Integrating the themes of global health (humans and animal), ecosystem resilience, biodiversity conservation, and food security, this online event will bring experts together to share their perspectives on how the risk of future pandemics can be reduced through a better understanding of the complex interactions between health and natural systems.
Panel:
- Dr Shailaja Fennell, University Senior Lecturer in Department of Land Economy, University of Cambridge. Dr Shailaja is a co-I on TIGR2ESS, a research programme to study how to improve crop productivity and water use, identify appropriate crops and farming practices for sustainable rural development, with funding of £7.8 million from the Global Challenges Fund of RCUK.
- Professor Kate Jones is Professor of Ecology and Biodiversity at University College London and Director of the Nature-Smart Centre in the Institute of Future Living. Her research investigates the interface of ecological and human health, using statistical and mathematical modelling to understand the impact of global land use and climate change on ecological and human systems, with a particular focus on emerging infectious diseases.
- Dr Rosalind Parkes-Ratanshi, University Lecturer in Public Heath, Cambridge Institute of Public Health. Dr Rosalind is a clinical academic with a research interest in sustaining HIV and STI care using innovation in Africa. She trained as a Clinical Lecturer in Genito-urinary Medicine at St Mary’s Hospital, Imperial College, London and holds an Honorary Contract at Cambridge University Foundation Hospital.
- Professor James Wood, Head of Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge. James is a veterinary epidemiologist with research interests in emerging and zoonotic infectious diseases, especially bat transmitted viruses in sub-Saharan Africa and bovine tuberculosis. He is also Co-Chair of Cambridge Infectious Diseases Interdisciplinary Research Centre.
The event will be chaired by Professor Bhaskar Vira, Head of Department of Geography and Founder of the University of Cambridge Conservation Research Institute. Trained as an economist, Bhaskar’s research is concerned, in particular, with the often-hidden costs of environmental and developmental processes, and the need for scholarship to draw attention to the distributional consequences of public policy choices.
We welcome questions in advance of this event. Please send these to Rachel Hoffmann rlh80@cam.ac.uk
