Jay Levy, MD

Dr. Jay A. Levy is Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology, Research Associate in the Cancer Research Institute and the Director of the Laboratory for Tumor and AIDS Virus Research at the University of California in San Francisco (UCSF). Dr. Levy obtained his M.D. degree from Columbia University, New York after receiving his B.A. from Wesleyan University and joined the Department of Medicine and the Cancer Research Institute at UCSF in 1972.

Dr. Levy co-discovered HIV in 1983.  During the last 25 years, he and his research group have dedicated their efforts to biologic, immunologic, and molecular studies of the AIDS virus.  He also discovered a novel immune response that controls HIV infection through the production by CD8+ lymphocytes of an antiviral factor, CAF.

Dr. Levy has published over 450 articles in virology and infectious diseases, particularly on HIV/AIDS.  He is author or editor of 14 books on virology and immunology and is Editor-in-Chief of the highly cited journal, AIDS. Among his publications are his acclaimed four volume series, The Retroviridae and his seminal, sole-authored book, HIV and the Pathogenesis of AIDS, now in its third edition (2007) and being translated into several languages. His current studies involve host immune responses to HIV and the development of an HIV vaccine.

Dr. Levy is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Academy of Microbiology and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.  He was given the Award of Distinction by the American Foundation for AIDS Research (AmFAR).  He received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Wesleyan University and an Honorary Degree in Science from that University. This year he is receiving the Gold Medal for Medical Research from Columbia University.