Joseph Sonnabend facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joseph Sonnabend
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| Born |
Joseph Adolph Sonnabend
6 January 1933 |
| Died | 24 January 2021 (aged 88) London, England
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| Alma mater | University of the Witwatersrand (MBBCh) |
| Occupation | Physician and clinical researcher |
| Known for | Pioneering HIV/AIDS research |
| Relatives | Yolanda Sonnabend (sister) |
Joseph Adolph Sonnabend (born 6 January 1933 – died 24 January 2021) was a doctor and scientist from South Africa. He was famous for his important work on HIV/AIDS. He helped start new ways of doing research and thinking about the disease.
In the 1980s, he was one of the first doctors to notice a new immune problem in his patients. This problem later became known as AIDS. He treated many people with HIV during this time. During the serious AIDS crisis, Sonnabend helped create several important groups. These included the AIDS Medical Foundation (now called amfAR). He also helped start the Community Research Initiative (now ACRIA), which focused on research done with communities. He was also involved with the PWA Health Group, which was a special group that helped people get treatments. He was known as a kind and pioneering doctor and researcher.
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Joseph Sonnabend's Early Life and Training
Joseph Sonnabend was born on 6 January 1933 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He grew up in Bulawayo, which is now part of Zimbabwe. His mother was a doctor and his father was a sociologist. Both of his parents were Jewish immigrants from Europe.
He studied infectious diseases at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. He also trained at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. In the 1960s, he did research in London at the National Institute for Medical Research. There, he worked with Alick Isaacs, who was a pioneer in interferon research.
In the early 1970s, Sonnabend moved to New York City. He became a professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Later, he worked at Kings County Hospital Center. He also directed medical education for the New York City Department of Health. Joseph Sonnabend passed away on 24 January 2021 in London. He had suffered a heart attack a few weeks earlier.
Pioneering Work on AIDS
Sonnabend was one of the first doctors to notice a new immune problem in his patients. This problem was later named AIDS. He had a strong background in microbiology, virology, and infectious diseases. He had also worked with patients who had weak immune systems after transplant operations. This experience helped him do some of the first research on AIDS. He often paid for this research himself. Government agencies were slow to react to the new disease. In 1983, he started one of the first journals about AIDS, called AIDS Research.
Understanding AIDS: The Multifactorial Model
Before scientists found out that HIV caused AIDS in 1984, Sonnabend had an idea. He thought that AIDS in some patients might be caused by many things. These included viruses like Epstein–Barr virus and cytomegalovirus. He also thought repeated exposure to semen might play a role. This idea was different from the common belief that only one thing caused the disease. However, Sonnabend did not completely rule out a single cause.
Helping to Create AIDS Organizations
Sonnabend wanted to find money for his research and for other scientists. The CDC did not seem interested in his help. So, Sonnabend asked his friend Mathilde Krim for support. With Krim and others, they started the AIDS Medical Foundation (AMF) in 1983. This group later became amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research. Today, amfAR is one of the world's leading groups supporting HIV/AIDS research and prevention.
Sonnabend was a leader in community-based research. This was important because government efforts were not strong enough at first. In 1987, he helped start the Community Research Initiative (CRI) in New York. CRI later became ACRIA. One of CRI's early successes was a study that helped approve a medicine called pentamidine. This medicine helped prevent a common AIDS-related lung infection called Pneumocystis pneumonia. Sonnabend was the medical director of CRI/CRIA until 1996.
Sonnabend cared deeply about the ethical issues during the AIDS crisis. He won an award in 1983 for an article about privacy and research on AIDS. He wrote that the AIDS crisis needed a "more intimate" kind of medical care. Dr. Krim said that he was the only doctor she knew who went to every funeral.
Because of his concern, he started the PWA Health Group in 1986. He worked with Michael Callen and Thomas Hannan. This non-profit group was the first and largest AIDS buyers' club. It helped people get promising AIDS treatments that were not yet approved by the FDA. The PWA Health Group also became an important source of education about AIDS treatments. In 2000, the PWA Health Group joined with another group. However, the combined organization closed in 2003. A new group, the New York Buyers' Club, took its place in 2004.
Joseph Sonnabend's Legacy
Joseph Sonnabend sometimes had ideas that were different from others. But in recent years, many AIDS researchers have come to respect him more. They recognize his dedication as a doctor and as a champion for his patients.
In 2005, he stopped practicing medicine and moved to London. On World AIDS Day that year, he received a Red Ribbon Leadership Award. This award recognized his leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Personal Life
Joseph Sonnabend composed music throughout his life. He talked about his music on the radio show Outlook on the BBC World Service in 2018. His sister, Yolanda Sonnabend, was a stage designer and artist. Their relationship was shown in the 2015 film Some Kind of Love.
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