About Us

VaccinApe is a loose consortium of individuals and institutions dedicated to realizing the potential of vaccination as a tool for the conservation of great apes in the wild. Our Strategy for Great Ape Vaccination was developed through a long consultative process with a Scientific Advisory Committee composed of leading experts in a variety of fields. Progress towards realizing the Strategy is coordinated by a Steering Committee but each component of the Strategy is implemented independently by individual members and a few key institutions that currently play leading roles.

Steering Committee

We are a volunteer organization with members drawn from primatology, conservation, wildlife disease ecology, veterinary science, virology, and the fields of vaccine research, development, and manufacturing.

Allard Blom

Tom Monath

  • www.kpcb.com
  • Kleiner Perkins & Caulfield & Byers
  • Virologist
  • Biodefense Vaccinology

Peter Walsh

  • Independent Researcher
  • Quantitative Ecologist
  • Ape Population Dynamics

Kelly Warfield

Keith Wells

Lead Institutions

 World Wildlife Fund-World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)The WWF-US has played an integral part in the planning process as well as providing administrative and financial support. WWF’s Dzanga-Sangha Project in Central African Republic also provides logistical support and participates directly in field activities
Integrated Biotherapeutics (IBT) IBT is coordinating the testing of its virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine against Ebola virus as well as developing and implementing fecal assays to measure disease exposure and vaccination success.
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI) MPI provides expert input on primatological issues and manages funds for VaccinApe field activities.
Kansas State University (KSU) KSU provides expert input on veterinary science issues and manages funds for vaccine testing.

Donors

 The Wallace Global Fund (WGF) Supports field studies on vaccine delivery, pilot measles and Ebola vaccination studies, fecal assay development and vaccine licensing.
The World Wildlife Fund-World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) WWF-US supports field studies on Ebola reservoir dynamics and pilot studies on measles vaccination.
The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation (PGAFF) PGAFF supports Ebola vaccine safety trials as well as studies on more efficient vaccine adjuvants.
Integrated Biotherapeutics (IBT) IBT both donates use of its virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine against Ebola virus and provides substantial in-kind laboratory assistance and expert advice.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) NSF supports the working group on Efficient Wildlife Vaccination at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS).
Biologics Consulting Group BCG donates a significant amount of time towards vaccine development.
Center for Biosecurity of UPMC The Center helped to launch the VaccinApe effort and also hosted the first Scientific Committee Meeting in Baltimore, MD in August of 2008.
Arnold & Porter LLP Arnold & Porter have been providing legal advice surrounding veterinary licensing of an ebola vaccine.