Newswise — The University of Michigan School of Public Health and the U-M Health System have several experts available to discuss various aspects of the recent swine flu outbreak, including disease transmission, nonpharmaceutical interventions, antiviral resistance, quarantine, viruses and trauma.

Allison Aiello, John G. Searle assistant professor of epidemiology at the School of Public Health, is an infectious disease expert. She can discuss aspects of identification, transmission, prevention, mitigation and social response to influenza outbreaks and pandemic planning, including rapid testing, transmission modes, vaccination uptake, and nonpharmaceutical intervention measures such as mask use, hand hygiene, social distancing and quarantine. Profile: www.sph.umich.edu/iscr/faculty/profile.cfm?uniqname=aielloa

Arnold Monto, M.D., professor of epidemiology at the School of Public Health, is a nationally known expert on influenza. He can discuss transmission, prevention, mitigation and social response to influenza outbreaks and pandemic planning, including rapid testing, transmission modes, vaccination uptake, and nonpharmaceutical intervention measures such as mask use, hand hygiene, social distancing and quarantine. Monto served on the advisory board to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and consults each year on the design of the annual influenza vaccine.

Profile: www.sph.umich.edu/iscr/faculty/profile.cfm?uniqname=asmonto and www.sph.umich.edu/news_events/findings/fall06/features/two.htm (from Findings).

Matthew Boulton, M.D. associate dean for practice and associate professor of epidemiology at the School of Public Health, can discuss disease transmission, nonpharmaceutical interventions and quarantine. Boulton was chief epidemiologist at the state of Michigan's Department of Health and director of the Bureau of Epidemiology. Profile: www.sph.umich.edu/iscr/faculty/profile.cfm?uniqname=mboulton

Peter Jacobson, professor of health management and policy at the School of Public Health, can discuss the legal issues of quarantine. His research focuses on the relationship between law and health care delivery and policy. Profile: www.sph.umich.edu/iscr/faculty/profile.cfm?uniqname=pdj

Mark Wilson, professor of epidemiology at the School of Public Health, can discuss disease transmission, global patterns of disease and relationship to human activity.

Profile: www.sph.umich.edu/iscr/faculty/profile.cfm?uniqname=wilsonml

James Koopman, M.D., professor of epidemiology at the School of Public Health, can discuss quarantine, influenza, transmission and antiviral resistance. Koopman's current project with the Center for Advancing Microbial Risk Assessment at Michigan State University looks at how flu virus spreads in different environments, such as a school or an office. Profile: www.sph.umich.edu/iscr/faculty/profile.cfm?uniqname=jkoopman

Sandro Galeo, M.D., professor of epidemiology at the School of Public Health and director of the Center for Global Health, can discuss the effects of mass trauma on populations. Galea's research examines the health of populations in the global context. His work involves data collection in many countries worldwide, analysis of large global datasets and theoretic development. Specifically, Galea explores social and economic determinants of population health, epidemiology of mental health and substance use, and consequences of conflict and mass trauma.

Profile: www.sph.umich.edu/iscr/faculty/profile.cfm?uniqname=sgalea

JoLynn Montgomery, research investigator at the School of Public Health, can discuss influenza from a population perspective, control of disease, health departments' responses to outbreaks, personal protective measures and nonpharmaceutical interventions. Montgomery's research focuses primarily on applied epidemiology and public health practice with specialization in control of communicable diseases, disease surveillance systems, data security and public health emergency preparedness and response.

Profile: www.sph.umich.edu/iscr/faculty/profile.cfm?uniqname=jpmont

Sonja Gerrard, associate professor at the School of Public Health, is a virologist who studies innate immune responses to viruses and viral mechanisms for evading immunity. Her interest also includes the development of broad-spectrum antivirals that target replication and the design of novel attenuated vaccine strains.

Profile: www.sph.umich.edu/iscr/faculty/profile.cfm?uniqname=gerrard

Howard Markel, M.D., professor of medicine, public health and history at the U-M Health System, is an expert on pandemics. Markel can discuss parallels between the Great Pandemic of 1918 and current emerging pandemic threats, including the medical, social and historical implications of civil restrictions and interventions. Markel's projects with the Centers for Disease Control examine the impact of nonpharmaceutical interventions in 1918 on major American cities and his findings have helped to shape pandemic preparedness guidelines at the CDC and World Health Organization.

Profile: www.med.umich.edu/medschool/chm/faculty_staff/markel.htm

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