Video Webinars – Outbreak: Epidemics in a Connected World | Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

A display of AIDS artifacts, including a t-shirt, signs, and buttons. — A collection of HIV Activism material, on loan from the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and currently on display in the exhibition, "Outbreak: Epidemics in a Connected World" at the National Museum of Natural History. Photo by James Di Loreto; Lucia RM Martino; and Fred Cochard, Smithsonian Institution

AIDS at the Intersection of Community, Science, and Policy

A Three-Part Series for World AIDS Day 2020

December 1-3, 2020

Since 1988 World AIDS Day has been an opportunity to remember those lost and support those affected, while uniting in the goal of ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This three-part webinar series honors those who have made a difference: healthcare workers who comforted those with AIDS, activists who fought and still fight for better policies and treatments, and scientists who have worked for decades to save lives.

All programs were moderated by Sabrina Sholts, Curator of Biological Anthropology.

Part 1: HIV Activists and Caretakers

Four men holding a banner that reads, A.I.D.S.: We need research - not hysteria! — Photo credit: Rollis University/New York Historical Society

December 1, 2020

When young gay men started dying from HIV-related illnesses in the early 80s, healthcare workers and community activists fought for action from an apathetic government. Their efforts ignited a movement that improved access to health care and extended civil rights for the LGBTQ community in American society. The first program in the series looks back at the work and successes of HIV activists and caretakers confronting the HIV pandemic.

Speakers:

Cecilia Chung, Director of Evaluation and Strategic Initiatives at Transgender Law Center
Sasha Cuttler, Ph.D. RN was among the first nurses at San Francisco General Hospital, Ward 5B, a ward dedicated to treating AIDS patients in compassionate ways.
Sean Strub, Executive Director of the Sero Project

Watch the Webinar Video: HIV Activists and Caretakers

Part 2: Scientific Advances in HIV Detection and Treatment

View of the AIDS Quilt on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. — Photo credit: Names Project Foundation

December 2, 2020

When HIV emerged in the U.S., there was no treatment and no hope for those infected. Now, after four decades of research, it’s possible to live a long life with HIV, and the diagnostic tools needed to end the HIV epidemic could be in hand. The second program in the series explores the scientific advances made in HIV detection and treatment, as well as the obstacles we must overcome to make an HIV-free future a reality.

Speakers:

Seble Kassaye, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Medicine/Infectious Diseases, Georgetown University
Robert Yarchoan, M.D., Chief of the HIV and AIDS Malignancy Branch at the National Cancer Institute

Watch the Webinar Video: Scientific Advances in HIV Detection and Treatment

Part 3: How Laws and Policies Affect the Spread of HIV

A huge red AIDS ribbon on the side of a building. — Photo credit: Tim Evanson via Wikimedia CC BY-SA 2.0.

December 3, 2020

Law and policy affect the success or failure of the public health response to HIV. While there are policies that continue to support funding for HIV research, laws that criminalize HIV encourage stigma and prevent people from seeking testing. The third and final program in the series features experts on how current laws and policies affect the spread of HIV infections.

Speakers:

Jada Hicks, J.D., Supervising Attorney at the Center for HIV Law and Policy
Gregorio Millett, M.P.H., Vice President and Director of Public Policy at amfAR

Watch the Webinar Video: How Laws and Policies Affect the Spread of HIV