May 11 May 11
2015
Monday Mon

Globalizing Biosurveillence

Evaluating Systems for the Early Detection of Biological Threats and the BioWatch Program

The Ebola outbreak and other recent infectious disease outbreaks such as H1N1 influenza illustrate the need for expanded coordination and disease surveillance across the globe. This session will examine the challenges of emerging infectious diseases on a global basis. Overview of current global public heath efforts to track and respond to global health events through enhanced bio-surveillance and broader information sharing.  Efforts to meet International Health Regulation reporting mandates and the role of global obligations will be discussed. US Programs for the Early Detection of Biological Threats, including BioWatch program, will be discussed. Most recently, the experience of the Skoll foundation to mobilize resources to fight the Ebola outbreak, will be reviewed. 

Location

Li Ka Shing Learning & Knowledge Center (LKSC)
291 Campus Dr.
Palo Alto, CA 94305
USA

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Li Ka Shing Learning & Knowledge Center (LKSC)

291 Campus Dr.
Palo Alto, CA 94305
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Speaker

Dr. Mark Smolinski, MD, MPH; Director of Global Health Threats, Skoll Foundation 

Mark Smolinski, MD, MPH; Director of Global Threats, Skoll Foundation. Led global efforts toward early detection and rapid response to emerging threats. His work has brought together governments, NGOs, academia, and private industry in partnerships across national borders in Southern Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Russia, and SE Asia.

In 2006, Dr. Smolinski joined the start-up team at Google.org as the director of the Predict and Prevent Initiative. Prior to Google, Mark served as Vice President for Biological Programs at the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a public charity directed by CNN founder Ted Turner and former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn. While at NTI, Mark led the development of a regional disease surveillance system linking Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority, demonstrating the power of health as a diplomatic tool even in areas of longstanding conflict.

In 2003, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences released a landmark report, the Emergence, Detection, and Response to Microbial Threats to Health for which Dr. Smolinski was the study director. He has also served as an advisor to the World Health Organization, Senior Advisor to the U.S. Surgeon General and Assistant Secretary of Health, and an Epidemic Intelligence Officer at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Smolinski was a member of the investigation team that discovered hantavirus in 1993 in Southwestern United States.

A native of Michigan, Dr. Smolinski holds a B.S. from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where he also received his M.D. He received his M.P.H. from the University of Arizona. Mark is a trained Internist and board certified in Preventive Medicine and Public Health. WIRED magazine’s 2008 Smart List of 15 people the next president should listen to included Mark, a.k.a., the threat detective.