Nerd Nite No. 70: Tobacco, Aphasia, Superspreaders, and the glorious return of The Cost is Correct!
Stephanie Gervasi will present “Disease Superspreaders”
“Superspreaders” are individuals who contribute disproportionately to the spread of infectious disease. Identifying the unique physiological and behavioral characteristics of superspreaders may be key to predicting when and where epidemics and disease-driven extinctions will occur. I will discuss how the integration of tools and principles from the fields of epidemiology, immunology and behavioral ecology has guided my past and present research about the dynamics of infectious disease in wildlife populations and risk of zoonotic pathogen transmission to humans.
Steph Gervasi is a postdoctoral scientist at Monell Chemical Senses Center (@MonellSc) who is fascinated by parasites and pathogens. As a disease ecologist, she endeavors to understand the factors that drive extinctions and epidemics in wildlife and increase the risk of pathogen spillover from wildlife to humans. Steph got her PhD in Zoology at Oregon State University, her MS in Natural Resources at the University of Michigan, and is thrilled to be currently living in the beautiful city of Philadelphia. She would love to talk to you about her favorite parasite-inspired horror movies and why toads are the coolest animals on the planet.
Sadhvi Saxena will present “More than Words – Tales of The Unspeakable Brain”
Imagine you want to say “I love you,” but you can’t actually speak the words. Imagine you have a gluten allergy, but you can’t read the ingredient list. Imagine that this happens all of the time, despite the fact that your intelligence, thoughts and consciousness are intact. Some stroke and brain injury survivors have to deal with this frustration everyday, because they have what is known as aphasia. Aphasia hinders one’s ability to speak, write and understand both written and verbal language. This talk will introduce the audience to the diversity of aphasia, it will discuss the brain and aphasia research from a clinical perspective, and it will delve into innovative methods for aphasia treatment.
Sadhvi is a shameless lover of broken brains. For 6 exciting years, she has been researching brain injury, dementia, and the use of noninvasive brain stimulation to study and treat brain disorders. When not working with patients or playing with data, she advocates for the development of personalized, continued, and affordable rehabilitation. She received her M.S. in Clinical Investigation from Boston University and is currently finishing up her M.H.S at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.
Ryan Coffman will present “The Tobacco Industry: Behind the Smoke and Mirrors”
The talk would focus on the Tobacco Industry’s extensive history of deception and manipulation to promulgate the tobacco epidemic domestically and globally. This includes denying that nicotine is addictive concealing the harms of second hand smoke and general industry manipulation of scientific evidence and public health efforts to reduce adult and youth smoking. I would reference real industry quotes secured by litigation and actual campaigns the industry has launched to targeting vulnerable populations.
Ryan Coffman, MPH, CHES, CTTS-M is the Tobacco Policy and Control Program Manager for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. In this role, he seeks to reduce adult and youth tobacco use smoking through out the city through policy, systems, and environmental strategies. Such as preventing youth tobacco use, helping tobacco users quit, mass media campaigns, and clean indoor and outdoor air laws. This presentation he will expose the source of the tobacco epidemic and pandemic. The Tobacco Industry itself.
Entertainment by Nerd Nite Favorite Ben Leach, who returns with Sears Wishbook “The Cost is Correct” trivia!
The details:
Doors open at 4pm. Show at 7:30pm. We recommend you get there early to ensure getting a good seat!
$5
Wednesday, December 7th
Frankford Hall
1210 Frankford Avenue
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