Epidemiology, health policy and outcomes
Yen Chen, PhD
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI, United States
Disclosure(s): No financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose
Whilst we are in the middle of a pandemic, it seems like a suitable time to look back in history and evaluate how pandemics have shaped humanity. We will focus on the 'Black Death’ in Europe, as well as the 1918 influenza pandemic.
With the 'Black Death,' we will highlight the socioeconomic changes that occurred from the mass loss of workforce leading to the ending of serfdom, and the crumbling of aristocracy. We will also explore the impacts the plague had on selection for genes conferring protection from the infection, but potentially increasing susceptibility to certain rheumatologic conditions.
In the 1918 influenza, we will focus on the pursuit of the causative agent over the ensuing decades leading to major advancements, including the discovery of DNA.
Speaker: Adam Brown, MD, BS – Cleveland Clinic
