Paul Farmer, MD, PhD, a physician, infectious disease expert and medical anthropologist who has dedicated his life to treating some of the world's poorest populations, spoke to an overflow crowd on April 8, 2004 at the Stanford Institute for International Studies. Farmer spoke in his capacity as the inaugural S.T. Lee Lecturer.

In his talk, titled "The Nexus of Health and Human Rights," Farmer spoke about the clinic he directs in Cange, Haiti. The clinic has become the center of a thriving community-based medical care system that is tackling Haiti's HIV problem head-on, demonstrating that complex medical treatments can be implemented successfully in poor, underdeveloped nations. Farmer, who has won several awards for his humanitarian work, also talked about promoting access to medical care as a basic human right.

The S.T. Lee Lectureship is named for Seng Tee Lee, a business executive and noted philanthropist. Mr. Lee endowed the lectureship in order to raise public understanding of the complex policy issues facing the global community today.