APRIL 28, 2020 — Five of UTSA’s top scientists will be part of the second Community Conversations interactive dialogue hosted by the university on Wednesday, April 29, at noon. All are on the front lines of COVID-19 research, actively working to develop predictive models, drug therapies and vaccines.
The event, “Beating COVID-19: How Close Are We?” is free and open to the public and will provide attendees with an opportunity to ask the panelists questions through chat. The panelists, all recognized experts on various aspects of understanding and combating COVID-19, serve as frequent information resources for major media outlets.
“This is an extraordinary time for our local community, and our research focus has been on the health and safety of San Antonio and beyond,” said Bernard Arulanandam, vice president for research, economic Development, and knowledge enterprise and the panel’s moderator. “We are proud to have scientists who are doing critical research to advance vaccines and provide predictive data to our local government decision makers. This discussion will be a unique opportunity for attendees to gain a deeper understanding of the science behind our battle against COVID-19 from those on the cutting edge.”
Panelists are Doug Frantz, cofounder of the Center for Innovative Drug Discovery; Juan Gutierrez, chair of the Department of Mathematics; Karl Klose, director of the South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases; and Dhireesha Kudithipudi, director of UTSA’s Artificial Intelligence Consortium.
Topics slated for discussion during the hour:
- Using models to understand epidemics.
- The latest updates on vaccine and drug research.
- What we don’t yet know about COVID-19.
- How access to health services affects COVID-19’s impact on populations.
- Common causes for virus spread in San Antonio.
- Considerations regarding resuming big events, such as Fiesta San Antonio and sports competitions.
⇒ Watch the livestream broadcast or learn more about the event.
Community Conversations is a series of interactive dialogues with UTSA’s leading faculty experts sharing their insights and research on COVID-19.
