International Vaccine Institute Announces Appointments of New Members to its Board of Trustees

SEOUL, South Korea, Nov. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) announced today that Professor Fred Binka, Dr. Joseph J. Kim, Dr. George R. Siber, and will join the IVI Board of Trustees.  The three new Board members, who hail from Ghana, the United States, and Canada, respectively, will serve a three-year term to oversee the governance and management of the institute. 

"I'm very pleased to welcome Dr. Kim, Dr. Siber, and Professor Binka," said Professor Adel Mahmoud, IVI's Board Chair. "We are pleased that they have agreed to lend their talents and expertise to our Board.  Their collective experience in the vaccine sciences, global health, and business will be invaluable to IVI." 

"The new members bring scientific, industrial, and global health expertise that will boost IVI's ability to make an impact in improving the health of the most impoverished," Dr. Christian Loucq, IVI's Director General added. "IVI has undergone several changes to strengthen its governance and management and to increase transparency. We look forward to capitalizing on the experience and knowledge they bring as we continue to evolve as an institute."

Professor Fred Binka has extensive experience working with both international organizations and governments, mainly in the fields of epidemiology and vaccine research. He is a graduate, summa cum laude, from the University of Basel Switzerland and achieved his MPH with distinction from the Hebrew University Jerusalem in Israel. He has served on and led many international organizational boards, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the GAVI Alliance, and the Wellcome Trust. 

Dr. J. Joseph Kim is an internationally recognized leader in vaccines. He holds a PhD in immunology from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA in Finance from Wharton, as well as dual undergraduate degrees from MIT. As the founder and CEO of Inovio Pharmaceuticals (NYSE MKT: INO), he led his company in their focus on developing prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines for both developed markets and developing-world markets. Dr. Kim has a strong background in both health and public policy including serving as a member of the World Economic Forum's Young Global Leaders as a member for WEF's Global Agenda Council on Korea.

Dr. George R. Siber has spent 38 years developing numerous innovative vaccines, therapeutic antibodies, and diagnostic agents for infectious diseases, most recently as the Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Wyeth Vaccines. A graduate of Bishop's University and McGill University for his MDCM, Dr. Siber boasts close to 200 original articles as an internationally recognized expert in vaccines, in addition to holding 10 unique patents. Dr. Siber oversaw the development of a number of groundbreaking vaccines including Prevenar, the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine which is having a significant impact in reducing pneumonia in children and adults worldwide. Dr. Siber brings a bounty of information and expertise from his background through both the public and private sectors.

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: [email protected]

SOURCE International Vaccine Institute