With close to 100 attendees, the first annual Pandemic Prediction and Prevention Destination Area symposium was filled with insightful conversation, scientific networking, and groundbreaking research!
Held on May 13, 2024, the first annual symposium created an atmosphere for faculty exchange, student and trainee networking, and dynamic presentations by both faculty and students.
The day began with a faculty planning meeting for PPP DA faculty members in the Data and Decision Sciences building. This portion of the symposium allowed our faculty to come together for team building, forecasting, and to discuss pressing matters in their research. Uninterrupted group time allows for future development of our destination area.
Our afternoon sessions began with an inspiring welcome from Dr. Dan Sui, Senior Vice President and Chief Research and Innovation officer at Virginia Tech. Dr. Sui touched on the points which make the PPP DA unique; transdisciplinary research, cutting edge work, and developing the future of pandemic science.
Keynote speaker, Dr. Anna Whitfield, from North Carolina State University, gave a compelling lecture titled “Emerging Vector-Borne Plant Diseases at the Intersection of Food Security and Health.” Dr. Whitfield is a Professor and the Director of Emerging Plant Disease and Global Food Security at North Carolina State University.
After a short break, the afternoon continued with presentations from Dr. Luis Escobar with Dr. Jonathan Auguste regarding the Jump theme research and Dr. Padma Rajagopalan with Dr. Webster Santos on the Replicate theme research. Each presentation was excellently presented and gave the university community an insight into the work of the PPP DA themes. Dr. Tom Ewing also gave a presentation titled “Not Here Yet: Pandemic Preparation and Prevention during the 1889 – 1890 Influenza Pandemic” which highlighted “clear, consistent, and trustworthy communication” practices in relation to Pandemic Preparation and Prevention.
Intermingled with the faculty presentations, several PPP DA trainees had the opportunity to present research during the lightning round. Tom Kasputis, Hannah Raso, Neeti Gandhi, Morgen VanderGiessen each spoke on different areas related to pandemic science. Following the lightning round presentations, the university community was welcomed at a poster session and networking reception featuring the atrium in the Data and Decision Sciences Building.
We look forward to you joining us for next year’s event!
