Jose Esparza

Jose Esparza is an accomplished expert in virology and global health, currently serving as a Robert Koch Fellow at the Robert Koch Institute and as an Adjunct Professor of Medicine at the Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine. With extensive experience spanning several decades, Esparza has held significant positions such as Senior Advisor for Global Health (Vaccines) and Senior Advisor for HIV Vaccines at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where Jose played a pivotal role in launching major initiatives like the Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery (CAVD). Previous roles include Coordinator of the WHO-UNAIDS HIV Vaccine Initiative and Chief of the Vaccine Development Unit at the World Health Organization. Esparza's academic credentials include a PhD in Virology and Cell Biology from Baylor College of Medicine and an MD from Universidad del Zulia.