Jeremy Farrar to Speak on Infectious Disease November 8
Jeremy Farrar (Photo: Jonathan Player)
On November 8, the Princeton Environmental Institute and the Woodrow Wilson School will present a Health Grand Challenges lecture by visiting Global Scholar Jeremy Farrar entitled “Globalization and Infectious Diseases: A Challenge and an Opportunity.” The lecture will take place from 4:30 pm to 6 p.m. in Robertson Bowl 1. The lecture is free and open to the public, and a reception will follow in the Bernstein Gallery on the lower level of Robertson Hall.
Farrar, director of the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is a world leader in infectious disease research and training. Farrar studies a wide array of infections, ranging from basic work on the ecology and evolution of viruses to applied translational research on vaccines. His work on H5N1 avian influenza was central to defining the clinical presentation and pathogenesis of this disease, while his research on drug resistance in multiple organisms has shed new light on this major evolutionary process. His research has been published broadly, particularly in the New England Journal of Medicine over the last five years.
Farrar brings an in-depth, global perspective to issues facing international public health today. He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards and is a fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in the United Kingdom. He also serves in a number of advisory roles for the World Health Organization.
In fall 2010, Farrar began a multi-year appointment at Princeton as a Princeton Global Scholar, hosted jointly by the Princeton Environmental Institute and the Woodrow Wilson School, through the Health Grand Challenge. During the fall semester he will visit from November 4 –19, 2010. During the spring, he will continue to make recurring and extended visits to the University, work with faculty on teaching and research, and mentor students on campus and abroad.
As a Princeton Global Scholar, Farrar will be a catalyst for promoting scholarship in international public health, which is a major focus for growth at the University. His presence will strengthen the relationships among the Princeton Environmental Institute, the Woodrow Wilson School of International and Public Affairs, the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and the Department of Molecular Biology that have developed over the past several years around the topic of global health.
In addition to the Nov. 8 public lecture, Farrar will speak at the monthly Global Health Colloquium on Nov. 12, 2010, serve as a guest instructor for courses, and meet with faculty and students. For more information on these events contact Kristina Graff.
Dr. Farrar will hold office hours on Nov. 9, 10 and 18. To schedule an appointment contact Nancy Turco.
Launched in 2007, the Grand Challenges Program is a broadly inclusive University initiative that addresses global environmental problems with scientific, technological, and public policy dimensions. A collaboration between the Princeton Environmental Institute, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, the program seeks solutions to problems of energy and climate, global health and infectious disease, and sustainable development in Africa.