The UCSF Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS) was established in 1986 to educate scientists and stimulate new research projects that impact the practice, theory, and policy of HIV/AIDS prevention and keep pace with the changing epidemic. CAPS at first focused on the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and risk behaviors. A grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) helped the center grow and begin training medical, social, and behavioral scientists. The scope of CAPS has evolved over the decades to include global projects, the development of prevention interventions, and collaborative work among researchers in fields including biomedicine, psychology, epidemiology, behavioral science, policy, clinical medicine, and other disciplines. Many CAPS activities focus on HIV prevention and disparity reduction in ethnic minority communities and people of color and the center’s training and educational programs encourage diversity in science. Major initiatives within CAPS have included the Technology and Information Exchange (TIE) Core and the Traineeships in AIDS Prevention Studies (TAPS) fellowship program. Prominent leaders within CAPS have included Thomas Coates, PhD, Cynthia A. Gomez, PhD, Stephen (Steve) Morin, PhD, Susan M. Kegeles, PhD, Marguerita Lightfoot, PhD, and others.