On the 8th of November, Professor Marion Koopmans, the Scientific Director of the PDPC and Head of the Department of Viroscience, delivered the 16th Unither Baruch Blumberg Lecture at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
The Unither Baruch Blumberg Lecture is a distinguished part of the Virology Lecture Series, one of the most prestigious events in the University of Oxford academic calendar. Aimed at a general audience, the Baruch Blumberg Lecture series seeks to raise awareness of significant developments, both past and present, in virology. Past lecturers include renowned scientists and public health pioneers such as Anthony Fauci, Charles Rice, Ian Wilson, Harald zur Hausen, and Donald A Henderson.
Professor Koopmans was invited to deliver this lecture in recognition of her numerous contributions to our understanding of the ecology, epidemiology, and evolution of zoonotic disease outbreaks, ranging from Avian Flu to MERS, Zika, Ebola, and COVID-19. During the lecture, Professor Koopmans shared her vision for pandemic preparedness and provided insights as a member of the WHO team that investigated the origins of COVID-19.
