Celebrating a Visionary: Dr. David Ho Honored at AASF Symposium
Dr. David Ho, the pioneering AIDS researcher and 1996 Time Person of the Year, received the 2025 Asian American Pioneer Medal at the emotional and inspiring AASF Asian American Pioneer Medal Symposium and Ceremony from July 25–27, 2025. More than 2,000 attendees—researchers, scholars, and students—gathered to celebrate groundbreaking contributions and uplift public discourse around innovation, equity, and academic leadership
In his keynote, Dr. Ho spoke with measured resolve about the unique challenges facing immigrant scientists. His message was also one of hope: reflection on how “impossible” breakthroughs, like the transformative drug cocktail that turned AIDS into a manageable disease, come through collaboration, perseverance, and daring to dream beyond perceived limits.
