Award for Distinguished Research in the Biomedical Sciences

Robert C. Gallo, M.D.
University of Maryland School of Medicine

While most people hope to avoid viruses, Robert Gallo spends his waking hours pursuing them. This self-described "virus hunter"—whose development of the first blood test to diagnose AIDS has saved millions of lives—continues to provide the intellectual base for discoveries and findings that offer hope.

Today, as director of the Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMD), Dr. Gallo leads an impressive cadre of more than 300 researchers who work toward innovative therapies and ultimately a preventive HIV vaccine. Founded by Dr. Gallo 13 years ago, the institute also provides AIDS treatment to patients in the United States and nationwide, and under his leadership, has substantially expanded UMD's reach from 200 patients to 5,000.

Prior to coming to UMD, Dr. Gallo spent 30 years at the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Cancer Institute, where he pioneered the field of retrovirology. In 1969, he was appointed head of the section on Cellular Control Mechanism/Human Tumor Cell Biology Branch, and three years later became chief of the Laboratory of Tumor Cell Biology, a position he held for 23 years. While at the NIH, Dr. Gallo and his team identified Interleukin-2 (IL-2), the growth-regulating substance that enables scientists to culture human T-cells outside the human body (and also used in some treatments for cancer and AIDS). In turn, this discovery enabled him to isolate the first known human retrovirus, HTLV-1, and in the early 1980s, identify HTLV-3 (later named HIV) and its link to AIDS. Besides developing the first AIDS blood test, in 1996 Dr. Gallo and his team discovered that a natural compound, called chemokines, could block HIV, as well as slow the progression of AIDS in humans. UMD President E. Albert Reece, M.D., said, because of Robert Gallo, "HIV/AIDS has been changed from a mysterious killer to a diagnosable disease that can be researched, treated, and, perhaps, someday be cured." Earlier this year, Dr. Gallo joined with Dr. Luc A. Montagnier, president of the World Foundation for AIDS and Prevention, and co-discoverer that HIV causes AIDS, to issue an international wake-up call. HIV and AIDS, they wrote, "remain an unparalleled global health threat" and "could worsen unless determined action is taken."

Dr. Gallo's tremendous impact on population health, however, is not confined to the lab, or to defeating the AIDS scourge. A longtime collaborator and adjunct professor of medicine at UMD observed, Dr. Gallo's "life work reflects a total dedication to science with a global impact." He has traveled to numerous African countries, establishing community health care centers to fight AIDS, as well as other infectious diseases such as tuberculosis. His team's 1986 discovery of the first new herpes virus in more than a quarter century was shown to cause the infantile disease, Roseola, and may ultimately be linked to the cause of multiple sclerosis.

Dr. Gallo is also professor of medicine, professor of microbiology and immunology at UMD and heads its Viral Oncology Program at the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center. His scholarly have publications ranked third in the world for scientific impact for nearly 20 years, and between 1980 and 1990, he was the "most cited scientist in the world."

Dr. Gallo earned his A.B. degree from Providence College and his M.D. degree from Jefferson Medical College. He completed his residency training at the University of Chicago.

About the Award for Distinguished Research in the Biomedical Sciences

The AAMC Award for Distinguished Research in the Biomedical Sciences was established in 1947 and recognizes outstanding clinical or laboratory research conducted by a medical school faculty member.

Find out more about the Award for Distinguished Research in the Biomedical Sciences.