Professor Stephen Locarnini (MD, PhD) is a medical virologist and an internationally recognized authority in the field of hepatitis virology. His current position is as the Head of Research & Molecular Development at the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL). He is also Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Reference Laboratory for Hepatitis B virus, both located at the new Doherty Institute in Melbourne. Prof Locarnini’s area of research is predominantly viral hepatitis. The focus of the research since early 1990 has been blood borne viruses: hepatitis B, hepatitis C and co-infection with human immunodeficiency virus. 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 development of cure strategies and also prevention and public health control measures. Stephen Locarnini is co-founder of the non-Government Organization known as CEVHAP, the Coalition to Eradicate Viral Hepatitis in Asia-Pacific which is working closely with the WHO to implement the WHO Global Hepatitis Program.