Mario Stevenson, Ph.D., is Professor of Medicine and Chief of Division of Infectious Diseases at the Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami. He is also Director of the University of Miami AIDS Institute of AIDS and emerging infectious diseases and Director of the UM Center of the Global Virus Network. He received his doctorate from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland and performed postdoctoral studies at the University of Nebraska Medical Center where he was also a professor. He conducted a research sabbatical at National Institute for Medical Research in London and joined the Program in Molecular Medicine at the University of Massachusetts where he was the Director of the Center for AIDS Research at the University of Massachusetts Medical School for twelve years. Dr. Stevenson’s research is aimed at uncovering the functions of viral accessory genes, mechanisms of viral persistence and immunopathogenicity as well as cellular factors influencing virus-host cell interplay. In addition to his research and academic responsibilities, Dr. Stevenson contributes to several scientific societies and research boards. He has been Adjunct Trustee for the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) as well as Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board. He has been chair of the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections and member and chair of NIAID AIDS Virology Study Section. He is in the editorial board of many journals such as Journal of Virology, Virology, AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, Journal of Human Virology, Journal of General Virology. In the year 2000 he was recognized by the National Institute of Health by receiving their Merit Award for his significant research efforts.