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.