FROM THE PUBLISHER
Our 20th issue marks the end of 2019 and I hope everyone is well as the holidays are approaching.
I think the keywords of healthcare in year the 2019 were two: Innovation and Collaboration. Innovations have transformed the future of healthcare and medicine, and bio-health collaborations have accelerated such transformation. Combination of the two has led the healthcare industry to date, and it will continue to remain the impetus for growth.
In this issue, we feature one remarkable physician and thought leader who led the state-of-theart innovation and established an extraordinary collaboration in the area of AIDS/HIV research, Dr. David D. Ho, M.D. He is an Irene Diamond Professor at The Rockefeller University and the Scientific Director and Chief Executive Officer at Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center. He has dedicated his life to researching the pathogenesis of HIV infection and the dynamics of HIV replication, and he led the development of life-prolonging combination antiretroviral therapy, also known as the “AIDS cocktail”. This was a result of his persistent research despite the stigma associated with the disease. Contributing to the accumulation of scientific evidence that adjusted the public’s conception about the disease, Dr. Ho sets an example for scientists who wish to take part in medical innovation. His achievements in the areas of AIDS/HIV research are remarkable not only for the results but also for their insights into how we can better serve the patients. His visions and efforts on overcoming unmet medical needs will always remain as a living legacy to inspire and motivate all of us. Dr. Ho’s story and achievement show us why innovation in medical treatment is so critical in enhancing the quality of people’s lives.
Innovation and collaboration are the same keywords that represent World Asian Medical Journal and our efforts to bringing diversity and new avenues of progress in all branches of healthcare. Through our publications, we try to spread the messages of innovation and invite people to participate in the platform of collaboration.
New trends and issues of the bio-health industry were featured in the articles. Many eminent experts shared their knowledge and insights as authors in this edition. I wish that our readers will find this exciting selection of articles to be helpful and pleasant.
Needless to say, our goal is to connect with one another and provide a forum for readers to develop an integrative perspective in healthcare.
2019 was a great and exciting year. All the editorial boards and staffs of WAMJ wish all our readers festive holidays and a prosperous 2020.
DoHyun Cho, PhD
Publisher
President & CEO of W Medical Strategy Group
Chairman of New York Health Forum
FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Welcome to our 20th issue!
I write these words at the start of the traditional holiday season here in America--a time of thanks, fellowship, and “good will toward men.” A fitting time to recognize the talents and dedication of my WAMJ colleagues. The staff does all the hard work of publication— planning, research, writing, layout, etc. Editors merely edit—if that. In WAMJ’s case, little is required of the titular editor. Credit for what you have before you goes to those who actually do the work, not me. My thanks and congratulations to our dedicated staff.
One of the great pleasures of serving as WAMJ’s Editor-in-Chief is the opportunity to encounter superb minds and noble spirits. One such is the subject of our cover story. David Ho, M.D., Professor of Medicine at The Rockefeller University, has devoted his life and his luminous talent to fighting HIV, first through revolutionary combination anti-retroviral therapy; later by working towards vaccine creation. Relatedly, Dr. Ho has published extensively and garnered honors galore. I leave to others the more thorough discussion these subjects deserve to focus, instead, on Dr. Ho’s courage.
Those of us old enough to remember the start of what became the HIV epidemic recall that, for reasons unknown, members of discrete and insular minorities began to develop Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, previously uncommon, and Kaposi’s sarcoma, until then a rare malignancy. Patients tended to come disproportionately from the ranks of IVDUs (intravenous drug users) and homosexuals; hemophiliacs and babies born to infected mothers were also at risk. Little was understood about the disease, except that it carried a mortality rate approaching 100%. Terror reigned. Assembly line workers refused to stand next to other employees suspected of having the disease. Some health professionals refused to care for patients suspected or known to be infected. America closed her doors to persons from endemic areas. While many clergymen were leaders in trying to help the afflicted, some found in the epidemic divine retribution for human sinfulness and an exhortation to repent.
Against this background, Dr. Ho and a small group of researchers began to search for the truth about the disease. In a remarkably short length of time, by historical standards, he and his fellow investigators began to unlock the secrets that would transform HIV infection from a death sentence to a manageable chronic illness. In doing so, they not only saved lives, they caused many to reexamine their own philosophies.
In this season of rejoicing, let us remember the sufferings of the sick, whether with HIV or with other illnesses, and let us honor the contributions of heroic, astute, and dedicated medical scientists, such as Dr. David Ho.
Joseph P. McMenamin, MD, JD, FCLM
Editor in Chief
EVP of W Medical Strategy Group
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