Dr Julio Montaner is originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina. He received his Medical Degree with Honors from the University of Buenos Aires in 1979. In 1981, Dr. Montaner joined the University of British Columbia (UBC) at St Paul’s Hospital (SPH) where he completed his training in Internal Medicine and Respiratory Medicine. While still in training, he led several clinical studies that demonstrated the role of adjunctive corticosteroids in PCP-related respiratory failure. In 1988, he became the Director of the AIDS Research Program and the Immunodeficiency Clinic at SPH/UBC. Since then, he focused his research in the development of antiretroviral therapies and management strategies. In the mid 90’s, he played a key role in establishing the efficacy of NNRTI based highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). This was one of the pivotal contributions emerging from the IAS-sponsored Vancouver 1996 International AIDS Conference, of which he was a co-organizer. He is a Professor of Medicine at UBC and has held the Endowed Chair in AIDS Research at SPH/UBC since 1996. He is a founding Co-Director of the Canadian HIV Trials Network. He is the Director of the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. He has been a member of the International AIDS Society since 1988, an elected member of the North American Region since 2002 and the current President (2008-2010). Dr. Montaner has authored over 350 scientific publications on HIV/AIDS. His current research interests include HAART as prevention, optimal use of HAART, salvage therapy, new antiretrovirals, as well as hard to reach populations and harm reduction. In 2008, he received the inaugural Avant-Garde Award of $2.5 million over 5 years, from the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to support his project entitled “Seek and Treat for Optimal Outcomes and Prevention in HIV & AIDS in IDU (STOP HIV/AIDS)”. In September 2009, he was the recipient of the $100,000 Knowledge Translation Award from the Canadian Institutes of Health (CIHR). Most recently, in November 2009, he was inducted into the Royal Society of Canada-The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences (RSC). Founded in 1882, the RSC, consisting of distinguished Canadian scholars, artists and scientists, is Canada’s senior and most prestigious scholarly organization.