UCLA AIDS Institute
From the earliest days of the AIDS pandemic, UCLA has been at the forefront of HIV research.
About Us
The UCLA AIDS Institute, founded in 1992, arose from the urgent need for HIV/AIDS research following the discovery of the first reported AIDS cases by UCLA physicians in 1981. Under the foundational leadership of Dr. Irvin S.Y. Chen, the Institute established a multidisciplinary research environment that spans fields from virology and immunology to epidemiology and social sciences. Now directed by infectious disease expert Dr. Otto O. Yang, the Institute promotes innovative, cross-disciplinary efforts to advance HIV prevention, treatment, and cure research on campus and across international sites, including India, China, and sub-Saharan Africa.
Institute members engage in collaborative, cutting-edge research at the Biomedical Sciences Research Building on UCLA’s south campus, where open-plan labs encourage team-based approaches to tackling HIV/AIDS. This collective expertise has earned the Institute a global reputation, with ongoing studies extending to local and international community settings, clinical centers, and research facilities worldwide. Learn more about us.
Contact Us
For Patient Services, please call the CARE Center at
For General Questions, please call
UCLA Leads the Way
From the earliest days of the AIDS pandemic, UCLA has been at the forefront of HIV research.
UCLA researchers were the first to:
- Describe why early AIDS drugs failed
- Report a case of HIV transmission through breast milk-in patient Ariel Glaser, daughter of Paul and Elizabeth Glaser
- Demonstrate clearance of HIV from an infected infant
- Identify, clone, and characterize HIV in the brain
- Discover that some individuals are wholly or partially resistant to HIV infection
- Report the epidemic of HIV infection among plasma donors in China
- Show that the adult thymus can help rebuild an HIV-ravaged immune system
- Develop an animal model for HIV, thereby enabling scientists to test new drug therapies.
- Demonstrate the clinical activity of AZT (zidovudine) in HIV-positive patients
- Devise treatments for patients who don't respond to standard multidrug HIV therapy
- Reduce mother-to-child transmission rates by pioneering the use of the drug AZT in HIV-positive pregnant women
- Demonstrate the feasibility of stem-cell gene therapy in HIV
Donations
World AIDS Day
This World AIDS Day, take a moment to consider that — in just a generation — AIDS has gone from being a terrifying epidemic to a manageable chronic condition. Since making the first identification of an AIDS case in the United States, UCLA has led the charge to prevent the transmission of this disease and care for those living with it.
This World AIDS Day, we invite you to stand with us in our commitment to making a difference. Your support will have a lasting impact on the lives of those affected by HIV/AIDS. Together, we can create a future where HIV/AIDS is no longer a threat.
Your support at any level enables the institute to continue its mission to eradicate HIV/AIDS and improve the lives of countless individuals.
Contact Us
Rina Lee-Cha
Administrator
UCLA AIDS Institute,
UCLA-CDU CFAR
615 Charles E Young Drive South
Biomedical Sciences Research Building,
Room 173
Jina Lee
Managing Director, UCLA-CDU CFAR
Administrator, UCLA AIDS Institute
615 Charles E Young Drive South
Biomedical Sciences Research Building,
Room 173
Los Angeles, CA 90095
310-794-3955 FAX
Enrique Rivero
Media Relations Officer
UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations
924 Westwood Blvd., Suite 350
Los Angeles, CA 90095-7103
Phone: ;
Fax: 310-794-2259
UCLA Health Sciences Development
10945 Le Conte Avenue, Suite 3132
Los Angeles, CA 90095