Thomas J. Coates

Throughout his career as a health expert, his theory-based research has been focused on interventions aimed at reducing risks and threats to health[5] Coates studied at San Luis Rey College and obtained his BA in Philosophy in 1968.

[citation needed] In 1986, during the height of the HIV epidemic and fueled by his passion for infectious disease research, Coates co-founded the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies at UCSF, directing it from 1991 to 2003.

[9] With funding from USAID and WHO, Coates led a randomized control trial to determine the efficacy of HIV voluntary counseling and testing in Kenya, Trinidad, and Tanzania.

[10] As the principal investigator for Project Accept (HPTN 043), Coates led a study on the effect of community-based voluntary counseling and testing on HIV incidence in a cluster-randomized trial in 48 communities at five sites in South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Thailand.

[12] Coates' studies on the pivotal role of behavioral science in combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic have been a catalyst for social change.