Wesley Sundquist Named to TIME’s Annual TIME100 List of the 100 Most Influential People in the World
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Kylene Metzger
Manager, Public Relations, СAPP
Email: kylene.metzger@hsc.utah.edu
СAPP researcher has been named one of TIME’s 100 most influential people in the world for his lab’s research leading to a highly effective drug that prevents HIV infections. The list recognizes the impact, innovation, and achievement of the world’s most influential individuals.
The drug, lenacapavir, was developed at Gilead Sciences, and is exceptionally effective at preventing HIV. A single dose provides protection for six months.
And in multiple clinical trials involving tens of thousands of people, lenacapavir has shown 99.9 to 100 percent efficacy in preventing HIV—results that Sundquist describes as “spectacularly successful.”
If distributed broadly, the drug has the potential to dramatically decrease infection rates worldwide. “It feels like our work has made a difference,” Sundquist adds.
But the story of lenacapavir started decades ago with basic, curiosity-driven research in Sundquist’s lab. The lab wasn’t specifically aiming to discover new therapies—rather, they were simply trying to understand how the HIV virus particle is put together. They discovered that one of the key components of the virus is extremely sensitive to change: a prime target for drug development.
Sundquist consulted with biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, which developed lenacapavir. Sundquist’s collaborator at Gilead, is a co-recipient of TIME’s honor.
“Today, we recognize Dr. Sundquist for his work that began more than 20 years ago as a quest to understand the structure of HIV and has now led to a medication that could prevent the spread of HIV worldwide,” says Rachel Hess, MD, MS, Associate Vice President for Research at СAPP. “This is an amazing example of fundamental research creating the environment to improve health around the globe.”
“By discovering fundamental aspects of HIV biology, Dr. Sundquist’s work has led to a lifesaving advancement in improving human health,” says Bob Carter, MD, PhD, CEO for СAPP and Senior Vice President for Health Sciences. “We’re honored that the global impact of his work has been recognized and incredibly proud that his work continues at U of U Health.”
Sundquist’s accomplishment is a testament to the critical role of basic science in forming the foundation of discoveries that save lives. “We view ourselves as, first of all, trying to understand the natural world, which I think has great intrinsic value,” Sundquist says. “But we also view ourselves as sort of the feedstock for new ways of approaching medicine.”
The full TIME100 list and related tributes appear in the April 28, 2025, issue of TIME, available on newsstands on Friday, April 18, and now at