In 1981, UCLA physicians reported the very first cases of what was described as “newly acquired immunodeficiency” — the disease entity we now know as AIDS. That discovery — and the subsequent exponential explosion of AIDS cases in Los Angeles, around the country, and around the world — led to the formation of the world-acclaimed UCLA AIDS Institute in 1992.

Under the direction of Dr. Irvin S. Y. Chen, an internationally respected virologist, the UCLA AIDS Institute provides a unique, multidisciplinary think-tank for top-flight researchers who are assailing HIV from a dozen disciplines and directions.

Institute members include faculty who work in the fields of virology and immunology, genetics, cancer, neurology, ophthalmology, epidemiology, social science, public health, nursing, and disease prevention. Their studies are carried out at the UCLA Westwood campus, in community settings, at half a dozen major medical centers in greater Los Angeles, and at scores of locations in India, China, Brazil, and sub-Saharan Africa.

By bringing together this extraordinary aggregation of scientists — each specializing in a different aspect of HIV infection — the Institute encourages the active cross-fertilization of new ideas, ideas that are leading to new approaches to containing, and ultimately conquering, the virus. Significantly, breakthroughs in the field of HIV research have helped to propel advances in the understanding and treatment of diseases such as hepatitis B and C, influenza, and cancer.

Through laboratory research and coordinated patient care, the UCLA AIDS Institute is leading the worldwide effort to eradicate HIV. The Institute’s dedicated scientists are committed to developing more effective education and prevention strategies for at-risk communities around the world, and better treatments for all people living with HIV. Innovative programs that aim to develop a safe and effective HIV vaccine are among the UCLA AIDS Institute’s very highest priorities.