Augustijns (WP10). -
The Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine
The Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy focuses its researches on the molecular virology of HIV integration and the development of drugs inhibiting integration. Responsible scientists: Professor Zeger Debyser (WP3).
Microbiotec srl (Partner 31)
Microbiotec is a knowledge-based SME funded in March 2009, with offices and laboratories located in Monteriggioni (Siena, Italy). The mission of the company is Research and Development in the fields of microbiology and biotechnology. Current projects are on the development of new diagnostics (biomarkers of vaginal health and preanalytical procedures for nucleic acid-based tests), vaccines, and biochemistry. In CHAARM, Microbiotec will develop, validate, and perform the new tests on biomarkers of vaginal health (WP6.1)
Responsible scientist: Dr Caterina Cambiaggi
Middlesex University London (Partner 32)
At Middlesex University, the Centre for Investigative & Diagnostic Oncology benefits from excellentfacilities for supporting Biomedical Research. The Centre headedby Professor Ivan Roitt FRS aims to develop liposome or micelle based targeted delivery systems with improved activity in CHAARM project (WP9).
Responsible scientist: Professor Ivan Roitt FRS (WP9)
Mintaka Foundation for Medical Research (Partner 28)
The Mintaka Foundation for Medical Research based in Geneva, Switzerland, is a not-for-profit foundation created in 2005. An officially recognized charity placed under Swiss government surveillance, Mintaka’s mission is to put modern biomedical research at the service of populations of developing countries. Mintaka is taking responsibility for the development of the chemokine analogues discovered at the University of Geneva.
It has acquired from the University the intellectual property related to 5P12-RANTES and similar molecules. It is currently identifying and evaluating partners to carry forward those aspects of clinical development that are not covered by existing partnerships and will not be covered by CHAARM, and is raising funds to cover the work to be carried out under its responsibility.
Responsible scientist: Dr Robin Offord (WP4.3)
Principle scientific and technical personnel involved:
Oliver Hartley (CSO)
Amos Bairoch (Treasurer)
MINERVA Consulting & Communication (Partner 19)
MINERVA Consulting & Communication is a Belgian PR agency established at the beginning of 1998 and now specializes in the management and execution of communication and dissemination activities within European research related projects for the EU Programmes. Minerva participation in project consortia aims at giving a valuable support to research partners, executing all dissemination and communication activities and raising awareness to target stakeholders. Minerva also acquired a sound expertise and familiarity in EU project management, with the EU administrative, reporting and accounting procedures, besides the writing of communication and dissemination activities in preparation of the projects. The company has already participated in several EU project and produced dedicated information to make the communication valuable, effective and appropriate, such as: best practices booklets online and paper based, video clips, web conferences, training modules to facilitate application and implementation of research results.
Responsibile Project Manager: Mrs Hinano Spreafico (WP12)
Particle Sciences (Partner 23)
Particle Sciences has been in business since 1991. The company has complete formulation laboratories and specializes in semi-solids, nano-based approaches, combination products and has extensive experience with mucosal products. Particle Sciences has been formulating microbicides for 5 years now and currently works with most of the major microbicide development organizations. Dr. Mark Mitchnick has been on the advisory board of EMPRO project, published in the area and spoken internationally on the topic of microbicide formulation and regulation. The company has been involved in the global antiretroviral (ARV) based microbicide formulation efforts having worked with multiple ARV’s. PS has been intimately involved in the recent advancements of microbicide formulation including new gel based formulations and the first vaginal ring to contain an ARV tested in humans. The company is involved in CHAARM in WP5.1, to lead the combination of semi-solid microbicides development for phase I trial. It will take lead compound through analytic method development, preformulation, formulation, toxicology batch production and clinical trial material production.
Responsible scientist: Dr Mark Mitchnik (WP5.1)
Polymun Scientific Immunbiologische Forschung GmbH (Partner 21)
Polymun was founded in 1992 and is a private company offering contract development and GMP manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals and liposomal formulations of APIs and vaccine antigens. Revenues are invested in the further development of technology platforms and the proprietary product pipeline. The R&D projects and technologies are open for co-development and licensing. Polymun contributes its HIV antibodies (2F5, 2G12, 4E10) as microbicides formulated in HEC gel for macaques and clinical studies, co-operates with QUB for improving formulations and support design and organisation of preclinical and clinical studies.
