“I Was Doing It for My Patients”: Dr. Charlie van der Horst on His Life Fighting for Justice

Posted Jun 23, 2019
The Triangle’s health advocacy community lost one of its most outspoken voices with the death of Dr. Charlie van der Horst during a swimming race in the Hudson River. The world-renowned AIDS researcher and professor emeritus of medicine and infectious diseases at UNC was not content to fight for his patients in the exam room or from the lab bench. (Indy Week)

Related: Campus Connections

From UNC Student Reporter to Olympics Writer
An interview with a UNC student-reporter must have felt like looking in a mirror. Sean Cavanaugh ’17, a reporter for the Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS)...
Tue Mar 24, 2026

AI research at Carolina
From computer science to journalism, health sciences to social work, researchers are applying AI to the world’s problems. Carolina already boasts a deep knowledge of...
Sun Mar 22, 2026

From an indigo hue to Carolina Blue: the history behind UNC's school colors
Many students, fans and alums have proudly proclaimed that UNC is home to "the better blue." Carolina Blue became a widely used noun in the...
Sat Mar 21, 2026

Entrepreneur, UNC alum gives back, a bagel at a time
Alex Brandwein left UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School in May 2020 with two big accomplishments: an MBA and a lease for a bagel shop a few...
Tue Mar 17, 2026