Exploring Ethics The Center for Ethics in Science & Technology brings the public and scientists together to explore how science can best serve society. Through forums, projects, and resources, the Center gives all stakeholders an opportunity to share perspectives on the ethical implications of new developments in science and technology. Overview The Last Gift study tackles these aims by studying people with HIV who are terminally ill from a disease other than HIV, like cancer, ALS, or heart disease. The study follows these volunteers with regular blood draws before the person dies and then examines multiple tissues throughout their bodies after death. From these samples, investigators hope to understand how HIV remains hidden from both the person’s immune system and from current HIV therapy. Results from these studies are designed to help develop ways to clear these reservoirs with future therapies. Speaker Dr. Davey Smith, Professor of Medicine and Chief of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at UCSD. He is also an HIV specialist and researcher, and Co-director of the San Diego Center for AIDS Research. He uses basic science techniques to answer clinically relevant HIV questions and vice-versa. His primary research focus is on understanding HIV reservoirs in the human body and developing ways to clear these reservoirs.