Forty years ago, when a UCLA physician published a three-page report first identifying the disease that would become known as AIDS, few imagined the devastating toll that would follow.
Though medical treatment has progressed, laws that discriminate against people based their HIV-positive status remain on the books across the United States.
The veteran firefighter, who expects to earn his Ph.D. in chemistry in winter quarter, is using his knowledge to improve the health and safety of his colleagues.