Epidemics II: Understanding Disease Spread

Gabriel M. Leung is a prominent figure in public health, currently serving as the Dean of the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine at The University of Hong Kong. He is also a Chair Professor in the School of Public Health and an honorary consultant in family medicine and primary care. With a distinguished career that includes being Hong Kong's first Under Secretary for Food and Health, Leung has played a crucial role in shaping health policies and responses to public health crises, including the SARS outbreak and the H1N1 pandemic. His academic journey began at The University of Hong Kong, where he has been instrumental in establishing the Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group and leading significant longitudinal studies such as the "Children of 1997" cohort. His research focuses on infectious diseases, health systems, and the socio-economic determinants of health, contributing to a deeper understanding of public health challenges in both local and global contexts. Leung's expertise is sought after by various national and international organizations, including the World Health Organization and the World Bank, reflecting his commitment to advancing public health through education, research, and policy development.

Dr. Joseph Wu serves as Professor at the School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, where he leads groundbreaking research in infectious disease modeling and epidemiology. His expertise in mathematical modeling of disease transmission has been crucial in shaping public health responses to major epidemics, including influenza, SARS, and COVID-19. As head of the infectious disease modeling group at HKU, he focuses on pandemic preparedness, surveillance strategies, and epidemic mitigation, while serving on the Scientific Committee for Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection. His international influence extends through his role as an affiliated faculty member at Harvard School of Public Health's Center for Communicable Diseases Dynamics (CCDD), where he coordinates the annual infectious disease modeling course. His research contributions include developing sophisticated mathematical models to assess intervention strategies and predict disease spread patterns, earning him recognition as a leading authority in epidemiological modeling and public health policy development. His work has been instrumental in informing evidence-based responses to infectious disease outbreaks across Asia and globally

Professor Guan Yi serves as Director of the State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases at the University of Hong Kong, where he has established himself as a leading authority in virology and infectious disease control. After completing his veterinary medicine training in China and doctoral studies at the University of Hong Kong, he has made groundbreaking contributions to understanding the ecology, evolution, and pathogenesis of influenza and other emerging respiratory viruses. His research team's pivotal work during the 2003 SARS outbreak led to the identification of the SARS-Coronavirus and its origins in live animal markets, helping prevent a second outbreak in 2004. His expertise extends to avian influenza surveillance and control, establishing the first systematic influenza surveillance network in southern China, which has been crucial in tracking emerging viral threats. As a recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the Scientific American 50 Award and the Cheung Kong Achievement Award, he continues to lead critical research in emerging infectious diseases while maintaining active collaboration with international health organizations and serving as a key advisor to the Chinese government on disease control strategies

Prof. Malik Peiris is a renowned clinical and public health virologist at The University of Hong Kong, where he holds the position of Chair Professor of Virology. His research primarily focuses on emerging viral diseases at the animal-human interface, including significant work on the pathogenesis of the 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus and avian influenza viruses such as H5N1, H9N2, and H7N9. Notably, he played a pivotal role in the discovery of the novel SARS-coronavirus in 2003. Prof. Peiris coordinates a multi-disciplinary Area of Excellence Program dedicated to the "Control of Pandemic and Inter-pandemic Influenza" and is an investigator in the Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS) program funded by the US National Institutes of Health. He also co-directs the WHO H5 Reference Laboratory at HKU. His extensive contributions to virology have earned him numerous accolades, including election as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2006 and recognition from various international health organizations for his work in infectious disease research and public health policy.

Marc Lipsitch is a Professor of Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and serves as the Director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, a center funded by the NIH/NIGMS MIDAS program. His research focuses on how naturally acquired host immunity, vaccine-induced immunity, and public health interventions influence the population biology of pathogens, with significant implications for human health. Lipsitch is recognized as an expert in disease transmission modeling and has authored over 350 peer-reviewed publications on topics including antimicrobial resistance, mathematical modeling of infectious diseases, and COVID-19 epidemiology. His contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic have established him as a leading scientific authority, and he has been involved in various advisory roles for health organizations. He holds a D.Phil. in Zoology from the University of Oxford and a B.A. in Philosophy from Yale University. Additionally, he has received numerous accolades for his research and contributions to public health policy, including election to the National Academy of Medicine in 2020.