A universal chord
Julie McElrath, HIV Vaccine Researcher
The corners of Julie McElrath's mouth widen and her eyes soften as she watches her son, Ben, practice guitar. They are the gentle signals of a parent who cherishes time with her child. As she and her husband guide Ben through his teenage journey, their comfortable life in Seattle contrasts alarmingly with the harsh reality McElrath has witnessed in her work as one of the world's leading HIV vaccine researchers. During trips to Africa, she has seen firsthand the devastation AIDS is having on families there and the thousands upon thousands of orphaned children growing up alone.
"I have been researching HIV/AIDS and potential vaccines for more than 20 years. I thought I had a firm grip on the seriousness of this disease," she said. "But visiting areas in Africa where the epidemic has hit hardest showed me on a personal level how important our work is. Parents dying of AIDS is commonplace. Orphans are raised by other orphans. We're experiencing the loss of an entire generation. It is terribly sobering."
As one of the leaders of a massive international effort to develop a preventive vaccine, McElrath is at the forefront of the war on AIDS. Her groundbreaking research has generated new hope that a vaccine, which has been stubbornly elusive, will someday become a reality. This year, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a world leader in the fight against AIDS, recognized the significance of McElrath's research and awarded her team a major grant. She will lead a multi-institution consortium to test compounds added to vaccines to spur the body to mount a potent immune system response against the virus. "This global effort by the Gates Foundation is going to jump-start the next round of vaccine development," she said.
Although an effective vaccine is most urgently needed in Africa and, increasingly, many Asian countries, the AIDS epidemic is still in our own back yard. "The infection rate is on the rise in America within high-risk populations," she said. "AIDS is far from over in this country." As Ben approaches adulthood, that fact hits even closer to home for McElrath. "Part of the reason I do this research is for his generation and his future. It makes my work that much more important to me."
