Dr. Ian Lipkin is the John Snow Professor of Epidemiology, Professor of Neurology and Pathology and Cell Biology, and Director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University. He speaks about the role serendipity played in his path to epidemiology, his work at the beginning of the HIV epidemic in San Francisco, the surprising role that infectious disease may play in illnesses not often associated with infection, and the importance of ensuring innovations leave the lab and become products and services that make a positive impact on people’s lives.