Robert Gallo (born 1937) is one of the most influential, yet controversial, researchers of the twentieth century. Working at the National Institutes of Health, Gallo was one of the first scientists to discover a human retrovirus, which proved to be an important breakthrough in the fight against cancer. He was also a co-discoverer of the AIDS virus and developed the test used to screen blood for AIDS.

Robert Charles Gallo was born in Waterbury, Connecticut on March 23, 1937. His grandparents immigrated to the United States from Italy. His parents, Francis Anton and Louise Mary (Ciancuilli) Gallo, were both born and raised in Waterbury, where his father worked as a metallurgist.

Gallo's early scientific influences were his father and his uncle, Joe Anthony, his mother's brother-in-law. His father had an extensive technical library. His uncle was a zoologist who had a passion for his work. However, it was a life-altering event...