Oct. 29 Symposium: Ebola, The Disease and Immune Privilege

Medical Campus students, faculty and staff are invited to the “Ebola, The Disease, and Immune Privilege” symposium.

  • Thursday, Oct. 29
  • 1-6 p.m.
  • BUSM Instructional Building, Hiebert Lounge
Credit: Kevin Liles, New York Times
Credit: Kevin Liles, New York Times

The Symposium will feature guest speaker Ian Crozier, MD, an infectious disease specialist who while helping to fight against the Ebola outbreak in Kenema, Sierra Leone in August 2014, contracted the disease and was evacuated to Emory University Hospital where he recovered. Two months later with fading vision it was discovered that while his blood was Ebola-free, the eye was not. With Dr. Crozier our second invited speaker will be Steven Yeh, MD, Louise M. Simpson Professor of Ophthalmology, Emory Eye Center, who led the team to save his vision.

The symposium will include additional talks and discussions on immune privileged tissues, filovirus infections, infection control and testing, and the sequential care needed for patients surviving Ebola by BUSM faculty Andrew Taylor, PhD, Department of Ophthalmology; Elke Muhlberger, PhD, Department of Microbiology; Nahid Bhadelia, MD, Department of Medicine; and Nancy Miller, MD, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine.

To learn more about Dr. Cozier’s experience visit the New York Times story Questions? Email Bolanos@bu.edu

Ebola, The Disease and Immune Privilege Symposium 

Hiebert Lounge
Oct. 29, 1-6 p.m.

1-1:30 p.m.      “Welcome & Introduction to Immune Privilege”
Andrew W. Taylor, PhD,  Associate Dean For Research, Professor of Ophthalmology

1:35-2:05        “Not so silent – How primary human macrophages respond to Ebola virus infection”
Elke Mühlberger, PhD, Associate Professor, Microbiology

2:10-2:40        “Ebola Dx and the U.S. clinical laboratory: From practical to practice to promise”
Nancy S. Miller, MD, Assistant Professor, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine

2:45-3:35         “Dual citizenship at the Ebola bedside: a provider become a patient”
Ian Crozier, MD, Infectious Diseases Specialist

 3:40-4:10         “Eye Disease in Ebola Survivors: Individual and Global Health Implications”
Steven Yeh, MD, Louise M. Simpson Professor of Ophthalmology, The Emory Eye Center – Atlanta, Georgia

4:15-4:45          “Dual citizenship at the Ebola bedside: a survivor’s story”
Ian Crozier, MD, Infectious Diseases Specialist

4:45-5                Questions & Answers
Drs. Taylor, Mühlberger, Miller, Yeh and Crozier.

5- 6 p.m.            Reception