Presidential Distinguished Speaker Series: David Ho (BS '74)
David Ho (BS '74), widely recognized as one of the world's most influential physician-scientists, will visit Caltech as the next featured guest in the Presidential Distinguished Speaker Series. The series brings eminent speakers to campus to discuss timely topics in science and engineering, culture, public policy, and American higher education.
This in-person event is free and open to Caltech students, postdocs, faculty, and staff members. Registration is required.
Questions or requests for ADA accommodations? Please contact us at events@caltech.edu.
About the Speaker
Dr. David Ho is a professor of microbiology and immunology at Columbia University, the Clyde '56 and Helen We Professor of Medicine, and the founding director of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center. His research on HIV and AIDS in the 1990s advanced the understanding of the virus's rapid mutability and led him to advocate the use of combination antiretroviral therapy to treat the disease. His quantitative approach to medical research, developed while a student at Caltech, resulted in a turning point in the AIDS pandemic. Ho is credited for saving the lives of tens of millions of people who benefited from combination antiretroviral therapy.
Born in Taiwan in 1952, Ho immigrated to Los Angeles at the age of 12. He quickly learned English and graduated at the top of his class at John Marshall High School. He attended Caltech as an undergraduate, majoring in biology. "Caltech taught me how to think, how to tackle problems, how to solve puzzles, and all that formed a very strong foundation for my career," he said in an earlier interview with the Institute. Following graduation, he went on to earn his medical degree from Harvard Medical School and completed his clinical training at UCLA Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital.
As a medical resident, Ho saw some of the earliest cases of HIV/AIDS. The elusiveness of the devastating disease and the emerging epidemic captured his attention. Ho's studies have extended beyond HIV to include coronaviruses, influenza viruses, and Ebola. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, he expanded his focus to understanding and treating SARS-CoV-2 infections.
Ho is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, and the Chinese Academy of Engineering. He was awarded Thailand's Prince Mahidol Award in Medicine and was elected to the California Hall of Fame. He is a recipient of Caltech's Distinguished Alumni Award, and he is a recipient of 15 honorary doctorates. In 1996, Time Magazine named him Man of the Year, and in 2001, he received a Presidential Citizens Medal from President Bill Clinton.
About the Series
Caltech's Presidential Distinguished Speaker Series brings to campus eminent speakers who discuss timely topics in science and engineering, culture, public policy, and American higher education. For more information, visit the speaker series website.
