Hans Jörnvall (Karolinska Institutet), who had known and collaborated with Bert since the 1970s, came back to Bert’s lab for his VVP sabbatical.

Douglas Rees (California Institute of Technology) was welcomed to the University of Oxford on two separate visits of two weeks each time where he was hosted by Dame Louise Johnson and Fraser Armstrong.

“I was concerned there might be a connection between the Vallee Foundation and Bert Vallee, and if so, I was certain I was invited in error. My apprehension was based on having performed my thesis research on carboxypeptidase A crystallography with William Lipscomb and it was fair to say that the relationship between these two former collaborators was not warm and fuzzy. Given my background, I couldn’t believe I would be given the opportunity to participate in the VVP program. To my pleasant surprise, Bert did know about my past, but I was still considered acceptable.   There are many mechanisms for [getting scientists together], but the VVP program is extraordinarily effective and I am grateful to the Vallee Foundation for providing me with this opportunity.”  (Douglas Rees, VVP 2005)