The professional papers of Mathilde Krim, PhD, have been acquired by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center. The library’s Archives & Special Collections department will organize and catalog the papers over the next two years so they can be open for research.
This development is especially meaningful to ICAP, whose founder and global director, Wafaa El-Sadr, MD, MPH, MPA, is the inaugural recipient of the Dr. Mathilde Krim-amfAR Chair of Global Health at the Mailman School of Public Health, approved by the Trustees of Columbia University in November 2015.
Dr. Krim passed away in January 2018 at the age of 91.
“From day one, for those of us involved in confronting the HIV epidemic or were affected by it, Dr. Krim was a consistent source of inspiration,” Dr. El-Sadr said. “She stood strong against those who peddled fear and ignorance… Dr. Krim’s papers serve as a lasting legacy of a remarkable woman who so eloquently and effectively linked science, humanity, advocacy and action.”
A trailblazing scientist who had for years studied the potential applicability of interferon in cancer treatment, Dr. Krim was at the forefront of the philanthropic and scientific responses to AIDS. She founded the AIDS Medical Foundation (AMF) in 1983, the first private organization to support AIDS research, which in 1985 merged with Elizabeth Taylor’s National AIDS Research Foundation to become the American Foundation for AIDS Research, popularly known as amfAR. Dr. Krim also continued her scientific and academic work, including serving on the faculty of Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.
Linda Fried, MD, MPH, Dean of the Mailman School of Public Health, remarked that “Dr. Krim was a treasured member of our Board of Overseers and a visionary leader who really propelled research on HIV prevention and treatment. She was a beneficent friend of all those affected, creating resources to financially support the equity of access to care and treatment. We are honored to receive her papers and continue her legacy.”
The Krim papers are a collection of correspondence, reports, scientific articles, notes, photographs, and audiotapes spanning the late 1960s to the early 21st century. They document Dr. Krim’s professional life, primarily her work with interferon and her role in amfAR. Their cataloging and preservation at the Health Sciences Library will support further understanding of the history of the HIV and AIDS epidemics in the United States, as well as inspire future scientific developments.
Read more in the ASPPH Friday Letter.
Photo credit: amfAR (video here)
