Experts available – Bird flu and seasonal flu – January 10, 2014

With Canada’s first – albeit isolated – case of H5N1 (bird flu) reported last week and ongoing concern about H1N1 influenza across the country, SMCC has gathered a short list of flu experts who are available to answer media questions.

If you are looking for additional experts, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 613-301-1187 or 514-887-8279

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Allison McGeer, Director of Infection Control, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, 416-586-3118, amcgeer@mtsinai.on.ca

McGeer is an infectious disease epidemiologist whose major areas of research interest are in the prevention of hospital and nursing home acquired infections, adult immunization, influenza, and antibiotic resistance.

John W. Schrader, Canada Research Chair in Immunology, Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, 604-822-7822, john@brc.ubc.ca

Schrader researches human monoclonal antibodies against hemagglutinin (the “H” in H5N1.) He is working on a universal influenza vaccine that protects against all seasonal influenza and any pandemic influenza strain that comes from animals, including avian H5N1 and H7N9.

Jean-Pierre Vaillancourt, Epidemiologist, poultry industry specialist and professor of veterinary medicine at Université de Montréal, 514-345-8521 poste/ext: 8678, jean-pierre.vaillancourt@umontreal.ca

For the last 25 years, Vaillancourt has studied bird flu in Canada, the US and Mexico.

Catherine Beauchemin, Associate Professor, Department of Physics, Ryerson University, 416-979-5000 x2508, cbeau@ryerson.ca

Beauchemin is a physicist who builds computer models that simulate how viruses like the 2009 pandemic strain move through the cells of the human body. Her models can test what would happen if a virus gained a particular mutation, for example, one that increases its resistance to antibiotics. However, she has not worked with avian flu (H5N1 or H7N9)

Guy Boivin, Canada Research Chair in Emerging Viruses and Antivirus Resistance, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, (418) 654-2705, Guy.Boivin@crchul.ulaval.ca

Boivin’s research program focuses on the diagnosis, pathogenesis and treatment of viral infections. In particular, he’s studied herpes viruses and respiratory viruses, including those that cause avian flu.

Brian Ward, Professor in the department of infectious diseases at McGill University and Associate Director of the Centre for Tropical Diseases, 514-934-1934 x42810

André Dascal, Associate Professor of Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology, Departments of Medicine (Infectious Disease), McGill University. Contact Sihem Requieg at 514-340-8294 to arrange an interview.

Dascal is an expert in emerging infections and the development of rapid diagnostic tests for infectious agents.

Jason “The Germ Guy” Tetro, 647-964-GERM (4376), thegermguy@gmail.com

Tetro is a microbiologist and author of The Germ Code: Confessions of a Mercurial Microbiologist. He’s able to talk about the differences between flu strains and provide practical advice on prevention.

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