Pandemics and perceptions in the media and public in focus at Rice’s Baker Institute Feb. 6

MEDIA ADVISORY

David Ruth
david@rice.edu
713-348-6327

Jeff Falk
jfalk@rice.edu
713-348-6775

Pandemics and perceptions in the media and public in focus at Rice’s Baker Institute Feb. 6

HOUSTON – (Jan. 28, 2015) – Two national experts from the fields of global public health and the media will discuss “Influenza, SARS, Ebola and the Next Pandemic: Perceptions in the Media and Public” at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy Feb. 6. This Baker Institute Civic Scientist Lecture Series is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Who: Dr. Peter Hotez, fellow in disease and poverty at the Baker Institute, dean of Baylor College of Medicine’s National School of Tropical Medicine, endowed chair in tropical pediatrics at Texas Children’s Hospital and president of the Sabin Vaccine Institute.

Robert Bazell, nonresident fellow in science and technology policy at the Baker Institute, adjunct professor in Yale University’s Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and former chief science and health correspondent at NBC News.

Kirstin Matthews, fellow in science and technology policy at the Baker Institute, will give introductory remarks.

Josh Morse, a Rice undergraduate student and president of Rice Empower, will serve as moderator. Rice Empower is a service venture in which Rice students, physicians and scientists channel information, inspiration and experience to K-12 students, promoting and realistically portraying medical and scientific careers.

What: “Civic Science Lecture Series – Influenza, SARS, Ebola and the Next Pandemic: Perceptions in the Media and Public.”

When: Friday, Feb. 6. Lunch will be served at noon; the discussion will begin at 12:30 p.m.

Where: Rice University, Baker Hall, Doré Commons, 6100 Main St.

Throughout history, periodic outbreaks of infectious disease have spread rapidly through human populations, becoming national and international pandemics. The most recent example is the Ebola outbreak of 2014. The public reaction to such events can influence both the response and the outcome. The media play an important role in disseminating information when such an outbreak occurs. Accurate reporting and perceptions depend on the scientific literacy of the media as well as the ability of scientists and health care professionals to communicate clearly, organizers said. In addition to influencing immediate actions, public opinion can motivate political responses and policy changes. Hotez and Bazell will explore these topics from the viewpoints of the scientific community, the media and the public.

The event, which is part of the Shell Distinguished Lecture Series, is co-hosted by the Baker Institute’s Science and Technology Policy Program and Health Policy Forum, the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and Rice Empower.

Members of the news media who want to attend should RSVP to Jeff Falk, associate director of national media relations at Rice, at jfalk@rice.edu or 713-348-6775.

The public must register to attend this event at http://bakerinstitute.org/events/register/1687/?submit=RSVP.

A live webcast will be available at http://bakerinstitute.org/webcasts.

For a map of Rice University’s campus, go to www.rice.edu/maps/maps.html.

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Founded in 1993, Rice University’s Baker Institute ranks among the top 10 university-affiliated think tanks in the world. As a premier nonpartisan think tank, the institute conducts research on domestic and foreign policy issues with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of public policy. The institute’s strong track record of achievement reflects the work of its endowed fellows, Rice University faculty scholars and staff, coupled with its outreach to the Rice student body through fellow-taught classes — including a public policy course — and student leadership and internship programs. Learn more about the institute at www.bakerinstitute.org or on the institute’s blog, http://blogs.chron.com/bakerblog.