Dr. Robert Gallo is a world-renowned virologist whose pioneering research has transformed our understanding of viral diseases and human immunology. He currently serves as a distinguished faculty member at the University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine following his landmark tenure at the University of Maryland School of Medicine where he co-founded and directed the Institute of Human Virology for nearly three decades. Born in Waterbury Connecticut in 1937 to a working class Italian American family his career path was profoundly shaped by the tragic loss of his six year old sister to leukemia when he was twelve years old. After earning his biology degree from Providence College in 1959 and his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in 1963 he completed his residency at the University of Chicago before embarking on a thirty year research career at the National Cancer Institute where he rose to head the Laboratory of Tumor Cell Biology.
Dr. Gallo achieved global recognition in 1984 for his co-discovery that HIV the human immunodeficiency virus causes AIDS a breakthrough that solved a critical medical mystery and enabled the development of the first reliable blood test for HIV detection. His laboratory pioneered the development of Interleukin 2 IL 2 and discovered the first human retrovirus HTLV 1 which causes adult T cell leukemia establishing the foundation for retroviral research in human diseases. His team's identification of chemokines as natural blockers of HIV infection in 1996 provided crucial insights for developing therapeutic strategies to halt AIDS progression significantly extending the lives of millions affected by the disease. For these transformative contributions he became the only living scientist to receive two prestigious Albert Lasker Awards including the 1986 award for clinical medical research related to the HIV discovery.
As a visionary leader Dr. Gallo co-founded the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland in 1996 creating an innovative model that integrates research patient care and prevention programs to accelerate medical breakthroughs for viral diseases. He further expanded his global impact by co-founding the Global Virus Network in 2011 establishing an international consortium of virologists dedicated to rapid response against emerging viral threats and training the next generation of medical virologists. Under his leadership the Institute of Human Virology has provided care for over 5000 patients in Baltimore and supported clinical services for more than 500000 patients across Africa and the Caribbean significantly advancing global health equity. Now in his eighties Dr. Gallo continues to drive scientific innovation having recently established the USF Health Virology Institute to address emerging viral challenges and build upon his lifelong mission to combat deadly infectious diseases through groundbreaking research and international collaboration.
