Importance of Don Francis

Don Francis was working as a pediatric physician in Los Angeles in 1972 when he signed up to work with the CDC on smallpox. He went from an epidemic in Belgrade to Sudan, and from there to India and Bangladesh. Years later, Francis would be vital to the AIDS research projects in his work with the CDC and WHO, spearheading campaigns to eradicate the disease. He also played an instrumental role in research that helped follow the hepatitis virus among gay populations in San Fransisco.