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Biological Sciences and the COVID-19 Pandemic

July 13, 2020

UC San Diego’s Division of Biological Sciences is leveraging its scientific expertise to offer research perspectives and insights on the COVID-19 pandemic.

New: Comprehending a Pandemic: SARS-CoV-2 Uncovered

New webinar from The Scientist: SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus behind the COVID-19 pandemic, has infected hundreds of thousands of people. In response, the scientific community sprang into action to uncover its sequence, structure, and potential biological mechanisms. This information helps guide public health policies as well as drug, vaccine, and diagnostic test development. In this webinar, Biological Sciences Professor Emily Troemel and David Wang of the Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis discuss the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, diagnostic tests and possibilities for treatment.


New: More Viruses Will Jump from Animals to People, San Diego Zoo Says. Can We Catch Them?

Assistant Professor Matt Daugherty interviewed for San Diego Union-Tribune story on viruses jumping from animals to people. “We’ve found tons of viruses that are a step or two away from breaking out in the human population. We can’t design therapeutics preemptively to all of them.”


Epidemic Diseases: Our Constant Companion

In this special UC San Diego Chancellor’s Associates presentation, Biological Sciences Distinguished Professor Stephen Hedrick, a leader in immunology research, takes viewers through an introduction of epidemiology, the theory underlying pandemics and what we can expect based on what we've experienced in the past. Particularly relevant today, Professor Hedrick discusses whether COVID-19 will ever go away, why we need a vaccine and what will happen if we don't obtain one based on history. Learn how science can help us prevent and prepare for the next outbreak.

https://youtu.be/zO8B1eo6e5c


Express Healthcare — No Country in the World is Fully Prepared to Handle a Pandemic

We will have to learn to live with COVID-19 at least for some time until we have the right vaccine and cure. Suresh Subramani, UC San Diego Biological Sciences Distinguished Professor and Global Director, Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS), talks to Akanki Sharma about potential treatments for COVID-19 and human’s co-existence with it, amidst others…


A Deep Look into COVID-19: Vaccines, Drugs and the Evolutionary Arms Race

In the second from the A Deep Look into COVID-19 series, UC San Diego infectious disease researchers provide an overview of the potential for treatments and vaccines for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, cause of COVID-19 disease which is sweeping the globe in a pandemic. They share their expertise in the dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 host-pathogen interactions, epidemic and pandemic cycles and pathways to vaccines to respond to this global challenge.

https://youtu.be/RFXJPyMnV5g


A Deep Look into the Biology and Evolution of COVID-19:

UC San Diego researchers provide an overview of the biology and evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, cause of the COVID-19 disease. Suresh Subramani, Emily Troemel, Matt Daugherty and Justin Meyer share their expertise in the dynamics of host-pathogen interactions and viral life-cycles and how they relate to this global pandemic challenge.

https://youtu.be/m9A4FMpwcQM


Dissecting COVID-19: Biology Professor Opens Infectious Disease Course to Public Audiences

Join UC San Diego professor of biology Justin Meyer, who specializes in infectious disease research, as he presents his course, “The Evolution of Infectious Diseases,” during spring 2020. Meyer is adapting his class to analyze the latest COVID-19 developments as they unravel. He starts each lecture with an update of the COVID-19 spread and discusses how evolutionary biology concepts relate to the ongoing pandemic.

https://uctv.tv/evolution-infectious-disease/


Disease Expert Tells How We’ll Know We’ve Peaked in the Spread of the Coronavirus

UC San Diego Biological Sciences Distinguished Professor Stephen Hedrick appears on 10News to discuss the spread of COVID-19 and why testing for antibodies is key. “As long as there are still people susceptible to the disease and we don’t have widespread immunity by vaccination or everybody’s had the disease, there's always the possibility it’s going to come roaring back.”

https://www.10news.com/news/coronavirus/disease-expert-tells-how-well-know-weve-peaked-in-the-spread-of-the-coronavirus


Remote Spring Quarter YouTube Diaries

Curious what it's like to be a student or professor learning and teaching from home during the COVID-19 pandemic? Psychology student Zoë Siddall and Biological Sciences Professor James Nieh share their experience in our weekly YouTube diary series. From taking class in the garage to having a cat photobomb your lecture, Zoë and Professor Nieh give us a first-hand look at the highs and lows of remote learning and teaching.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqPXJrXI3wRnESniww2M_NMF2EwbfZasp


UC San Diego Biological Sciences COVID-19 YouTube Resource Page

A new YouTube resource page compiles experts in Biological Sciences providing insights on the COVID-19 pandemic from various perspectives.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCE2CyTXcd6W2VjJojDAzObzZ61vkLraG


Saltman Quarterly Viral Virtual Updates

What is a coronavirus? How do N95 masks filter air? What does it take to make a vaccine? Check out Saltman Quarterly’s coverage of the COVID-19 crisis in its series “Viral Virtual Updates,” in which they depict factual science in the form of eye-catching and informative graphics.

https://twitter.com/sqatucsd/status/1252062894264430592

https://www.facebook.com/saltmanquarterly/