Despite dramatic progress in prevention and treatment of HIV, the pandemic continues, and two million people are newly infected each year. Thus, the need for a preventive vaccine for HIV is as urgent as ever. Intensive research in basic immunology and virology as well as empirical clinical trial data continues to yield insights that inform vaccine efforts. The 2019 HIV Vaccines conference presents the latest results from human clinical studies of candidate vaccines as well as the use of monoclonal antibodies for prevention; novel HIV neutralizing antibodies and their developmental pathways; T cell functions in killing and B cell help; structural insights and immunogen design; and the intersection of research for HIV eradication/cure with research on HIV vaccines, including interventions after very early antiretroviral therapy. The program also includes a session on the process of bringing candidate vaccines to clinical trial, told from the diverse perspectives of laboratory investigators, industrial production, funders and clinical researchers on the front lines.