On Monday, Jan. 26, Carleton College will present Dr. Christine Petersen, Director of the Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases and associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Iowa College of Public Health, in a lecture focused on zoonotic and vector borne diseases and how they make a difference in human health. Petersen’s presentation, entitled “Bats, Bugs & Brucella: Why Someone in Emerging Infectious Diseases Pays Attention,” will take place from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Olin Hall Room 141. This event is free and open to the public.
With the first seeds planted as a veterinary student doing a summer research project on African Trypanosomiasis in Nairobi, Kenya, Dr. Petersen’s scientific career has focused on the prevention of zoonotic diseases, which primarily focuses on disease caused by the insect-borne parasite, leishmaniasis. Dr. Petersen is now director of the Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, a “One Health” collaboration between the Iowa Department of Public Health and regents colleges of Medicine, Public Health (UIowa) and Veterinary Medicine (ISU).
In the department of epidemiology, Petersen teaches joint veterinary, medical and global public health coursework and conducts outreach related to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of zoonotic diseases within animal and human populations. Additionally, she collaborates with the Iowa State University animal shelter medicine program, populations ripe for spread of zoonotic infectious diseases.
Petersen earned a DVM from Cornell University and a PhD in Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Harvard School of Public Health.
This event is sponsored by the Carleton College Department of Biology. For more information, including disability accommodations, call (507) 222-4884. Olin Hall is located off First and Nevada Streets in Northfield.