2007

Iraq war going very badly with civil war among Shia and Sunnis and insurgency running wild. Bush popularity in USA way down. The war is dominating the political scene in USA and particularly DC including discussions by…

Had dinner with Rahm Emanuel (Democratic Caucus Head and brother of Zeke Emanuel), Christine Grady, Zeke Emmanuel, Mary Richardson and a Washington Post reporter (?name) at Central Restaurant at 1001 Pennsylvania Ave…

Briefed Bruce Miller (VP Cheney’s Chief of staff for biodefense) at the White House on AIDS, Pandemic Flu, Malaria, and biodefense in preparation for my future briefing of the VP that Bruce will set up.

Went to great memorial for Art Buchwald at the Eisenhower Theater of the Kennedy Center at the invitation of Art’s son Joel and his wife Tamara. Many VIPs there including Ethel Kennedy, Ben Bradlee, Tom Brokow, Dave…

Busy day. Unfortunately, Scooter Libby was convicted today on 4 of 5 counts of lying to FBI and grand jury in association with the Joe Wilson/Valerie Plame CIA leak. Had House Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing today…

Briefed Vice President Cheney today in his WH office on second floor. Beautiful “pre-Spring” day with temps around 50 and sunny skies. He wanted briefing on Pandemic flu and biodefense. I included a discussion about…

Have been preparing for a briefing of the POTUS on pandemic flu preparedness. Interesting evolution of process. The HSC staff (Joel Bagnell and Rajeev Venkaaya) want us (HHS) to present a major discussion of “gaps” in…

MOL, Bill Raub and I briefed the principals today in final preparation for the POTUS briefing. Present were Fran Townsend, Michael Chertoff, Joel Kaplan (now Deputy Chief-of-Staff to Josh Bolten), Joel Bagnell, Bruce…

Dinner at the Mellon Auditorium on Constitution Avenue, N.W. (13th Street) for Research! America. Usual DC Glitterati. At my table was Susan Dentzer (Newshour), Sam and Jan Donaldson, Tenley Albright, Paul Rogers…

Briefing of POTUS today at 2:30 – 3:30 PM in Roosevelt Room on Pandemic Flu preparedness. Secretary Leavitt, Bill Raub and I briefed him. I did most of the formal briefing on state of the threat, vaccines, antivirals…

Very interesting day. First, Megan received notification that she is accepted at Columbia, Barnard, and Yale with waiting list at Harvard and Dartmouth. Her top choices are Columbia and Dartmouth and so she will wait to…

Scooter Libby contacted me and asked that I write a letter to Judge Reggie Walton via Scooter’s lawyer William Jeffress to serve as a character reference for Scooter. Scooter has been found guilty of perjury and…

Testified before the House Committee on Homeland Security together with Gerry Parker, Jesse Goodman (FDA) and Jeff Runge (DHS) on the successes and failures of Bioshield. Committee chaired by Jim Langevin. Hearing…

Briefed Joel Bagnell and Rajeev Venkayya at the WH on the rolling out of justification for classified research. Some friendly tension between Joel and me in that they wanted us (CDC, FDA, HHS, NIH to sign off on the…

Had lunch with Scooter Libby today at the Daily Grill in the Bethesda Hyatt. Hot muggy and sunny day. Has been cold up until now. Scooter looked very worn and down. I gave him a big hug and he looked like he was going…

Had a lunch/reception at the White House followed by a presentation by Laura Bush and President Bush in the Rose Garden to celebrate the first ever Malaria Awareness Day in the USA. Day was sunny, hot and muggy. I was…

Went to the National Cathedral this AM to see Megan receive the honor as one of 12 NCS girls to be inducted into the “Cum Laude Society” . It was a beautiful ceremony at the Cathedral. Found out during the evening as I…

Went to the British Embassy for a Garden Party in honor of the visit to the USA of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Everyone who is anyone in DC was there. Spent time speaking with Sen. Joe Lieberman, House Speaker…

Gave Commencement Address at Penn State University College of Science

Went to Sons of Italy Annual NELA (National Education Leadership Awards) dinner at the Washington Grand Hyatt Hotel on 10th and H Streets. I took Megan with me and she really enjoyed it. Sitting at our table was Nancy…

Gave Commencement address to Megan’s NCS graduating class. It was a thrill giving it from the main pulpit at the National Cathedral. It was extremely well received; got many, many personal comments and e-mails. Please…

Underwent Board of Scientific Counselors 4 year review of my laboratory – Laboratory of Immunoregulation. I received the highest possible score (Outstanding). I had been preparing for this review for almost 1 year since…

Major, major world publicity regarding patient who had Extensively Drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) and traveled by plane to a number of countries in Europe despite somewhat bungled instructions by Georgia (he is…

Informed by Don Koshland of the Lasker Foundation that I will be awarded the Lasker Award for Public Service in September ($150,000.00) – amazing. Thus, in 2007 I have won the Kober Medal for Physician Scientist, the…

Met with Nancy Pelosi in her “Speakers Office” at the Capitol to discuss the funding of the University of California at SF Center for AIDS Research (CFAR). They did not get the funding amount that they had hoped for and…

