Dr. Francoise Barre- Sinoussi, the winner of the 2008 Nobel Physiology or Medicine Prize and one of the discoverers of the Immunodeficiency Syndrome Virus (HIV/AIDS), gave a lecture at NTHU on October 5^th on the topic of "HIV/AIDS Vaccine Research: From Today's Realities to Tomorrow's Hope". With further anticipated research and resolution to the black death of the twentieth century, people of many different fields were attracted to attend the lecture and seized this rare opportunity to interact with the Nobel Laureate.

President Lih J. Chen opened the lecture with a short speech. He first thanked Dr. Francoise Barre-Sinoussi for sharing her academic research, allowing everyone to get a better understanding of the current and future development of a cure to AIDS. President Chen also praised her discovery and study on HIV which has been a major contribution to human society.

Over the past decade there has been great progress on AIDS-related research. However, Professor Barre-Sinoussi explained that with increasing numbers of AIDS cases worldwide, the development of new strategies to prevent and treat AIDS aside from currently existing prevention methods are urgently needed. She believes that the ineffective measures of utilizing traditional vaccination are caused by of our inadequate understanding of the early HIV infection and illness.

The path of developing an AIDS vaccine still needs continuous efforts. Professor Barr Sinoussi earnestly described the current situation. She said that the AIDS virus has been found for 27 years, but research is limited due to animal testing models, the variability of HIV's origin, and its subtle evasion of the immune system's detection.

Although the effectiveness of the current AIDS vaccine is slightly disappointing, Professor Barr Sinoussi believes that there is a chance for a better AIDS vaccines in the near future if we can establish effective testing mechanism with establishment of effective testing and further clinical research. Scientists are continuing their ongoing effort, hoping the future combination of newer technology, innovation and high risk concepts, as well as the integration of basic and clinical science can contribute to the development of the new AIDS vaccine.

The discovery of the HIV virus in 1983 has become a milestone to the following AIDS related research, diagnosis and treatment, and has made a great impact on AIDS prevention. Dr. Barr Sinoussi is currently the professor of the Virology Department at Institute Pasteur of Paris, France. Aside from the long-term study of the HIV virus in the laboratory, she has also promoted AIDS prevention and control practices among the international community.