Professor Stephen Locarnini, BSc(Hons), PhD, MBBS, FRC(Path) is from the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL, originally Fairfield Hospital Laboratory) where he has worked since 1989.  He was Director of Laboratory Services from 1990-1998 and then assumed the position of Head, Research & Molecular Development of VIDRL.  He is also Director of World Health Organisation Regional Reference Laboratory for Viral Hepatitis B and the Collaborating Centre for Virus Reference and Research.  His current major research interests include viral hepatitis and antiviral chemotherapy with an emphasis on the basic virology of the various agents of hepatitis, the molecular pathogenesis of hepatitis, as well as prevention and public health control measures.  The treatment of hepatitis B and C infections with antiviral agents represents a major focus.  He is also interested in intellectual property issues when applied to clinical virology.Professor Locarnini is the recipient of numerous awards including the Malaysian Liver Foundation Medal for work on Viral Hepatitis, the Bristol Myers Squibb Freedom to Discover Award and a recent recipient of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) award for Scientific Recognition.  He is author of more than 199 peer-reviewed articles, 15 invited editorials and over 70 book chapters and reviews and has delivered a number of invited and plenary lectures at major conferences.Professor Locarnini has appointments at both Melbourne and Monash Universities, Melbourne.  He is on a number of Scientific Advisory Boards of a number of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.  He is an Editor for Antiviral Therapy and on the Editorial Board of Antiviral Chemistry and Chemotherapy, Antiviral Research and Antimicrobial Agents & Chemotherapy. His is recently the co-founder of the NGO, Coalition to Eradicate Viral Hepatitis in the Asia-Pacific Region (CEVHAP).