Research Initiative Treatment Action (RITA!); Vol 5, No. 4 October 1999
L. Joel Martinez
Dear Readers,
The summer season in Houston is one of stillness. The air is hot and motionless and we are immobilized because the slightest movement will make us—in the words of my longtime friend, Carolyn—"glisten."
The scientific world seems to be still in summer, too. I suspect it is the lull before the activity of the upcoming Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapies (ICAAC) in San Francisco. By the time you read this newsletter ICAAC will have past and we will be feverishly working on the next edition. ICAAC is the big fall scientific conference and reports about clinical and scientific advancements in HIV/AIDS seem to slow down a bit in anticipation of the flurry of activity associated with the conference.
We have taken this opportunity—our summer holiday, if you will—to cover several basic topics and controversies in AIDS clinical research and practice: drug strategies for 2nd and 3rd line therapies; resistance testing; the pros and cons of therapeutic drug monitoring, thoughts on pathogenesis and some interesting hypotheses regarding viral fitness of protease inhibitor resistant mutants. The heat only slows us down; it doesn't stop us completely.
On a personal note, the center has recently lost two dear friends. John H. O'Donnell, MD, a member of our Community and Medical Advisory Board, a supporter of our efforts from the beginning, father to our employee, Arden. His presence and contributions will be sorely missed. The second, David Delaney, a friend and supporter of the center, also will be missed. We extend our condolences to their families and friends.
We are also inspired by the unwavering support of others. Caroline Burum, a friend of the center and local businessperson, has made her New York City Marathon run an opportunity to raise money for the center. She has surpassed her original monetary goal and is still raising more money. Her generosity overwhelms us.
Finally, my personal friend, Kevin Mischka. Kevin, who lives in Washington, D.C., is flying to Houston to ride in the Texas AIDS Ride in support of the center. Not content simply to ride over 300 miles for AIDS, he is first flying halfway across the country to get to the starting gate. Kevin has been a stalwart, long-distance friend and he is loved for his compassion and persistence as a friend.
These friends are but two of the many supporters who give generously to our cause. They, like all of our contributors, provide us with the impetus to carry forth.
Very truly yours,
The Center for AIDS:
Hope & Remembrance Project
L. Joel Martinez
Acting Editor
19991010
RI991001
Copyright © 1999 - Research Initiative Treatment Action (RITA!). Reproduced with permission. RITA! is published by The Center for AIDS. Contact Thomas Gegeny, MS, ELS, Editor, RITA! for permission to reproduce RITA!. tom@centerforaids.org. http://www.centerforaids.org
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