Scientific Advisory
Timothy M. Block, Ph.D.
Professor and Director, Drexel Institute for Biotechnology and Virology Research, Doylestown, PA, USA
Dr. Block is the founder of the Hepatitis B Foundation of America, the only
not-for-profit organization specifically committed to the cause of HBV. His
public advocacy initiative has resulted in raising awareness of the worldwide
problem of HBV across the globe. Dr. Block was involved in the discovery
of "NBDNJ",
a plant sugar that was found to prevent the secretion of HBV from liver cells
without killing the cells. NBDNJ has now received the trade name "glycovir" and,
in an improved form, is being tested for its therapeutic potential. His other
major discovery in antiviral research is the development of a novel micro organism
based assay for antiviral drugs, called "MOBA". In 1990, Dr. Block
received the WW Smith award for the discovery of MOBA. In 1998, Dr. Block was
named "Scientist of the Year" by the American Liver Foundation and
received an Honorary Degree from the Romanian Academy of Sciences for basic
science advances in viral hepatitis. Dr. Block serves on the Board of Directors
of the Hepatitis B Foundation and the Delaware Valley Chapter of the American
Liver Foundation and is a Fellow of the International Union Against Cancer
and the Glycobiology Institute, Oxford University. He is the founder of Jefferson
Center for Biomedical Research.
Chris Bleackley, Ph.D.
Professor of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta
Dr. Bleackley completed his Ph.D. at the University of Birmingham in 1975. He obtained postdoctoral training with Dr. Vern Paetkau at the University of Alberta . Dr. Bleackley's research has concentrated on the immune system and how activated T-cells will kill target cells such as cancer cells or cells infected with a virus. His work has described the mechanism of T-cell killing through the granzyme B system. Dr. Bleackley has been recognized internationally for his contributions to the mechanism by which immune cells kill targeted cells. He is a Distinguished Scientist of the Canadian Institute of Health Research (formerly the Medical Research Council of Canada), a Scientist of the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, a Howard Hughes Scholar, and holds a Canada Research Chair at the University of Alberta . He is a member of the Canadian Centre of Excellence on Vaccine Development - CANVAC. He was the recipient of the Noble prize awarded annually by the National Cancer Institute of Canada for excellence in cancer research. Dr. Bleackley also received the David Thompson Award for excellence in molecular biology from McGill University in 2001.
Tim Mosmann, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, Rochester Institute for Biological Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center Dr. Mosmann obtained his Ph.D. at the University of British Columbia and did postdoctoral research at the University of Toronto and University of Glasgow . He was an assistant professor at the University of Alberta , a research scientist at DNAX Research Institute in Palo Alto , California and was the Chairman of the Department of Immunology. In 1996, he was recruited to lead the new Centre for Vaccine Biology and Immunology at the University of Rochester Medical Centre . Dr. Mosmann is known internationally for his pioneering work on cytokines and the ability of cytokines to direct the immune response to a predominantly humoral immune response TH2 or predominantly a cellular immune response TH1. This discovery has been the crucial event in understanding immune responses and forms the basis of vaccine development for infectious diseases from parasitology to virology and in scientific attempts to develop effective immune responses to cancer. Dr. Mosmann has won many honours and awards for his unique contributions to understanding the immune system. These include the ASTech Award for Outstanding Leadership in Alberta Science.
Christopher M. Walker Ph.D.
Director, Center for Vaccines and Immunity, The Columbus Children's Research Institute, Columbus, OH, USA
Dr. Walker is one of the world’s leading HCV immunologists. He is a Professor
at the Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical
Genetics, The Columbus Children’s Research Institute and The Ohio State
University, Columbus, OH, USA. He obtained his Ph.D in Virology and Immunology
from McMaster University in Canada. He has extensive research experience in
the area of HCV at Chiron Corporation Emeryville, CA, USA, as the Director,
Associate Director, Principal Scientist and Senior Scientist for the Immunology
Program, Virology and Vaccine Development. Dr. Walker has published extensively
in the area of HCV immunology. He serves on many committees such as United
States-Japan Co-operative Medical Science Program (Hepatitis Panel), Wellcome
Trust Review, Division of Infection and Immunity, London, UK, NIH Center for
Scientific Review, Special Emphasis Panel on HCV Pathogenesis and Immunity,
Digestive Diseases Interagency Coordinating Committee to develop Action Plan
for Liver Disease Research (NIH) and NIH/NIAID Special Emphasis Panel “Development
of Immune Monitoring Reagents and MHC Typing Technologies for Non-Human Primates”.
Dr. Walker serves on the Editorial Boards of Journal of Hepatology and Journal
of Virology.