Diary Prequel Package — page 297

who funded the project. NIAID funds Bill Safai (PI of KRITH). Great dinner at the Oyster Box Hotel. I gave some after dinner remarks. Oct. 12, 2012 - Lunch at the Italian Ambassador's (Amb. Bisogniero) home (Villa Firenze) on Albermarle Street, N.W. Lunch in honor of former Italian Ambassador, now Foreign Minister of Italy Giulio Terzi di Sant'Agata. Oct. 15, 2012 - Attended the Elton John AIDS Foundation Benefit Gala at Cipriani's Restaurant on Wall Street by special invitation of Sir Elton John whom I had met at the IAS meeting in DC in July, 2012. The entertainment by Stevie Nicks was amazing. Many people came up to me thanking me for my work. Most of these I had never met before. Heavy representation of donors and business luminaries. Oct. 16, 2012 - Spoke at the Annual Meeting of the Institute of Human Virology (Bob Gallo's Institute) held at the Marriott Waterfront Hotel in Baltimore. Took train from NYC (Elton John Gala) directly to Baltimore. Oct. 17, 2012 - Participated at the National Press Club in the launching of the WHO Global TB Report. Panel moderated by Jeanne Meserve (old friend from CNN, now with WTOP) and neighbor. On panel was Mario Raviglione (WHO), Ken Castro (CDC), someone from USAID, someone from PEPFAR. Oct. 18-19, 2012 - Went to Cornell Medical School Reunion and gave Keynote Lecture on Ending the AIDS Pandemic. Went up night before (Oct. 18) and had dinner with Jenny at Gazala Restaurant. Great time with her. On the evening of Oct. 19, had class of 1966 reunion dinner at Nino's Restaurant on 1st Avenue between 72 and 73rd Street. Really great to see some of the old crew, many of whom have retired. They were all very gracious in saying how proud they were to have been my classmates. Great to see Patty Downs, Suzie Stewart, Mark Kaplan, Mike Dosik, Dave Fraser, David Tucker, Jim McSweeney, Carmine Bedotto, Frank Duggan, Randy Bell, among many others. Oct. 23, 2012 - Met with Howard Koh (Assist. Sec. for Health) and Deputy Ron Valdesarri in my conference room 7A-24. They wanted to discuss and were actually putting pressure on me/us at NIH to put together a guidelines panel for treatment of HCV. They clearly are getting pressure from constituents. Since we (NIH) have done such a great job on the HIV treatment guidelines for HHS, they wanted us to do the same for HCV. Problem is that if we start doing guidelines for HCV, then other diseases would want us to do guidelines and we should not be in the guidelines business. Howard was friendly and somewhat fawning over me. Ron Valdesarri in my opinion is somewhat of a jerk. Oct. 26, 2012 - Participated in a panel on Global Health and award ceremony at Georgetown. Mark Dybul was given the Timothy Healy Award. Panel consisted of me, Mark, Eric Goosby and Barbara Bush (daughter) with Marty Federov moderating. Good time and enjoyable to do this with good friends.