A single biological medicine that would improve dramatically human health globally is a safe and effective vaccine against HIV/AIDS.  As we await the development of such a vaccine, we undertake research into the scientific basis of protection against HIV mediated by prophylactic vaccination.  We are identifying correlates of protection conferred by recombinant envelope, viral vector and live attenuated vaccine strategies and determining the roles of neutralising antibodies, killer T cells and other vaccine responses in the mechanism of vaccine mediated protection.  Most of this research is funded by competitively awarded grants secured from bodies such as the Medical Research Council, European Union, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and the Gates Foundation and involves effective collaboration with partners and consortia.  The fundamental knowledge will be central to our ability to establish appropriate tests for assessing the quality of future vaccines and ensuring their safety and efficacy.