Unpacking COVID-19: From Evidence to Action
The COVID-19 pandemic showed that a public health emergency is not a medical problem alone—it affects all spheres of society, and requires scientific cooperation and communication. Collaboration across disciplines and sectors is vital for a comprehensive and inclusive response to the pandemic crisis. This discussion featured a virologist, an infectious disease expert, an epidemiologist, a physician and a professor of community medicine—who together explored how cross-disciplinary research combined with sensitive on-the-ground response are crucial to addressing public health and socio-economic crises.
About the Medical Reseacher
Ajit Lalvani leads a multidisciplinary programme of public health research to protect the health of the population from the most serious respiratory infections: flu, TB and COVID-19.
About the Community Medicine Expert
Aqsa Shaikh, MBBS, MD Community Medicine is an Associate Professor of Community Medicine at Hamdard Institute of Medical Science and Research, Jamia Hamdard, Delhi.
About the Public Health Expert
Giridhara R Babu is Professor and Head – Life Course Epidemiology at Public Health Foundation of India.
About the Virologist
Shahid Jameel studied Chemistry at Aligarh Muslim University and Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur, India and obtained a PhD in Biochemistry at Washington State University, USA.
About the Neurologist
Yogesh Kalkonde is a public health researcher and a neurologist.
About the Moderator
Sarah Iqbal trained as a researcher in Life Sciences and is currently a Communications and Public Engagement practitioner in India.
