Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville Tennessee has been involved in vaccine research for almost 40 years. With the start of the search for a safe effective vaccine to help prevent HIV, the vaccine program at Vanderbilt joined other research sites in that effort in 1987.
In 1999 we joined an international collaboration called the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN).  The HVTN is funded through the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  As part of this network, we are linked with sites all over the world that are working together to find a preventative HIV vaccine.  

Mission
To participate in the clinical trials program to do clinical trials that will lead to a safe effective preventive HIV vaccine that will work everywhere in the world.
 

Principal Investigator

Spyros Kalams, MD is the Principal Investigator of the Vanderbilt HIV Vaccine Trials Unit, and is interested in evaluating the immune responses generated by HIV vaccine candidates in HIV seronegative subjects.  As part of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group he is also interested in evaluating ways to augment HIV-specific immunity through therapeutic immunization of subjects infected with HIV.

Co-Investigators

Gregory Wilson, MD studies HIV infection in children and is director of the Vanderbilt Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Subunit. He also is the Co-Investigator of the Vanderbilt HIV Vaccine Trials unit. His HIV research interests are non-cytotoxic CD8 lymphocyte control of viral replication and the design of treatment strategies for children who develop resistance to combination antiretroviral therapy.  On-going research in Dr. Wilson's laboratory includes analysis of wild-type and mutant 3 proteins to identify specific regions in 3 that influence disassembly of reovirus virions.
 

Clinic Coordinator

Kyle Rybczyk, MSN, FNP is the Clinic Coordinator for the Vanderbilt HIV Vaccine Program. He has been working with the program in the clinical setting since 1992.  Additional research efforts have focused on the social implications of vaccine trial participation, the study of mucosal antibody in HIV, and community advocacy in HIV vaccine trials.  He is also the clinic coordinator representative on the Vaccine-Induced Seropositivity taskforce.
 

Nursing staff

 Our friendly nursing staff will guide you through the entire process of volunteering for HIV vaccine clinical trials.  Katie is a Family Nurse Practitioner and has been working with the HIV Vaccine Trials unit since 1994.  

Shawan joined the team in 2008.  She has been a nurse for ten years working in several different areas: med/surg, long term care, psych and as an LPN instructor.  She looks forward to expanding her nursing skills and knowledge with her position as a research nurse. 

Laboratory Personnel

Rita Smith is Laboratory Director for the Vanderbilt HIV Vaccine Program. She provides supervision and coordination of laboratory assays and shipping for clinical vaccine trials.


 

Gwendolyn Rees is a senior laboratory technician for the Vanderbilt HIV Vaccine Program. Her skills include cell separation and freezing, database management, and a wide variety of molecular biology skills.

 

 
Frances Robinson directs the serology and shipping activities of the Vanderbilt HIV Vaccine Program. She is skilled in poxvirus neutralization assays and laboratory management, as well as a variety of molecular biology techniques.

Community Outreach and Recruitment Staff

Casey Braddy graduated from Austin Peay State University in 2007 with her B.S. in Biology with a Minor in Leadership Studies. After developing education and outreach experience through terms as an AmeriCorps member, she currently attends events all over Nashville to educate the community about HIV Vaccine Research at Vanderbilt.  She is also the staff liaison to the Community Advisory Board. 

If you are interested in participating in a trial, Casey will schedule an education session with you to explain all of the details of trial participation.  She will walk you through the process and go over the consent form with you.  For information about the trials, you can contact her at:

Casey Braddy
Community Educator and Recruiter
(615) 322-0873
casey.h.braddy@vanderbilt.edu
 
To reach other members of the staff or the clinic,
please dial:
(615) 322-HOPE(4673)
or toll-free 1-888-559-HOPE (4673)