Alison Elliott is theme leader for Endemic, Neglected, Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases and head of the Immunomodulation and Vaccines research programme at the MRC/Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) Unit.  She is also director of the Makerere University – UVRI Centre of Excellence for Infection and Immunity Research and Training, and Professor of Tropical Medicine at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.  She became interested in parasitology and research in Africa as an undergraduate and this interest was encouraged further by an elective in The Gambia.  After completing medical training she joined the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and, during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, undertook studies on the interaction between tuberculosis and HIV infection in Zambia.  An infectious diseases fellowship in Denver, Colorado, followed, providing an opportunity to learn about management of drug resistant tuberculosis and about laboratory immunology.  This enabled her to plan and conduct subsequent clinical-immuno-epidemiological studies.  Since 1997 she has been based in Uganda at the Uganda Virus Research Institute.  Current interests focus on the effects of chronic, immunomodulating infections (such as helminth infections) on immune responses to vaccines and on infectious and allergic disease incidence in children in Uganda; and on research capacity building in Africa.