In the year since the World Health Organization first declared COVID-19 a pandemic, we have seen scientists, governments, private industry, and health systems across the world working at incredible speed to minimize this global threat. Through rapid development and dissemination of vaccines, sustained physical distancing, and lockdown measures, results are starting to show. However, the rise of new variants of the coronavirus is causing concern, throwing global responses to the pandemic into disarray and raising fears that mutant strains will potentially render the current generation of vaccines ineffective. The race to vaccinate the world will need to respond to the pathogen’s constant evolution to evade immunity. What marks the path to the end of this pandemic? How can business work to advance this effort?
To address these questions, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health will host a remote Leadership Circle event, “What’s Ahead—Virus, Vaccines, and Variants,” featuring public health and business experts from our Harvard faculty, as well as senior business executives from across industries and sectors. The session will include robust discussion with subject-matter experts, as well as exclusive access to the latest in vaccine research being conducted at Harvard.
March 16, 2021
2:00–3:30 pm ET
Program
Opening remarks
Michelle A. Williams
Michelle Williams, ScD ’91, is Dean of the Faculty at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Angelopoulos Professor in Public Health and International Development at the Harvard Chan School and Harvard Kennedy School. Read Michelle’s full bio here.
Introduction of experts
Natalie Dean
Natalie Dean, PhD ’14, is assistant professor in the Department of Biostatistics at the University of Florida. Read Natalie’s full bio here.
Michael Mina
Michael Mina, MD, PhD, is assistant professor of epidemiology and a faculty member in the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Read Michael’s full bio here.
Rajeev Venkayya
Rajeev Venkayya, MD, is president of the Global Vaccine Business Unit at Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd. Read Rajeev’s full bio here.
Michelle A. Williams
Michelle Williams, ScD ’91, is Dean of the Faculty at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Angelopoulos Professor in Public Health and International Development at the Harvard Chan School and Harvard Kennedy School. Read Michelle’s full bio here.
Facilitated open discussion
Joseph Allen
Joseph Allen, DSc, MPH, is associate professor of exposure assessment science and director of the Healthy Buildings Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and deputy director of the Harvard Center for Education and Research on Occupational Health and Safety. Read Joe’s full bio here.
Closing remarks
Michelle A. Williams and Joseph Allen
