Lecture
SG - Emerging Zoonoses: Are We Prepared?
Can we prevent zoonotic diseases? Tonight, virologist Wim van der Poel sheds light on emerging zoonotic diseases and inquires into the micro- and macro-biological drivers of zoonotic infections.
About Emerging Zoonoses: Are We Prepared?
Paving the ground for this series, Wim introduces us to the world of emerging zoonotic viruses. How does animal to human spill-over of pathogens work? And what do biodiversity loss and climate change have to do with the spreading of zoonotic diseases? Are we prepared? Can the joint effort of a Global One Health approach bring solace when it comes to preventing future pandemics? And what about the scientists? Do they bear a social responsibility when it comes to preparing the population for future pandemics?
About series ‘Zoonoses As Political Actors’
In a mere matter of months a zoonotic disease thoroughly disrupted the world as we knew it, thus forcing us to rethink the ways in which we live our lives. Starting from the shared COVID-19 experience, we explore what world we came to inhabit and what a world to come may hold. Can we prevent future pandemics, or has the human species lost control over the (natural) world? What world do you want to live in? And how do we get there?
About Wim van der Poel
Wim van der Poel is professor of Emerging and Zoonotic Viruses at Wageningen Bioveterinary Research. His research focuses on veterinary, foodborne, and zoonotic viruses, and he is actively involved in the Global One Health theme – the joint effort of multiple disciplines to improve the health of humans, animals, and plants. Wim is a member of the project management board of the European Joint Program for One Health. In addition to establishing new collaborations between human and veterinary medicine, Wim also coordinates the international cooperation between institutes working on epizootic animal diseases that is carried out by the EPIZONE European Research Group.