Bringing Birmingham to You: Mapping the Virus

Bringing Birmingham to You: Mapping the Virus

Thursday 19 November 2020

Online Event

13.00-14.30 GMT | 17.00-18.30 GST | 21.00-22.30 HKT

The spread of COVID-19 is one of the biggest challenges the world has faced in recent history.  Leading research teams at the University of Birmingham have played a key role in trying to understand the virus through genomic sequencing and mapping transmission rates, in order to forge a path through this difficult and uncertain terrain.

Join Professors Nick Loman, Alan McNally, and KK Cheng for an insightful discussion on their expertise and views on the subject, and find out how Birmingham is playing an instrumental role in tracking the virus.  Alice Roberts, Professor of Public Engagement in Science at the University, will chair the discussion and then welcome you to put your questions to the expert panel.  Questions are also welcome in advance of the webinar and can be submitted via email. 

No prior knowledge of microbiology or epidemiology is necessary.

As there are limited spaces available for this webinar, register early to avoid disappointment.

About the panellists:

Professor Alice Roberts is an anatomist, author and broadcaster.  Her research interests focus on evolutionary anatomy, osteoarchaeology and palaeopathology.  She has considerable experience in science communication: she has presented several landmark series on the BBC and written seven popular science books.  Alice was awarded the Royal Society's David Attenborough Award 2020 for outstanding contributions to public engagement ranging across medicine, anatomy, biology, evolution and archaeology, through lectures, television, books, and other media, as well as her advocacy through her role as Professor of Public Engagement at the University of Birmingham and as the President of the British Science Association.

Nick Loman works as Professor of Microbial Genomics and Bioinformatics in the Institute for Microbiology and Infection at the University of Birmingham. His research explores the use of cutting-edge genomics and metagenomics approaches to the diagnosis, treatment and surveillance of infectious disease. Nick has so far used high-throughput sequencing to investigate outbreaks of important Gram-negative multi-drug resistant pathogens, and recently helped establish real-time genomic surveillance of Ebola in Guinea. His current work focuses on the development of novel sequencing and bioinformatics methods to aid the interpretation of genome and metagenome scale data generated in clinical and public health microbiology.

Alan McNally is a Professor in Microbial Genomics and is the Director of Institute of Microbiology and Infection at the University of Birmingham.  Alan works on the evolutionary genomics of pathogenesis and antimicrobial resistance in bacterial pathogens.  Alan has also been funded by the European Union, Medical Research Council and Royal Society.   In April 2020, Alan was seconded to the Milton Keynes Lighthouse Lab as Infectious Disease lead at the Government’s first flagship COVID-19 testing facility.  Alan is currently heading up the new COVID-19 testing lab at the University.

KK Cheng is a Professor of Public Health and Primary Care and is the Director of the Institute of Applied Health Research at the University of Birmingham. His main interests are in the epidemiology, prevention and control of important non-communicable diseases, and the development of primary care in China.  During the COVID-19 pandemic, KK was among the first researchers in western countries who advocated the importance of mask wearing in the community to control the pandemic.  His advocacy has informed the debate on the issue, which culminated in the changes in national guidance in the US, Canada, the UK as well as that of the WHO.