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2021
Friday, April 16th
11:00 AM

Plenary Panel: UM's Public Health Pandemic Response

Jay Evans, University of Montana, Missoula
Erin Landguth, University of Montana - Missoula
Stephanie Lathrop, University of Montana, Missoula
Ethan Walker, University of Montana, Missoula
Tony Ward, University of Montana, Missoula

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Dr. Jay Evans is a Research Professor in the Division of Biological Sciences and Director of the Center for Translational Medicine at the University of Montana. Prior to joining the DBS Faculty at the University of Montana, Dr. Evans worked in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry for 15 years at GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines (formerly Corixa Corporation) where he held various positions including Senior Scientist, Investigator and Project Leader. While at GSK Vaccines, Dr. Evans worked on the discovery and development of novel vaccines, adjuvants and immunotherapeutics. Dr. Evans completed is Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital working HIV immunology, stem cell transpllantion and lentiviral-based gene therapy systems. Dr. Evans holds a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Oregon State University and a B.S. in biology from Pacific Lutheran University. Dr. Evans is also the President and CEO of Inimmune, a biotech company in Missoula, MT focused on the discovery and development of new immunomodulatory therapeutics for treatment of allergic diseases, upper respiratory tract infection, topical treatment of skin diseases and other diseases targeted through innate immune receptor activation or inhibition.

Dr. Erin Landguth’s research focus is in Computational Landscape Ecology: Developing, optimizing, and applying simulation programs for understanding relationships between biological processes and population patterns across landscapes. She is also part of UM's Center for Population Health Research and pursuing work to improve air pollution exposure models and the modeling of factors that influence respiratory health, specifically for rural populations like Montana.

Dr. Stephanie Lathrop is a Postdoctoral Immunologist and COVID-19 project leader for the Center for Translational Medicine (CTM) at the University of Montana. CTM is a multi-disciplinary research center that assists faculty, staff, and students in the translation of pre-clinical research discoveries from bench to bedside. The Center works across the Montana University System to facilitate the ability of University researchers to better advance the clinical and/or commercial potential of their basic science discoveries.

Dr. Ethan Walker is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Montana studying the health effects of air pollution. He received a PhD in Environmental Health with a specialization in Epidemiology from Colorado State University in 2019. His doctoral research focused on the health effects of biomass cookstoves used in lower- and middle-income countries. Previously, Ethan graduated from the University of Kansas School of Nursing (BSN, 2010) and worked as a Registered Nurse before attending the Colorado School of Public Health (MPH, 2017).

Dr. Tony Ward is currently the Professor and Chair of the School of Public and Community Health Sciences at the University of Montana. In addition to teaching within the School, his research involves working in rural communities and schools throughout Montana, Idaho, Alaska, and Arizona on air pollution (forest fires and wood stoves) and health issues.