Tomáš Hanke

What inspires you to work in the HIV field?

I have been developing HIV vaccines for my entire independent research career and during all this time, HIV-1 and AIDS have been a global public health crisis. Trying to outsmart 10 kilobases of RNA has been truly challenging, and we have learnt a lot about the virus, as well as our immune system. Despite a mammoth global effort to control the virus, the HIV-1 pandemic continues to be a public health threat. Even on the broader landscape of antiretroviral treatment and prevention, the HIV-1 vaccine remains the best solution and likely a necessary component of any package halting the HIV-1 pandemic.

What are your goals as an IAS change maker?

I aim to contribute to the global awareness that we are not likely to treat ourselves out of the HIV-1 pandemic. We need a safe, effective, affordable and accessible HIV-1 vaccine, and we must ensure that all the stakeholders, including research funders, politicians, governments and decision makers on all continents, are on the same page.

While vaccine research typically focuses on the induction of broadly neutralizing antibodies, prevention and cure of more difficult diseases, such as HIV-1 and AIDS, may depend on engaging the right innate and both arms of adaptive immune responses, including induction of protective T cells. My second goal, therefore, is to contribute to an effective HIV-1 vaccine by developing a strategy for induction of protective killer T cells.

Finally, nurturing young people's interest in science is essential for fostering a society equipped to tackle current and future challenges efficiently.