When HIV was first discovered in the early 1980s, it was virtually a death sentence. Now, we have treatments that can keep it at bay and prevent it from progressing to AIDS — but for some people, the disease never progresses, even without treatment. These so-called elite controllers make up perhaps less than 0.5 percent of all HIV patients, and their survival could hold the secret to a lasting “functional” cure to the disease. In this month’s Highlight cover story, Diana Kwon investigates what makes “elite controllers” different, how their HIV resistance functions, and whether it’s replicable for others. Also in this issue: young men and Viagra. Sports gambling’s table tennis mania. How robots are revolutionizing mastectomy surgery. And climate-proofing conservation.