Joseph Sonnabend

, where Sonnabend was an associate professor in the early 1970s Sonnabend was born on 6 January 1933 in Johannesburg, South Africa, and grew up in Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). His mother was a physician and his father a sociologist. Both parents were Jewish immigrants from Europe. He trained in infectious diseases at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. During the 1960s he conducted research at the National Institute for Medical Research in London, where he worked under Alick Isaacs, a pioneer of interferon research. ==Early AIDS work==

Sonnabend was one of the first physicians to notice among his gay male patients the immune deficiency that would later be named AIDS. His background in microbiology, virology, infectious diseases This suggestion conflicted with the view that a single agent was likely responsible, which Sonnabend did not rule out. Sonnabend's "multifactorial model" led him to argue from very early in the emerging pandemic that frequent unprotected anal sex increased the risk of what would come to be known as AIDS. This was the inspiration for How to Have Sex in an Epidemic, At the time, attempts to change sexual behaviour and the recommendation of condoms for gay sex met with criticism from many prominent gay community figures. Role in founding AIDS organisations To help fund his research and that of other scientists—and because the CDC were dismissive of his expertise and uninterested in his assistance Sonnabend served as medical director of CRI/CRIA until 1996. Dr Krim described that "he's the only doctor I know who goes to every funeral". This non-profit organisation was the first and largest formally recognised AIDS buyers' club, ==Controversies==

As a revered physician, Sonnabend was renowned for protecting and promoting patients' rights. He did not shy away from criticising the scientific establishment when he felt it was failing to put patients' interests first. He often disagreed with mainstream opinion on AIDS. In 2006 he expressed his view that high doses of AZT had "killed thousands" during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Until the late 1990s Sonnabend continued to assert that the issue of AIDS causation "remained open" and that many factors might be involved. This led some researchers and activists to associate him with "AIDS denialists" who deny that HIV has any role in AIDS—a charge that Sonnabend denied: His unconventional views on the causes and treatment of AIDS led to accusations of malpractice; he says he was shunned by mainstream scientists and refused funding. The effects of modern medication helped to change Sonnabend's views on AIDS causation, leading him to assert that, "the evidence now strongly supports a role for HIV." He also suggested that much of the funding for fighting AIDS in Africa has been misspent: ==Assessments of Sonnabend's career==

Despite his unconventional and often controversial opinions, mainstream AIDS researchers have in recent years become less critical of Sonnabend, recognising his devotion as a physician and patients' champion. According to Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases: In 2005, he retired from medical practice and moved to London. On World AIDS Day that year, he was awarded a Red Ribbon Leadership Award from the National HIV/AIDS Partnership. In 2000, he was recognised as an inaugural Award of Courage Honoree by amfAR: ==Personal life==

Sonnabend was gay, although he fathered two sons in his twenties and was at one time married. His relationship with her was documented in the 2015 film Some Kind of Love. He composed music throughout his life, and discussed his music on the radio programme Outlook on the BBC World Service in 2018. He died in January 2021 "after extensive health challenges" and a memorial service was held on 12 April 2021 at Judson Memorial Church in Manhattan, including music composed by Sonnabend and where eulogists included Ivy Kwan Arce, Sean Strub, Kyle Clifford, Rebecca Jordan-Young, Rebecca Pringle Smith, Jack Waters, Ash Kotak, and Miriam Lewis Sabin. ==References==