David Robb: Researching treatment solutions for HIV/AIDS

At the height of the AIDS epidemic, David Robb decided he needed to make a career change from being a film student and San Francisco restaurant employee. With a partner who was HIV+ and friends dying around him, not getting involved in the fight against AIDS did not feel like an option. He then spent a decade working in the HIV non-profit sector before being recruited to UCSF’s newly formed AIDS Research Institute. 

David has been at the AIDS Research Institute ever since. In that time, the changes in HIV/AIDS disease and treatment have been stunning. People now live long, healthy lives with the right treatment, and researchers are beginning to talk about a functional cure. Leaders at UCSF and in the city government are banding together with community groups to make San Francisco the first city to end HIV.

David is proud to say, “When the cure comes, and it will, it’s very likely UCSF will have played a big part in its discovery.” He feels fortunate to work for a place that will leave that kind of legacy.

We are driven by the idea that when the best research, the best education and the best patient care converge, great breakthroughs are achieved. We pursue this excellence through our people. We are all UCSF, united by a driving passion to solve the most challenging health issues of our time and to redefine what's possible. Join the conversation at www.ucsf.edu/oneUCSF.