HIV/AIDS Pandemic: Origins, Science, and Global Impact

The anthology HIV/AIDS Pandemic: Origins, Science, and Global Impact provides a comprehensive introduction to the AIDS epidemic through readings from diverse, interdisciplinary sources. The relevant biology is clearly explained, from the immune system to virology, as well as HIV testing, disease progression, vaccines, therapies, and recent developments in the field. The scientific topics expand further into public heath with articles on epidemiology, transmission and prevention.

The book also engages readers with compelling personal accounts of the AIDS epidemic, invites them to wrestle with economic quandaries, and encourages them to reflect on history. Real-world connections range from the profoundly human in an article on the role of rape in propagating HIV in South Africa, to the overtly political in a paper addressing the national security threats posed by HIV/AIDS.

HIV/AIDS Pandemic can be used in both lower and upper division biology courses, and the material is accessible to non-biology majors. In addition, the book is an excellent supplement for courses on public health issues.

Cindy Gustafson-Brown received her Ph.D. from the University of California, San Diego, where she is a continuing lecturer in biological sciences. Dr. Gustafson-Brown has taught the popular course AIDS-Science and Society to upper division biology majors and lower division non-majors since 2003. In 2010 she was recognized by the university with a Distinguished Teaching Award. Her research background is in developmental genetics and cancer biology, and her course offerings include general and molecular biology, microbiology, cancer biology, and cell biology, as well as laboratory courses in genetics, recombinant DNA, biochemistry, and microbiology.