AIDS Research and the Year in Oil and Gas: Tuesday’s Show (December 1, 2015)

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1.2 million Americans live today with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. But that's also the same number the World Health Organization says died from AIDS-related causes worldwide last year, a fact which underscores how – even as HIV has become a largely chronic disease in the developed world, it remains one of the globe's deadliest – and most serious – health challenges.

That's why, even as efforts continue to refine medications used to treat HIV, research carries on to find a cure. And some of that exploration is taking place right here in Greater Houston.

Dr. Adan Rios is among those pursuing a potential HIV vaccine. On this edition of Houston Matters, he tells Maggie Martin about the earliest days of the epidemic, and his efforts to find a cure.

Also this hour: we talk with Forbes staff writer Christopher Helman about recent developments in natural gas, and the year in the oil and gas industry.

Then: 25 years ago, Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine launched the Keck Center for Quantitative Biomedical Training. We talk Dr. Kathleen Matthews about the founding of the Keck Center, and how it has changed the way scientists approach research funding.

Plus: We hear Eddie Robinson’s expanded conversation with pro football Hall of Famer and former Houstonian Michael Strahan. He’s in town tomorrow (Dec. 2, 2015) to sign copies of his new book Wake Up Happy: The Dream Big, Win Big Guide to Transforming Your Life at Barnes and Noble in River Oaks.