PROVIDENCE – The Miriam Hospital raised a “record-breaking” $1.37 million at a gala Oct. 25 that recognized Dr. Charles C.J. Carpenter, a pioneer in HIV/AIDS and infectious diseases research, and sought to raise funds for a chair in infectious diseases at the Miriam.

Carpenter, founder of the Immunology Center at The Miriam Hospital, is known internationally as a leader in developing treatments for people with HIV/AIDS. He has also been recognized for his work treating diseases in developing countries and for training a generation of researchers in the field of international health.

Carpenter is a principal investigator of the Lifespan/Tufts/Brown Center for AIDS Research at the Miriam and a professor of medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

Early in his career, Carpenter and his colleagues developed an oral rehydration formula to address the cholera pandemic, which has saved many lives and is still used today.

Carpenter serves on several international and national committees and is an active member of the antiretroviral treatment panel of the International AIDS Society-USA, a group of 17 top HIV/AIDS experts who every two years make recommendations used to set international guidelines for antiretroviral treatment.

The Miriam gala, held at the R.I. Convention Center with the theme “An Elegant Evening In Monte Carlo,” included live and silent auctions, game tables, dinner and entertainment. Contributions to the evening included a $500,000 donation from University Medicine Foundation Inc., a nonprofit, multi-specialty group practice of Brown-affiliated doctors that includes Carpenter.

The Miriam Hospital, in Providence, is part of the Lifespan health system and is affiliated with The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. It is one of 18 designated Centers for AIDS Research sites and a leader in HIV/AIDS treatment and research. For more information, go to www.miriamhospital.org.