{{short description|American biochemist (born 1948)}} {{Infobox scientist | name = David Rasnick | image = <!--(filename only)--> | image_size = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1948}} | birth_place = | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date) --> | death_place = | residence = | citizenship = | nationality = | fields = | workplaces = | alma_mater = Georgia Institute of Technology | thesis_title = Affinity labeling of metalloendoproteases | thesis_url = https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/638449874 | thesis_year = 1978 | doctoral_advisor = | academic_advisors = | doctoral_students = | notable_students = | known_for = | author_abbrev_bot = | author_abbrev_zoo = | influences = | influenced = | awards = | signature = <!--(filename only)--> | signature_alt = | footnotes = | spouse = }}
'''David William Rasnick''' (born 1948) is an American biochemist known for his association with the AIDS denialist movement, which denies the fact that HIV is the cause of AIDS,<ref name="ns">{{cite news | work = New Scientist | first =Jonny | last=Steinberg | date = June 17, 2009 | url = https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20227131.500-aids-denial-a-lethal-delusion | title = AIDS Denial: A Lethal Delusion}}</ref> and for his involvement with clinical trials in South Africa promoting vitamins for the treatment of AIDS, which were later ruled illegal by the South African judiciary.<ref name="nature"/>
== Education and body of work == David Rasnick received a PhD in chemistry from Georgia Tech in 1978; his thesis was entitled "Affinity Labeling of Metalloendoproteases."<ref>{{cite book | title=Affinity labeling of metalloendoproteases | date=1978 | author=Rasnick, David William | oclc=638449874 }}</ref> Rasnick studied proteases in rats and has also written a book about the aneuploidy theory of cancer.<ref name="ns"/><ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VTClFDDkyV0C | title=The Chromosomal Imbalance Theory of Cancer: The Autocatalyzed Progression of Aneuploidy is Carcinogenesis | publisher=CRC Press | author=Rasnick, David William | year=2011| isbn=9781578087372 }}</ref>
Rasnick was a prominent member of the AIDS-denialist movement, which claimed that HIV either did not exist, or did not cause AIDS. He claimed that HIV was a harmless "passenger virus" incapable of causing any disease.<ref name="vv"/> In association with Matthias Rath, Rasnick traveled to South Africa, a country with one of the highest incidences of HIV/AIDS in the world, where they discouraged HIV-infected individuals from using antiretroviral drugs and instead promoted the use of proprietary vitamin mixes which were claimed to fight AIDS. Rasnick also advocated a complete ban on HIV testing in South Africa, and denied that there was "any evidence" of an HIV epidemic in South Africa.<ref name="vv">{{cite news | work = Village Voice | first = Mark | last = Schoofs | date= July 4, 2000 | url = https://www.villagevoice.com/2000/07/04/debating-the-obvious/ | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180916022029/https://www.villagevoice.com/2000/07/04/debating-the-obvious/ | url-status = dead | archive-date = September 16, 2018 | title = Debating The Obvious}}</ref> In 2008, a South African court ruled that the trials conducted by Rath and Rasnick were illegal, and barred them from conducting clinical trials or advertising vitamin supplements in the country.<ref name="nature">{{cite news | work = Nature | url = http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080618/full/453969c.html | title = Anti-AIDS vitamin advertising banned | date = June 18, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | work = The Guardian | title = South African court bans trials of vitamin treatments for Aids | first = Xan | last = Rice | url = https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jun/14/southafrica.aids | date = June 13, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | publisher = Reuters | title = South African court bans AIDS vitamin trials | url = http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-safrica-aids-court/south-african-court-bans-aids-vitamin-trials-idUKL1383491420080613 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180124081730/https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-safrica-aids-court/south-african-court-bans-aids-vitamin-trials-idUKL1383491420080613 | url-status = dead | archive-date = January 24, 2018 | date = June 13, 2008}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rasnick, David}} Category:1948 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century American chemists Category:HIV/AIDS denialists Category:Georgia Tech alumni Category:21st-century American biologists