amfAR CEO, Kyle Clifford, on funding bold science to end HIV and unlock global health breakthroughs

This episode explores how sustained scientific ambition, backed by flexible philanthropy, has helped transform HIV from a fatal diagnosis into a manageable condition and why the search for a cure remains both urgent and achievable. At the centre of the conversation is the work of amfAR and its distinctive role in advancing research that changes lives far beyond a single disease area. Founded in the mid-1980s, at a time when HIV and AIDS were poorly understood and highly stigmatised, the organisation emerged from the determination of clinicians, researchers and advocates who refused to wait for slow-moving systems to respond. From the outset, the mission was clear: fund innovative research quickly, support bold ideas early, and accelerate scientific discovery where it was needed most. Since its first grants in 1985, the organisation has invested nearly one billion dollars in research and supported more than 3,900 researchers across the world. Rather than simply awarding grants, its approach has been to invest in people and ideas, often at the earliest and riskiest stages. Many of those early investments have gone on to underpin treatments now used globally, including antiretroviral therapies that allow people living with HIV to lead long, healthy lives. The episode places this progress in today’s global context. More than 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV, with around 1.3 million new infections each year. While treatment has transformed outcomes in many countries, access remains deeply unequal. Women and girls account for over half of those living with HIV globally, and people in low-income and marginalised communities, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, continue to face life-threatening barriers to care. Against this backdrop, the case for a cure remains compelling. Lifelong treatment depends on stable health systems, consistent access and freedom from stigma, conditions that are far from guaranteed. A cure would remove these structural vulnerabilities. Importantly, the science now points to possibility. Around ten individuals have been effectively cured of HIV, providing researchers with vital clues and a credible roadmap. Current cure-focused research is tackling some of the most complex questions in virology. This includes understanding latent viral reservoirs, where HIV hides in the body, and finding ways to reactivate and eliminate the virus. Researchers are also studying elite controllers, people whose immune systems suppress HIV without medication, to uncover mechanisms that could inform new treatments. Alongside this, insights from cancer, ageing, autoimmune disease and other viral infections are increasingly shaping HIV research, highlighting the interconnected nature of scientific discovery. A key theme running through the conversation is what defines a viable cure. It must be scalable, affordable and easy to administer, not a solution that only works in specialist settings. This emphasis on real-world applicability shapes funding decisions and research priorities. The funding model itself is central to this work. Research is supported entirely through private philanthropy, from individual donors and family foundations to global fundraising events. Independence allows decisions to be driven by science rather than politics, while short funding timelines enable researchers to move quickly. Rigorous peer review ensures standards remain as high as those of major public institutions, without the inertia that can stifle innovation. Beyond HIV, the episode highlights how this model has influenced advances in other fields. Research originally funded to understand HIV has contributed to breakthroughs in cancer immunotherapy and vaccine development, including technologies later used in mRNA vaccines. Today, the organisation is expanding its focus to areas such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, immunotherapy and artificial intelligence, particularly where these intersect with the needs of an ageing HIV-positive population. Woven throughout the discussion is the human impact of research. Funding science does more than produce data and treatments; it provides hope. Knowing that researchers are actively working towards a cure can fundamentally change how people live with a diagnosis. Investment in early-stage research becomes an investment in dignity, longevity and possibility. The episode closes with a clear message. Scientific discovery is not confined to governments or large institutions. Individuals and philanthropists can play a decisive role in advancing research that affects every household. Supporting bold ideas early is one of the most powerful ways to accelerate global health progress and, ultimately, to help make AIDS history. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.