Dr. Thomas Ksiazek, a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology of UTMB, member of the Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, former head of the CDC Special Pathogens Unit and director of the High-Containment Laboratory Operations at the GNL, has returned from Sierra Leone — one of the epicenters of the Ebola outbreak. Ksiazek along with other experts from UTMB is focused on battling the Ebola virus by providing clinical research, vaccine development, and outbreak response. UTMB researchers are now working on new vaccines and a broad spectrum of treatments for highly lethal viruses like Ebola. Ksiazek received a $26 million collaborative Center of Excellence for Translational Research grant to continue his research. Supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, Ksiazek will collaborate with several researchers and institutions. The capabilities of UTMB’s Sealy Center for Vaccine Development are enhancing this work, since it is one of the most comprehensive vaccine development centers in the world. SCVD researchers are dedicated to finding new ways to treat infectious diseases of every type. The Center was inaugurated in December of 2001, and it includes more than 80 faculty members and more than 100 research programs at the present.