Media Advisory: Panel to Discuss University, Cdc Infectious Disease Research Initiatives on Colorado State’s Foothills Campus

WHAT:

Bioscience Larimer County panel discussion: Infectious Disease Research in Fort Collins at the Colorado State University Foothills Research Campus. Representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Colorado State University will discuss the research initiatives associated with the $100 million of new research facilities being built at the Foothills Research Campus. Medical, veterinary, agricultural and biosecurity projects will be discussed. Media are invited to attend.

WHEN/WHERE:

Thursday, September 16, 4-6 p.m.

University Park Holiday Inn

425 W. Prospect Road, Fort Collins

DETAILS:

Panelists include: Barry Beaty, Ph.D., University Distinguished Professor, Colorado State University Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology; and, Lyle R. Petersen, M.D., M.P.H., Director, CDC Division of Vector Borne Infectious Diseases.

Beaty is a University Distinguished Professor and Member of the National Academy of Sciences. In 1987, he founded the Arthropod-borne and Infectious Disease Laboratory at Colorado State. As an epidemiologist, he has concentrated on the epidemic and evolutionary potential of arthropod-borne viruses–such as dengue, yellow fever and the mosquito-borne encephalitis viruses–and certain rodent-borne viruses. His major research endeavors include developing rapid, clinically relevant diagnostic and surveillance techniques for arbovirus infections; describing vector and virus genetic determinants of the epidemic potential of dengue hemorrhagic fever in Mexico; creating arbovirus expression systems to characterize genes of interest in vectors; and investigating and demonstrating the evolutionary potential of arboviruses in vectors. More recently, he has investigated the molecular biology and population genetics of insect vectors of pathogens to develop novel strategies for control of these important diseases. Beaty has played a key role in the design and management of Colorado State’s Regional Biocontainment Laboratory project.

Dr. Petersen joined Tulane University’s tropical medicine research efforts in Cali, Colombia, before starting CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service applied epidemiology training program in 1985. After his EIS training at the Connecticut State Health Department, he joined the CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS where he worked until 1995. During that time, he completed CDC’s Preventive Medicine Residency Program, received an MPH degree from Emory University, and served in several posts, including the chief of the HIV Seroepidemiology Branch. From 1996 to February 2000, Dr. Petersen guided Germany’s efforts in creating a new national infectious disease epidemiology program at the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin. He is the author more than 120 scientific publications and is the recipient of several scientific awards. He has also served as a consultant for the Pan American Health Organization and the World Bank.

Moderator: Paul Hudnut is director of Venture Development at Colorado State where he works on the commercial development of university technologies and teaches entrepreneurship classes at the College of Business. His background and interest is in building companies, technology transfer and intellectual property. He has been involved in several entrepreneurial companies and was an executive at Heska Corporation, U. S. WEST Marketing Resources and PR Pharmaceuticals. He currently serves on the board of directors of EnviroFit International, CaringFamily LLC, and the Rotary Club of Fort Collins, as well as the board of advisors for Optibrand, LLC. Paul earned his BA from Colorado College and his law degree from University of Virginia and has completed the Program for Management Development at the Harvard Business School.

The event is sponsored by the Colorado BioScience Association, a not-for-profit corporation providing services and support for Colorado’s growing biosciences industry. The Bioscience Larimer County panel discussion is part of the CBSA seminar series created for individuals and companies to have the opportunity to network and learn about key trends and developments in biosciences.

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