Zika Outbreak

Experts from the University of Pennsylvania are available to comment on the global health crisis posed by Zika, on efforts to develop vaccines and therapies for the virus and on the social and sociological implications of the outbreak.

Gary Cohen

Professor, Department of Microbiology.
School of Dental Medicine.
University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Cohen’s research focuses on how viruses enter human cells, with a goal of developing viral vaccines. He can comment on efforts to develop a Zika vaccine.



Beth Adams | 215-573-8224 | adamsnb@pobox.upenn.edu


Sara Cherry

Associate Professor of Microbiology.
Perelman School of Medicine.
University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Cherry, studies a number of arthropod-borne (mosquitoes, ticks, sandflies) RNA viruses, including the flaviviruses West Nile virus and dengue (the same family in which Zika virus is a member), the alphaviruses Sindbis and Chikungunya virus, and the bunyaviruses Rift Valley Fever virus and La Crosse virus. These are representatives of the three major families of viruses that are important emerging and re-emerging viruses and are mosquito-transmitted.



Karen Kreeger | 215-349-5658 | karen.kreeger@uphs.upenn.edu


Kathleen Hall Jamieson

Director, Annenberg Public Policy Center.
Professor, Annenberg School for Communication.
University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Jamieson studies political communication, rhetorical theory and criticism, campaign communication and presidential discourse.



Michael Rozansky | 215-746-0202 | mrozansky@asc.upenn.edu


Michael Povelones

Assistant Professor, Department of Pathobiology.
School of Veterinary Medicine.
University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Povelones can comment on mosquitos and diseases transmission, including the implications of his research on malaria, Zika and other infectious diseases. 



Ashley Berke | 215-898-1475 | berke@vet.upenn.edu


Neil Fishman

Associate Chief Medical Officer, University of Pennsylvania Health System.
Chief Patient Safety Officer Associate Professor of Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Perelman School of Medicine.
University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Fishman is an infectious disease physician who specializes in health-care infection control and epidemiology.  He can speak to special pathogens, like the Zika virus, including risks, biology and vectors.



Johanna Harvey | 215-349-8062 | johanna.harvey@uphs.upenn.edu


Stephen Gluckman

Professor of Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Perelman School of Medicine.
University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Gluckman is an infectious disease specialist, physician and medical director of Penn Global Medicine. His expertise includes travel medicine, international medicine and tropical diseases.  



Johanna Harvey | 215-349-8062 | johanna.harvey@uphs.upenn.edu


Jack Ludmir

Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Hospital.
Perelman School of Medicine.
University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Ludmir's focus is on cervical function in pregnancy and recurrent pregnancy loss. Recently, he has established a network of researchers in Latin America to study hypertensive disease in pregnancy. He has seen patients in Colombia with the Zika virus and is working with Colombian obstetricians and authorities to help develop guidelines based on current knowledge for the care of patients with the virus.



Katie Delach | 215-349-5964 | Katie.Delach@uphs.upenn.edu


Robert Ricciardi

Chair and Professor, Department of Microbiology.
School of Dental Medicine.
University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Ricciardi’s studies the mechanisms by which viruses lead to cancer and disease and investigates antiviral therapies. 



Beth Adams | 215-573-8224 | adamsnb@pobox.upenn.edu


Harvey Rubin

Professor of Medicine and Computer and Information Science.
Perelman School of Medicine, School of Engineering and Applied Science.
University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Rubin is an infectious diseases physician and researcher and director of the Institute for Strategic Threat Analysis and Response. ISTAR is a non-profit organization affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania dedicated to educating the public, elected officials and world leaders on emerging threats to national and international security with an emphasis on global public health.



Johanna Harvey | 215-349-8062 | johanna.harvey@uphs.upenn.edu


David Weiner

Emeritus Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.
Perelman School of Medicine.
University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Weiner and his group have focused extensively on the development of gene-based vaccines, immune therapies and molecular interventions for the treatment of human and animal disease, with a particular focus on emerging infectious diseases. He is currently investigating a vaccine for the Zika virus.



Johanna Harvey | 215-349-8062 | johanna.harvey@uphs.upenn.edu