The Flu Around You
October 22nd, 2020
How do we catch the flu? How do scientists study flu? Join BioBus and our special guests, virologist Dr. Florian Krammer (Professor of Vaccinology at the Department of Microbiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York), infectious disease epidemiologist Dr. Maria Sundaram (Postdoctoral Fellow at ICES in Ontario), and scientific leader Dr. Julie Schafer (Chief Technology Officer at Flu Lab), as we answer your questions about the flu.
Guest Speakers
Dr. Julie Schafer
Chief Technology Officer at Flu Lab
Julie Schafer, PhD, MPH, MS is the Chief Technology Officer for Flu Lab, where she seeks to stretch the boundaries of how technology is used in order to defeat influenza. Before joining Flu Lab, Julie spent 15 years in the U.S. government, where she co-developed numerous strategies and plans, including the HHS Pandemic Influenza Plan, led complex influenza vaccine, therapeutic, and diagnostic advanced development programs, and served in the White House National Security Council.
Dr. Maria Sundaram
Epidemiologist
Maria Sundaram, MSPH, Ph.D.
Dr. Maria Sundaram is an infectious disease epidemiologist who has been studying respiratory virus epidemiology and influenza vaccines since 2011. She has published 21 peer-reviewed scientific articles on influenza and influenza vaccine, and is a current weekly expert contributor for BBC World Service Radio on COVID-19. When she is not doing research, she likes to play the piano, cook, and train capoeira.
Dr. Florian Krammer
Vaccinologist
Florian Krammer, Ph.D.
Dr. Krammer is Professor of Vaccinology at the Department of Microbiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. His laboratory studies several RNA viruses. While the main focus is on influenza viruses, his lab is also interested in coronaviruses, hantaviruses, filoviruses, and other emerging RNA viruses. The final goal of this work is to translate these findings into novel vaccines and therapeutics.