Responsible scientist: Dr Dietmar Katinger (WP5,7,10)
Principle scientific personnel involved:
Dr. Gabriela Stiegler, Head of Analytics and Quality Control at Polymun
Dr. Brigitta Vcelar, Head of Clinical Affairs at Polymun
Queens University Belfast (Partner 6)
Queen’s is a broadly based, research-driven university with a dynamic world-class research and education portfolio and strong international connections. The University's priority is to achieve nationally and internationally recognised research excellence in all of its many and varied disciplines, with world-class research in distinctive niches and thematic areas. Research at Queen's is focused through a formal framework of Research Clusters each led by an established research leader. The group involved in CHAARM project, The Drug Delivery Research Group at QUB, has significant collaborations with major pharma companies. Several intellectual property rights arrangements have been established with research sponsors, recognition of the innovation inherent in the program’s activities The Intravaginal Ring (IVR) Research Group, a subunit of the Drug Delivery Group, was established 8 years ago, under the management of David Woolfson and Karl Malcolm, to conduct research into the development of IVR technology for a range of women’s health issues, in collaboration with Warner Chilcott Inc. It has since achieved an international reputation in the area of intravaginal drug delivery, and is at the forefront of developing vaginal ring technology for the long-term administration of HIV microbicides and vaccines.
Responsible scientists: Dr Karl Malcolm
Scientific and technical personnel involved: Prof David Woolfson - Professor of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy.
Spoluka Chemical Company Ltd. (Partner 18)
Spoluka Chemical Company is a Kiev-based Ukrainian company synthesizing small organic molecules for life science industries. It also offers many related services such as synthesis of custom (targeted) libraries. The company makes its products exclusively for Life Chemicals Inc. which sells them to more than 770 customers worldwide. As a part of CHAARM consortium Spoluka will develop new small molecule inhibitors of HIV-1 binding to CCR5. Spolukaemploys 50 chemist.
Responsible scientist: Dr Vasily Pinchuk (WP 4.2)
St. Georges University (Partner 2)
St. George's, part of the University of London, is recognized globally for the quality of its biomedical and clinical research, with a high reputation in areas such as infection, diseases of the heart and circulation, cell signalling, and epidemiology. Dr Gary Coulton will be leading efforts within the CHAARM project to identify surrogate markers of mucosal function and potential markers of HIV susceptibility by multiparameter cytokine analysis and proteomic profiling of genital tract secretions.
Identified biomarkers will be used to assess potential safety of microbicide candidates.
Responsible scientist: Dr Gary Coulton
Tibotec-Virco Virology (Partner 29)
Tibotec R&D is dedicated to the discovery and development of innovative new drugs for HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases of high unmet medical need. Tibotec was established in 1994 by Rudi Pauwels as a drug discovery laboratory and in 2002 was acquired by Johnson&Johnson. Their goal is to provide innovative clinical-diagnostic knowledge that substantially improves clinical decisions and leads to personalized medical solutions for patients with infectious diseases. As a research based biotechnology company with global offices based in Mechelen, Belgium, Tibotec-Virco applies advances technologies to reach this goal.
Responsible scientist: Dr Lieven Stuyver (WP8), Dr Jens Van Roey (WP7)
Università degli studi di Roma la Sapienza (Partner 17)
The University of Roma La Sapienza, with the Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drug has an expertise in Molecular Modeling(MM) as well as computational facilities and all the required equipment for synthesis of bioactive compounds (including parallel synthesis equipment and microwave reactor), their purification and characterization by chromatography (including flash chromatography, Liquid Chromatography-Mass SpectrometryLC-MS) and spectroscopy methods (UltraViolet-UV, InfraRed-IR and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance- NMR). Professor Roberto Di Santo is responsible for the laboratory of design and synthesis and preclinical development of chemotherapeutic agents within the Department.
Responsible scientist: Professor Roberto Di Santo (WP3)
Scientific and technical personnel involved:
Prof. R. Costi, Dr. G. Miele, and Dr. G. Cuzzucoli Crucitti, Dr. A. Iacovo, Dr. F. Rosi.
