HIV/AIDS activists gathered at the NYC AIDS Memorial on June 13 to remember Iris Long, a chemist who joined ACT UP in 1987 and played a key role in providing much-needed scientific expertise to the group.
Long died in Astoria in April at the age of 92, the New York Times reported.
Long, survived by her husband, Michael Long, was a retired organic chemist when she first attended an ACT UP meeting at a time when the group was in need of scientific support in its fight for treatment.
“She was their scientific North Star,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, who worked under several US presidents and most notably served as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told the New York TImes. “She told them that if you’re going to interact with the scientific community, you’re going to have to understand the science.”
Below, see some photos from the remembrance event.
