EDWARD W HOOK III, MD – UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM AL, USA Dr Hook is an endowed Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Microbiology and Epidemiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. He is Principal Investigator for the NIH-funding STD Cooperative Research Center, the UAB/FHI STI Clinical Trials Group and the CDC-funded STD/HIV Prevention Center. His research has informed the practice of STD management on a variety of topics including diagnosis and management of gonorrhea, chlamydial infection, syphilis and syndromic management of STIs, leading epidemiologic, diagnostic, translational and multicenter treatment trials. Dr Hook has authored over 320 peer-reviewed papers, 20 Editorial/ commentaries, and 50 book chapters. He has served as an advisor to the WHO, NIH, CDC in multiple capacities including as a member of the advisory committee for every revision of the CDC STD Treatment Guidelines from 1985 to the present time.