The MIDAS Webinar Series presents research from MIDAS members and is open to the public.
Date/Time: Friday, June 26, 12:00–1:00 PM EDT
Topic: Emerging Evidence and Remaining Uncertainty in the Immunopathology of SARS-CoV-2
Speaker: Dr. Micaela Martinez, Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University
Dr. Micaela Martinez is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University. She is an infectious disease ecologist specializing in the transmission of acute infectious diseases. Her laboratory is investigating immunity, transmission, and racial disparities in COVID-19.
Abstract:
The rapid spread of COVID-19 has triggered a global health crisis, affecting millions of people worldwide. Despite intense research efforts, little is still known about the underlying immune dynamics of COVID-19—dynamics that provide protection in some individuals, but lead to severe illness and mortality in others. Understanding how the immune response shapes both the pathology and protection of COVID-19 is therefore one of the most pressing questions in the world today.
Recently, I participated in a collaborative effort to synthesize current data on the immunopathology of COVID-19 and to characterize immune responses induced during the course of infection. In this presentation, I will discuss the gaps that remain in our understanding of COVID-19 immunity and pose the question: What possible pathways in the immune system trigger severe COVID-19? I will also discuss how the modeling community can use this information to project severe disease and mortality outcomes from COVID-19.