Università degli Studi di Siena (Partner 8)
The laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology (LAMMB) at the Department of Molecular Biology of the University of Siena, is located at the Siena University Hospital and it is combines research and diagnostic laboratory directed by Prof Gianni Pozzi. The research groups at LAMMB are engaged in different fields including microbial genetics, bacterial pathogenesis, microbial immunity, biotechnology (development of vaccines, microbicides and diagnostics) and clinical microbiology.
In CHAARM, the Pozzi research group will be responsible for carrying out the research tasks of WP6.1 (the microbiota-related biomarkers of vaginal health) and have extensive experience in molecular diagnostics of infectious diseases. The research team led by Prof Petraglia will collect samples of vaginal fluid to be used for biomarker studies. The Botta research group will carry on research on drug discovery.
Responsible scientists: Prof Gianni Pozzi, Prof Maurizio Botta
Scientific and technical personnel involved: Prof Felice Petraglia
The University of Antwerp (Partner 5)
The University of Antwerpen along with The Medicinal Chemistry group (UAMC) of the University of Antwerpen is a leading partner in the Antwerp Drug Discovery Network (ADDN). ADDN is created at the UA to support projects in early drug discovery. UAMC and the Unit of Virology, have joined their forces in WP2: Development of new non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors as microbicides against HIV-1.
Responsible scientists: Professor K. Augustyns, Prof. P. van der Veken , Dr. J. Joossens
Scientific and technical personnel involved: Dr P. Lewi and J. Heeres, former J&J research leaders involved in the development of etravirine, TMC120 and TMC278.
University College London (Partner 10)
Founded in 1826, as the first in England to welcome all religions or none and to enrol women, University College London is among the 5 leading research universities in the United Kingdom. It is a multi-faculty institution training undergraduate and postgraduate students and conducting research including all areas of science and medicine. The Division of Infection & Immunity at UCL Medical School comprises more than 100 principal investigators.
Responsible scientist: Professor Robin Weiss (WP4.4)
Scientific and technical personnel involved:
Robin A Weiss (senior researcher)
Dr Anna Forsman and Dr Willie Koh
University of Geneva (Partner 24)
The UGE was founded centuries ago in 1559 and the Faculty of Medicine was created in 1876, today combining a body of 900 mecical students with competitive clinical and fundamental research programs, and benefits from close association with the University Hospital, which is located in close proximity. Research in Professor Hartley's highlights include the use of protein medicinal chemistry to generate PSC Rantes, a promising candidate drug for HIV prevention based on a natural protein and use of phage display technology and bioconjugation strategies to re-engineer the molecule so that it could be produced at much lower cost.
Responsible scientist: Dr Oliver Hartley
Scientific and technical personnel involved:
Dr Hubert Gaertner
Fabrice Cerini
University of York (Partner 12)
The Hull York Medical School is one of the youngest and most innovative medical schools in the UK. A joint venture between the Universities of Hull and York and the National Health Service, students at HYMS have access to an unparalleled learning and research environment.
The team involved in CHAARM project will be headed by Professor Charles Lacey. His research team is developing new treatments which can prevent the spread of HIV and focusing on the clinical development of anti-HIV microbicides and vaccines.
Professor Lacey is a clinical academic employed jointly by HYMS and the University of York. He holds an honorary NHS contract, so he has both clinical duties as well as conducting clinical and phase 1 research. He is one of the PIs at the Centre for Immunology and Infection (CII), another joint venture between HYMS and the University of York, where the Lacey labs are situated. He collaborates closely with Paul Kaye, Professor of Immunology at the CII.
Responsible scientist: Professor Charles Lacey (WP5,6)
Scientific and technical personnel involved:
Dr Georgina Morris, Dr Rebecca Wiggins, Stanley Chindove, Natasha Thomas, and Katrein Schaefer.
University of Utrecht (Partner 13)
Utrecht University is the largest Dutch University and recently concentrated all its science faculties in the Faculty of Sciences to ensure optimal collaboration between physics, mathematics, chemistry and biology. The present work on infectious diseases is focused on HIV, in particular the development of products containing VHHs neutralizing various clades of HIV to protect women and the usage of VHHs to develop new vaccines against HIV.
Responsible scientist: Professor Theo Verrips
Scientific and technical personnel involved: Prof Hans de Haard