SEOUL, Republic Of Korea, Sept. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Vaccine Institute (IVI), a Seoul-based non-profit international organization devoted to research in vaccine development and delivery for the developing world, announced the appointment of Jerome H. Kim, M.D., as the organization’s Director General, effective early 2015.

“Jerome’s scientific knowledge, technical expertise, and organizational and leadership skills make him an ideal fit for the position,” said Prof. Adel A. Mahmoud, Chair of IVI’s Board of Trustees. “With his distinguished track record in vaccine research & development and passionate commitment to vaccines, he will bring strong scientific leadership and management of a dynamic international organization.”

“I am honored by the opportunity to join IVI, and I look forward to working with the IVI team, partners, and donors,” said Dr. Kim, “IVI is a very unique organization. Its breadth in vaccinology spans research & development, epidemiology, technology transfer, policy and access. Together, we will improve the health and wellbeing of the world’s poorest populations through fulfilling IVI’s mission to discover, develop, and deliver safe, effective and affordable vaccines for developing nations.”

A medical doctor by training and a colonel in the United States Army Medical Corps, Dr. Kim is a recognized leader in HIV research and HIV vaccine development. He was named one of “The 50 Most Influential People in Vaccines” in 2014 by the vaccine industry organization Vaccine Nation. Dr. Kim was the Principal Deputy and Chief of the Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Pathogenesis at the U.S. Military HIV Research Program (MHRP) and the U.S. Army’s Project Manager for the HIV Vaccines and Advanced Concepts Evaluation and Staging.

He was the U.S. Army lead for the Phase III HIV vaccine trial (RV144), which was the first to show that an HIV vaccine could protect against infection, as well as subsequent studies that identified laboratory correlates and HIV sequence changes associated with vaccination. His research interests include HIV molecular epidemiology, host genetics, and HIV vaccine development. He has authored over 140 publications.

Dr. Kim is a Professor of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and the Infectious Diseases Society of America. He received his M.D. from the Yale University School of Medicine, and completed his training in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Duke University Medical Center.

“As IVI’s host country and donor, the Republic of Korea is pleased with the appointment of Dr. Kim,” said Dr. Young-Soon Kang, Director General of the International Cooperation Bureau, South Korea’s Ministry of Education, “Dr. Kim is a well-respected and internationally renowned scientist and leader. Under his leadership, IVI is well-positioned to move to the next level, not only in research but also as an organization.”

“IVI has been an important long-term partner and grantee of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,” added Dr. Anita Zaidi, Director of Enteric and Diarrheal Diseases at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, “Therefore we are delighted that Dr. Jerome Kim will be the next Director General of IVI. We look forward to the greater contributions that IVI will make in developing and deploying vaccines for underserved populations under his leadership.”

About IVI

The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) is the world’s only international organization devoted exclusively to developing and introducing new and improved vaccines to protect the world’s poorest people, especially children in developing countries. Established in 1997, IVI operates as an independent international organization under a treaty signed by 35 countries and the World Health Organization. The Institute conducts research in more than 20 countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America on vaccines against enteric and diarrheal infections, Japanese encephalitis, and dengue fever, and develops new and improved vaccines at its headquarters in Seoul, Republic of Korea. For more information, please visit www.ivi.int.

Media Contact:

Tae Kyung Byun
Public Awareness/Advocacy Officer, IVI
Phone: +82-2-872-2801 (Ext. 159)
Mobile: +82-11-9773-6071
Email: tkbyun@ivi.int

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SOURCE International Vaccine Institute