A Microsoft researcher is using his expertise in creating computer spam-blocking software to analyze HIV, identify infected cells and track viral mutations, reports BusinessWeek.
David Heckerman spent years creating software to attack pesky spam messages that often multiply and bypass spam filters
In 2003 Heckerman, who is both a physician and PhD in computer science, realized that he could use some of the same tools to examine how HIV replicates and mutates in the human body.
Heckerman, who works with two other colleagues at Microsoft, hopes that their research will lead to vaccines that can be tested on humans in the next three years.
Beth Benne, RN, is HIV negative, but
the virus has impacted her life. She currently supervises a biannual HIV/AIDS awareness week as
the director of the student health center at Pierce College, a
community commuter school in Woodland Hills, California.
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Overheard in the Women's Forum
"I recently met a guy who is negative. I did tell him about my status and he decided to kiss me anyway (we didn't go further than that). But a day later, he called and said that he actually had a mouth ulcer that time when we kissed and he was very worried. Asked if he can get the virus from me that way. For that moment, I felt so insulted and yet I felt so bad. It was my first time having a contact with a "negative" guy."
