Ira Pastor, ideaXme exponential health ambassador and founder of Bioquark interviews Dr. Mark Kortepeter, MD, MPH, Professor in the Department of Epidemiology, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Public Health.
Detecting and Killing Viruses in the Hot Zone
On today’s show we are going to jump back into the theme of viruses.
On previous episodes, we’ve been talking about either the beneficial therapeutic applications of certain viruses, thinking about our discussions surrounding the topics of bacteriophage therapies or beneficial viral co-infections, or some of the chronic pathological states where viruses may play a much more prominent role in disease progression than previously thought, per our discussions of the potential viral connections in Alzheimer’s Disease.
Today however, we are going to go to the opposite end of the spectrum, to some of the most deadly organisms that this planet has produced, and speak to one of the heroes who tracks down these viruses for containment, and comes up with ways to prevent and kill them.
Dr. Mark Kortepeter Is an Expert in Epidemiology
Dr. Mark Kortepeter, MD, MPH is Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Public Health. He is also a retired U.S. Army colonel.
His research interests include the pathophysiology of Ebola virus infection, care for patients with highly hazardous contagious pathogens requiring containment, investigational vaccines and treatments, and management of laboratory exposures to potential biological weapons threats.
Dr. Kortepeter spent seven and a half years in leadership at USAMRIID (United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases), a period where the United States experienced some of the most serious threats in modern germ warfare, including the specter of biological weapons during the Iraq War, the anthrax letters sent after 9/11, a little-known crisis involving a presumed botulism attack on the president of the United States, as well as navigating threats related to smallpox, Lassa, and Ebola.
Educating the World on How to Address Viruses
Additionally, Dr. Kortepeter has served as Lead in Infection Prevention and Control against Ebola virus, at the World Health Organization, Lead in Special Pathogens Research Network (SPRN) of the National Ebola Training and Education Center, and several years as a professor at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, whose mission is to educate, train and prepare uniformed services health professionals, officers and leaders to directly support the Military Health System, the National Security and National Defense Strategies of the United States, and the readiness of our Armed Forces.
He’s the author of 3 books including: Biohazard 9-1-1, Medical Management of Biological Casualties Handbook, and Inside the Hot Zone: A Soldier on the Front Lines of Biological Warfare, which details his time at USAMRIID.
On this episode we will hear from Dr. Kortepeter:
About his background, how he developed an interest in medicine, public health, and epidemiology. How he became involved with research in the area of highly hazardous and contagious pathogens. A discussion about his work in the area of investigational vaccines, drugs, countermeasures, and containment, and what his typical day looked like in the laboratory and in the field. The current state of Ebola treatment, prevention and containment. Finally, a discussion of his thoughts related to post-Cold War “de-commissioning” of biological warfare agent stocks, as well as those stocks of “eradicated” virus diseases like smallpox.
Credits: Ira Pastor interview video, text, and audio.
Follow Ira Pastor on Twitter: @IraSamuelPastor
If you liked this interview, be sure to check out our interview with Dr. Lorna Harries!
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