taste of science and The TMC Chapter of the American Society for Microbiology are hosting a two-part COVID-19 Webinar series to break down COVID-19 science, the situation on the ground, and discuss solutions. You'll hear directly from physicians, virologists, clinical microbiologists and epidemiologists on the science behind the disease, public policy and get to ask any questions you have on the subject.
The event will be divided by consecutive two days, always at 2pm CST:
May 2nd: Segment I - COVID-19 101, Debunking Myths
May 3rd: Segment II - The Path Forward
COVID-19 101- Debunking Myths
This segment will debunk most common myths about COVID-19 and aim to inform the public on how SARS-CoV-2 compares to other virus' and outbreaks, why public health measures work, what doctors see on the ground, and how a strong healthcare system is integral to fighting pandemics.
The event will be livecast through Zoom (bit.ly/covidevent) and through Facebook Live on our page.
Meet your speakers
Pedro A. Pietra
Baylor College of Medicine
Dr. Pietra is a physician scientist who has worked for years on the development of vaccines against respiratory viruses. He has worked with a BCM group researching influenza vaccines, and been involved in phase I, II, III and IV clinical trials in the development of the live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) for use in children. Recently Dr. Pietra’s laboratory has played a critical work running COVID-19 tests and in the development of serological assays.
Blake Hanson
UTHealth
Dr. Hanson’s research interests are in infectious disease transmission and colonization, how microbial communities impact the development of disease, and how antimicrobial resistance develops and transmits through society. He uses a combination of existing and innovative laboratory techniques, and cutting-edge sequencing and bioinformatics within his lab’s research.
Roby Bhattacharyya
Massachusetts General Hospital
Dr. Bhattacharyya is a physician scientist working on infectious Diseases at the Harvard/ MIT Broad Institute. He has a background on clinical microbiology diagnostics and antibiotic resistance and was working on the ground during the COVID19 crisis.