Received the National Medal of Science from the POTUS at a 1:50 PM White House ceremony in the East Room. Hot, sunny Washington day. I was one of 8 people who received the award for 2005 (yes 2005 – they are 2 years…

Big day. Went to White House for Karl Rove’s farewell party. Moving speeches by Josh Bolten (who showed PowerPoint slides on Karl’s years with the POTUS here and in Texas), the POTUS who choked up a few times when…

Sept. 15-16, 2007 – Press announcement for the Lasker Award. Almost immediately, scores of congratulatory e-mails started arising. My picture was in the Washington Post with an article; article in NY Times and picture…

Over the past few days, literally hundreds of e-mails and letters coming in regarding Lasker Award from friends, colleagues, people I knew years ago such as nurses from H-4 ward at NY Hospital, White house people…

Another great crisp Fall day. Heard real bad news regarding the Merck AIDS vaccine trial 502 in which adenovector HIV was immunogen. Study done mostly on gay men and phase 2b was looked at by DSMB on usual periodic…

Was panelist at Science Magazine’s annual retreat of their staff at their headquarters in Washington, DC. Chaired by Editor Don Kennedy. Lively discussion about the future of science and biomedical research. DSMB…

Farewell reception at White House for Rajeev Venkayya (Deputy Director – Homeland security Council). I have worked closely with Rajeev for 5 years on Biodefense. He rose from WH intern to deputy Director in 5 years. He…

Featured speaker at a Global Health Symposium at the Italian Embassy on Whitehaven Street in DC. Spoke on “HIV/AIDS in 2007: Much Accomplished, Much To Do”. Much congratulatory activity by the Italians related to the…

Dinner at the Café Milano in association with the national Italian American Foundation (NIAF) dinner the following night (Oct. 13). Franco Luschese found me a prime seat. The whole restaurant was for the NIAF dinner. I…

Took Ali to the Annual NIAF Gala at the Hilton. She loved it since she wanted to meet Nancy Pelosi and Ellen Pompeio (star of TV’s Grey’s Anatomy). She got to meet and take picture of both. Usual glitterati were there…

Lectured in Building 31, Room C10 to the Mortimer Zuckerman Fellows . This is a group funded through Harvard that takes medical, Law, and Business students from throughout the country and funds them for 1 – 2 year…

Went to Boston to give Sheldon M. Wolff memorial lecture on “HIV/AIDS in 2007: Much Accomplished, Much To Do”. Largest crowd in the history of Tufts Grand Rounds (so I am told). Saw Lila Wolff. Got to Boston early…

Gave talk at the opening of Sanaria’s new facility. Sanaria is Biotech company making an irradiated sporozoite malaria vaccine. Stephen Hoffman is the CEO and I have been very supportive of him over the past 20 years…

Great day. Went to ISL/IAC cross country championship meet held at Episcopal High in VA. NCS and St. Albans won everything – JV and Varsity and under 15. In the NCS JV race the first 11 runners over the finish line were…

Went to dinner at Positano restaurant in Bethesda with Bob Gallo (part of our years long tradition of dinner in Bethesda to “catch up” on what is going on. Discussed the interesting topic of matching Bob, Luc Montagnier…

Went to Boston to give Keynote at meeting of Harvard Business School Alumni Association – held at Harvard Medical School. Spoke on Emerging Infections. Had dinner with Jenny at Taranta’s restaurant in the North End on…

Attended 60th Anniversary Gala for Meet the Press (invited by Tim Russert. Held at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. in the new Newseum Building. Another affair of all the glitterati of the Washington, D.C. press and…

Chris an I attended a Holiday Dinner Party at the White House hosted by the President and First Lady. I had been at several Holiday receptions at the White House around Christmas Time, but this was the first time that I…

Invited by Catherine and Wayne Reynolds to attend a small private dinner with Chris at Café Milano’s restaurant for Holiday Cheer. Amazing night. About 15 people in the private Placido Domingo Room of Café Milano…

Another exciting Washington social night. First visited home of Ellen and Gerry Sigal at 2909 – 44th Street, N.W. just 2 blocks from our house. Occasion was book signing party for Valeria Plame Wilson to celebrate…

Two issues today: Went down to White House with Mark Dybul to visit Dan Price (new SHERPA for the upcoming G-8 meeting in July, 2008). Dan, at the suggestion of Gary Edson, was looking for some bold initiatives for…

Meeting (pre-PCC) at EEOB run by Mike Magan of NSC and Bob Kadlec of HSC to flesh out possibility of putting together a major POTUS initiative on “Control or Elimination of Tuberculosis” to announce at the State of the…

Has breakfast at Panera in Chevy Chase with Terry Lierman who is now Chief-of –Staff to House leader Steny Hoyer (an old friend). We discussed the usual politics and I mentioned that the only job that I would take in a…

Lucky for us that Dr. Sedghi (Megan’s primary GYN doctor asked for a repeat sonogram. Turns out the “cyst” was a loop of bowel. She has a normal pelvis on repeat sono. Welcome to medical practice in the USA! The…