Contents
Flossie Wong-Staal
Cloning HIV and mapping genes central to understanding AIDS.
HIV cloning · Gene functions
- Born
- 27 August 1946
- Birthplace
- Guangzhou, China
- Died
- 8 July 2020
More people
Flossie Wong-Staal
Flossie Wong-Staal was a Chinese-American molecular biologist whose work helped make HIV’s genetic machinery accessible to researchers.
Early life
Hong Kong
Moved there with her family as a child and attended Maryknoll Convent School.
UCLA
Studied bacteriology and completed a molecular-biology doctorate in 1972.
Career
- 1973
National Cancer Institute
Joined Robert Gallo’s group to investigate retroviruses.
- 1990
UC San Diego
Moved to California to lead AIDS research.
- 2002 onward
Biotechnology
After university retirement, worked as chief scientific officer at the company she co-founded.
Contributions
HIV cloning
Produced cloned viral genetic material for laboratory study.
Gene functions
Investigated how HIV genes regulate the virus’s behaviour.
Gene therapy
Explored molecular approaches to suppress HIV.
Beyond the lab
Name
Her father chose the English name Flossie after a typhoon.
Recognition
Inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2019.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Institutional biography and research ↗HIV molecular cloning paper (1985) ↗Photo: Bill Branson. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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