It’s not often that health researchers find themselves numbered on “influencer” lists with folks such as Elon Musk, Serena Williams, Joe Rogan, Demi Moore and Donald Trump.

But that’s exactly where University of Utah biochemist Wesley Sundquist can be located onTime Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People of 2025.″

Sundquist is the first to admit his inclusion alongside the Musks, Williams and Rogans of the world is not what he ever expected while laboring in the medical research community.

“It was really a surprise that came out of the blue,’ Sundquist told the Deseret News. “It was kind of a thrill.”

But colleagues in the medical science community believe that Sundquist’s spot on the magazine’s eclectic list is well-deserved.

Sundquist is included in the magazine’s annual list for his lab’s research leading to a drug that prevents HIV infections.

The drug, lenacapavir, was developed at the biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, and is “exceptionally effective” at preventing HIV. A single dose provides protection for six months,according to a University of Utah Health release.

Sundquist consulted with Gilead Sciences, which developed lenacapavir. His collaborator at Gilead, Tomas Cihlar, is a co-recipient of TIME’s “influential” honor.

The Time 100 list, which is slated for the April 28, 2025 issue, includes Sundquist and Cihlar in the list’s “Pioneers” category.

The magazine’s short essay on the two men noted that today’s antiviral medications can turn HIV, a once fatal disease, into a chronic condition. However, the cocktail of pills remains inaccessible for many — and lapses in the daily regimen make them less effective.

Sundquist and Cihlar, the essay adds, “have labored for more than a dozen years to turn one antiviral treatment, lenacapavir, into a twice-a-year therapy to prevent HIV infection in those at high risk.

Sundquist, according to the magazine, laid the groundwork in studying one of HIV’s proteins, the capsid, which creates a protective shell around the virus’ genome.

“Cihlar visited his labs and was impressed enough to take his discoveries to Gilead. There, his team found ways to extend the effect of the drug over six months, meaning infected patients only receive two injections a year to treat HIV.”

The Time essay concludes saying researchers are now studying lenacapavir in people who are not HIV positive but are at high risk of exposure. “If approved, it would be the first twice-a-year injected drug to prevent HIV. Early results show great promise.”

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”,according to the university release.

If distributed broadly, the drug reportedly has the potential to dramatically decrease infection rates worldwide. “It feels like our work has made a difference,” Sundquist adds.

The scientist told the Deseret News on Wednesday that his “real excitement” is found in the drug’s potential in protecting against new infections.

“Worldwide, there are still 1.3 million new infections ever year,” he said. “This has the promise to help prevent that and really change the course of the pandemic, especially in the developing world.”

Curiosity-driven medical research

Lenacapavir’s story began decades ago “with basic, curiosity-driven research in Sundquist’s lab,” according to the university.

The lab wasn’t specifically aiming to discover new therapies — they were simply trying to understandhow 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.

“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 Dr. Rachel Hess, Associate Vice President for Research at University of Utah Health in the university release.

“This is an amazing example of fundamental research creating the environment to improve health around the globe.”

Added Dr. Bob Carter, CEO for University of Utah Health 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.”

A plea for medical research support

Next week, Sundquist and fellow Time “influencers” will be honored at New York’s Lincoln Center.

“It’s supposed to be a black tie, red carpet kind of thing, which is not my style,” he said, laughing. “But I think it’ll be a lot of fun.”

On a serious note, Sundquist hopes the Time magazine honor brings attention tothe importance of continued medical research support and funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

“We’re a basic research lab, and as you may know, that’s under considerable turmoil right now,” he said. “So labs like mine function because we have sustained support from the NIH.”

Delivering to patients the sorts of drugs that Sundquist and his colleagues have worked decades to develop requires resources. “And that’s also under threat right now.”

The scientist added he is a supporter of “basic research”.

“We never know how it’s going to result in important advances, but inevitably, across the field and across time, it does result in important advances,” said Sundquist. “If we support it, it has a very strong track record — and if we don’t, we’ll (risk) losing our feedstocks for new ideas in medicine.”

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