Healing Waters 2007 Cale Siler Founders Award for Humanitarian Leadership in HIV/AIDS Marcus Conant, MD Milton Estes, MD Stephen Follansbee, MD
Dr. Marcus A. Conant is an honored and respected pioneer, lecturer, physician and out-spoken advocate for people infected with HIV and AIDS. Among the first physicians to identify AIDS in 1981, he helped create one of the largest private AIDS clinics, was a founder of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, and his work contributed to development of some of today’s top HIV medications. He continues his strong, passionate and uncompromising demands to give hope to all people with AIDS through state of the art treatment and the assurance they can live with dignity and respect.
In 1989 Dr. Conant created the The Conant Foundation, a non-profit education foundation. It provides patients, their caregivers and the community with educational tools and information regarding diagnosis, treatment, and management of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Dr. Conant and the foundation have contributed to over two dozen clinical trials involving many of today’s leading HIV medications.
The Conant Medical Group expanded dramatically to meet needs of the AIDS crisis. In 1995 and 1996, they had more patients on protease inhibitors than any other practice. Today, Dr. Conant continues to see patients and the group continues pivotal work on herpes simplex, medicinal marijuana, and transmission and diagnosis of HIV infection.
“And The Band Played On ,” the best selling book and HBO film by Randy Shilts , chronicled many of Dr. Conant’s activities.
Dr. Conant is a founder of what today is the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. As a resident at UCSF, he volunteered at the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic in 1969. In 1981, Dr. Conant identified the first Kaposi’s sarcoma cases in San Francisco and started the University of California Kaposi’s Sarcoma Clinic.
Working with then Assembly Speaker, Willie Brown , Dr. Conant obtained the first funds for AIDS research in state universities. In 1999, he helped the State of Nevada develop an AIDS-response plan for indigent patients. That same year, he was named Co-Chair of the Mayor’s Summit on AIDS in San Francisco . In 2001, Dr. Conant and the Conant Foundation worked with Senator John Vasconcellos to successfully pass legislation for investment in development of an AIDS vaccine.
Dr. Conant was victorious when, on October 29, 2002, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that the US Government couldn’t punish physicians for voicing their professional opinions including recommendation of medical marijuana. In 2007, a Conant Foundation forum detailed a recent clinical trial proving medical marijuana effective.
Dr. Conant has received a number of awards, including the 1987 Chancellor’s Award for Public Service from the Chancellor of the University of California, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation Leadership Award, and the 1996 Practitioner of the Year Award from the American Academy of Dermatology.
Click here for Marcus A. Conant’s curriculum vitae.
