NEW YORK CITY, Sept. 30—David D. Ho, M.D., the trailblazing AIDS researcher who was instrumental in designing the widely used AIDS cocktail of therapeutic drugs, has been chosen as the first recipient of the new Lewis and Jack Rudin New York Prize for Medical Research. Dr. Ho will receive the award on Oct. 30 during an evening reception at The New York Academy of Medicine, co-hosted by Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA). After the award presentation, Dr. Ho will deliver a free lecture entitled, “HIV in 2010: What Will the Science Allow?”

The Rudin Prize for Medical Research was established by the Rudin family to provide a forum for a distinguished member of the medical community to receive recognition from the New York health care community and to share his or her innovative research and strategies for addressing health care concerns. Dr. Ho, who has been at the forefront of AIDS research for 20 years, is a deserving first recipient. He is founding Scientific Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, a world-renowned biomedical research institute. He is also the Irene Diamond Professor at The Rockefeller University, and has published more than 250 papers on HIV/AIDS.

“Dr. Ho is uniquely qualified to speak about the prospects for scientific progress concerning HIV/AIDS in the next 10 years, having been involved in AIDS research almost since the epidemic began,” said Academy President Dr. Jeremiah A. Barondess. “Dr. Ho helped to elucidate the relationship between a person’s viral load and treatment needs, and was instrumental in figuring out how the virus attacks and how the immune system reacts. He has been a consistent leader in clarifying the dynamics of the infection, and his discoveries were fundamental to modern treatment.”

“I cannot think of a more deserving first recipient of the Lewis and Jack Rudin New York Prize for Medical Research than Dr. Ho,” said GNYHA President Kenneth E. Raske. “His pursuit of therapeutic options that could one day eradicate HIV advances the practice of medicine today and educates the physicians of tomorrow. He is a perfect example of why the metropolitan New York academic medicine and research community is the most talented in the world.”

The Rudin family has a long tradition of service and philanthropy in New York City, establishing endowments at universities and institutions throughout the city, and funding student internships and scholarships, professorships and lecture series. The late Lewis Rudin was the Co-Chairman, with his brother Jack, of the Rudin Management Company, one of the city’s largest real estate builders, owners and managers. Lewis Rudin was also the Chairman of the Association for a Better New York (ABNY), which he founded in 1971. Jack Rudin, Chairman of the Rudin Management Company, established the Lewis and Jack Rudin New York Prize for Medical Research this year. The Rudin Prize is supported by the May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation and is scheduled to be given annually.

Dr. Ho will use the lecture to discuss his view of the potential for scientific progress over the next decade that will likely affect the epidemiology, prevention, clinical care and outcome of HIV/AIDS in the United States. The target audience for Dr. Ho’s lecture includes scientists, medical students, physicians, health care professionals, and members of the lay public with an interest in learning about the future of HIV/AIDS,. The lecture is free and open to the public, but registration is required. The event will take place from 6- 7 p.m. at the Academy, which is located at 1216 Fifth Ave., at 103rd Street. For directions visit http://www.nyam.org/directions.shtml. Members of the press should register to attend by calling Kathryn Cervino at (212) 822-7285 or Brian Conway at (212) 506-5477.

About the Academy
The New York Academy of Medicine is a non-profit institution founded in 1847 that is dedicated to enhancing the health of the public through research, education, and advocacy, with a particular focus on urban populations, especially the disadvantaged.

About GNYHA
Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA) represents more than 220 not-for-profit hospitals and continuing care facilities, both voluntary and public, in the New York City metropolitan area, as well as in New Jersey, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.

About the Award Recipient
David D. Ho, M.D., is the founding Scientific Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, a world-renowned biomedical research institute. He is also the Irene Diamond Professor at The Rockefeller University. Dr. Ho received his degrees from California Institute of Technology (1974) and Harvard Medical School (1978). He subsequently completed hi clinical training in internal medicine and infectious diseases at the UCLA School of Medicine (1978-1982) and Massachusetts General Hospital (1982-1985). Dr. Ho has been actively engaged in AIDS research for 20 years, and is perhaps most recognized for elucidating the dynamic nature of HIV replication in infected persons. He was named Time magazine’s Man of the Year in 1996, received a Presidential Medal in 2001, and has received numerous other honors and awards for his scientific accomplishments.

Posted on 09/30/2003

Contact:
Andrew J. Martin
Director of Communications
The New York Academy of Medicine
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www.nyam.org