Marcus Augustine Conant (born May 11, 1936, in

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

) is an American

dermatologist Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin.''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.'' Random House, Inc. 2001. Page 537. . It is a speciality with both medical and surgical aspects. A dermatologist is a specialist medica ...

and one of the first physicians to diagnose and treat Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome ( AIDS) in 1981. He helped create one of the largest private AIDS clinics, was a founder of the

San Francisco AIDS Foundation The San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing services for people with HIV/AIDS, with a mission to end the AIDS epidemic in the United States. They were founded in 1982, at the beginning of the AIDS e ...

, and his work contributed to development of some of today's top HIV medications. He has written over 70 publications on the treatment of AIDS. Conant graduated from Duke University in 1957 with a B.S. in Zoology. In 1961, Conant graduated from Duke University College of Medicine and interned at Duke University Medical Center. Conant served in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army S ...

as a

flight surgeon A flight surgeon is a military medical officer practicing in the clinical field of aviation medicine. Although the term "flight surgery" is considered improper by purists, it may occasionally be encountered. Flight surgeons are physicians (MD ...

, on active duty from 1962 to 1964, and continuing as a reservist until 1967. In 1964, Conant joined the

University of California San Francisco Medical Center The University of California, San Francisco Medical Center is a research and teaching hospital in San Francisco, California and is the medical center of the University of California, San Francisco. It is affiliated with the UCSF School of Medi ...

as a

dermatology Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin.''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.'' Random House, Inc. 2001. Page 537. . It is a speciality with both medical and surgical aspects. A List of dermatologists, dermatologist ...

resident. In 1967, he received his first academic appointment, as an instructor in clinical dermatology. Over the years, Conant rose up the academic ladder, and in 1984, he was appointed clinical professor of dermatology. While he was an associate professor at UCSF, Conant first identified

Kaposi's Sarcoma Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a type of cancer that can form masses in the skin, in lymph nodes, in the mouth, or in other organs. The skin lesions are usually painless, purple and may be flat or raised. Lesions can occur singly, multiply in a limit ...

and AIDS in patients, including early AIDS activist Bobbi Campbell. He was the lead plaintiff in judicial decision protecting the First Amendment right of physicians to recommend the use of

medical marijuana Medical cannabis, or medical marijuana (MMJ), is cannabis and cannabinoids that are prescribed by physicians for their patients. The use of cannabis as medicine has not been rigorously tested due to production and governmental restrictio ...

to people living with HIV and AIDS. In 2010, Conant closed his practice and moved to New York, citing rising costs and difficulties in dealing with health insurance companies. He stated, "I'm sorry to have to leave my patients, and a lot of them are sorry I had to leave, but it's time. This is only symptomatic of a much bigger problem we have in this country with health care." He continues to consult with researchers on a reported association of a virus with

chronic fatigue syndrome Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also called myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) or ME/CFS, is a complex, debilitating, long-term medical condition. The Pathophysiology, causes and mechanisms of the disease are not fully understood. Distinguishing c ...

and

autism The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...

References

External links

Curriculum vitae at Conant Foundation

{{DEFAULTSORT:Conant, Marcus Living people American dermatologists 1936 births HIV/AIDS researchers University of California, San Francisco faculty