How did Seattle become home to some of the world's most influential infectious-diseases researchers? Hot Spot tells the story of young physician-scientists drawn to the "off you go" spirit of the Pacific Northwest. A University of Washington researcher discovered scores of new sexually transmitted pathogens and created a widely copied "Seattle model" to treat and prevent them. Another led clinical trials for the world's first antiviral therapy. Others found ways to protect immune-weakened patients from deadly infections after a bone marrow transplant. Such innovations put Seattle at the forefront of both the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the new field of global health. When COVID-19 emerged, Seattle was ready.