Roughly one-third of the world’s population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium responsible for tuberculosis (TB) disease. HIV-1, the virus that causes AIDS, currently infects approximately 42 million people. TB is, in turn, the single biggest killer of patients infected with HIV, having caused one-third to one-half of all AIDS deaths. TB and HIV create a vicious circle of infection in their host, each pathogen enhancing the virulence of the other through their individual manipulation of the body’s immune response. Genetic and species-specific factors are involved in the outcome of each infection, and the social factor of poverty is a prominent driver and consequence of disease exposure and outcome from TB or HIV-1. Synthetic studies at the interface of basic research and delivery of care illustrate the power of scientific thinking beyond borders and are necessary to obtain new solutions and paradigms. The goal of this session is to demonstrate the powerful synergy between basic biology, research in the laboratory or in field studies, a global perspective, and public health strategies in TB and AIDS.