The New York Times featured new research on the resurgence of mumps by CCDD’s Joseph Lewnard and Yonatan Grad. “We’ve seen the outbreaks of mumps in vaccinated populations,” said the lead author, Joseph A. Lewnard, a research associate at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, “in contrast to measles, where it’s only been in unvaccinated pockets.” Read the New York Times article here.
Mumps Vaccine Protection Wanes Over Time, Study Finds
Mumps has been making a come back. A new study by CCDD researchers, Joseph Lewnard and Yonatan Grad investigate what is going on. Read the WBUR article here.
Fighting the flu at less than full strength
During a Chan School discussion “The Flu Outbreak: What You Need to Know”, panelists Marc Lipsitch, Alfred DeMaria, Yonatan Grad, and moderator Peter Thomson focused on the dangers of not getting vaccinated during a particularly virulent flu season. Read the Harvard Gazette article.
Ban on deadly pathogen research lifts, but controversy remains
Last month, the U.S. government lifted a three-year moratorium on funding risky research to genetically alter deadly viruses in ways that could make them even more lethal. Epidemiologist Marc Lipsitch of Harvard Chan School thinks the move could create an accidental pandemic. Read the article on Harvard Chan News.
US government lifts ban on risky pathogen research
“Gain-of-function studies ‘have done almost nothing to improve our preparedness for pandemics — yet they risked creating an accidental pandemic’” says Prof. Marc Lipsitch, CCDD Director. Read the article in Nature.
Can math be used to predict an outbreak?
READ: Scientists use algorithms in effort to forecast ground zero for next animal to human disease crisis.
Preparing in ‘peacetime’ for the next infectious disease outbreak
READ: Featured story “Preparing in ‘peacetime’ for the next infectious disease outbreak”on CCDD-sponsored epidemics seminar.
Taj Azarian, PhD, featured on The Story Collider
Taj Azarian, PhD, CCDD Postdoctoral Research Fellow was a guest storyteller on The Story Collider, a live show featuring true, personal stories about science. Taj presented on October 11, 2017 in Cambridge, MA at the show themed “Road Blocks.” Listen to his story here:
Think Research Podcast with Dr. Bill Hanage
LISTEN: Dr. Bill Hanage interviewed on Harvard Catalyst’s Think Research podcast, “Predicting the Path: The Study of Infectious Diseases“
Sorry, Silicon Valley, but ‘disruption’ isn’t a cure-all
READ: Op-ed by Dr. Caroline Buckee in the Boston Globe