S.Africa's HIV research power couple wins top science award for work

Through decades of pioneering work on fighting the spread of infectious diseases such as HIV, South African public health power couple is credited with saving thousands of lives. Married for 36 years, the epidemiologists are internationally respected for their work on stopping deadly infections such as HIV/AIDS, TB and the coronavirus.

On Thursday, they received the Lasker Award for public service, a top recognition for medical research described as the US equivalent of a Nobel Prize for science. The couple's focus on HIV followed their move to the United States in 1987 to work on their master's degrees at Columbia University.