#907: Andrew Maniotis

Andrew Maniotis is generally known as one of the louder and more fumingly insane of the already rabidly crazy group that is the HIV-denialists, and a guy that more rational people (critics) do well to stay away from if they don’t want too much noise and spectacle. Maniotis has a background in cancer research, though his career has not moved straight upwards, and he no longer holds a tenure track faculty position at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Nor does he have any direct experience working with HIV experimentally, but lack of experience and professional stature has never stopped crackpots from making ridiculous claims on the Internet or presenting themselves as bona fide experts in multiple areas of science and medicine.

In recent years he has mostly been involved in various lonely campaigns to enlighten the world about perceived AIDS conspiracies, targeting various organizations and people with varying level of coherence. Of particularly tragic and repugnant character was his involvement in the Lambros Papantoniou affair. After befriending Maniotis, Papantoniou – who was HIV positive – stopped his medication and quickly died of AIDS; instead of HIV medication, Maniotis pushes his own range of vitamin supplements. You probably have an idea about how scientifically founded his dietary advice is.

Diagnosis: His tiredless is only matched by his misguidedness, and the mistakes he attempts to push are actually prone to cause real and extensive harm. Must be considered dangerous.