From Wall Street to ACT UP: A Life Rewritten by HIV - Peter Staley

In episode 70 of Going anti-Viral, Peter Staley joins host Dr Michael Saag after giving the Martin Delaney presentation at the 2026 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) entitled ''Annus Horribilis" and The War on Science: Thoughts on Resisting and Rebuilding. Mr Staley shares his inspiring story as a pioneering HIV and LGBTQ+ rights activist, recounting his journey from the early days of the AIDS crisis to groundbreaking activism leading to a seat at the table with clinicians and researchers in bringing life-saving treatments to people with HIV and AIDS. Dr Saag and Mr Staley also reflect on the recent era of anti-science activism during the COVID-19 pandemic and share their advice for young researchers who may be the generation of scientists that bring about a cure for HIV.

0:00 – Introduction

2:30 – The early days of AIDS awareness

6:23 – Peter’s reflections on his positive HIV test result

10:46 – Transitioning from Wall Street to activism

12:11 – The formation ACT UP and impact of Larry Kramer

15:22 – Channeling anger into activism

17:47 – Targeting the FDA and the fight for drug access

20:26 – The role of the NIH and Tony Fauci

24:10 – The Parallel Track: access to experimental drugs

25:40 – The role of the Treatment Action Group (TAG) and the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG)

26:32 – The breakthrough: viral load and undetectable levels

31:18 – Reflections on COVID-19: activism in a new era

33:45 – Prep4All: advocating for access to PrEP

38:38 – Advice for young clinicians and closing remarks

Resources:

Watch Peter Staley’s presentation at CROI 2026 ''Annus Horribilis" and The War on Science: Thoughts on Resisting and Rebuilding

YouTube: https://youtu.be/p5kqUujWPCs

PrEP4All: https://prep4all.org/

CROI 2026: https://www.croiconference.org/

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Produced by IAS-USA, Going anti–Viral is a podcast for clinicians involved in research and care in HIV, its complications, and other viral infections. This podcast is intended as a technical source of information for specialists in this field, but anyone listening will enjoy learning more about the state of modern medicine around viral infections.

Going anti-Viral’s host is Dr Michael Saag, a physician, prominent HIV researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and volunteer IAS–USA board member. In most episodes, Dr Saag interviews an expert in infectious diseases or emerging pandemics about their area of specialty and current developments in the field. Other episodes are drawn from the IAS–USA vast catalogue of panel discussions, Dialogues, and other audio from various meetings and conferences.

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