UW-Madison experts available for analysis on the novel coronavirus

 The following UW–Madison experts are available to comment on the COVID-19 health crisis. For further information, contact National Media Specialist Veronica Rueckert national media specialist at rueckert@wisc.edu.

­­­Malia Jones is an expert on population health science. She is available to talk about the public health implications of the novel coronavirus and share information about how to best proceed from a personal and institutional health perspective, from sick days to social distancing. Her Google doc “What I think about COVID-19 this morning” was shared over 22,000 times on Facebook.

Contact: malia.jones@wisc.edu Twitter: @malia_ailam

Ian Coxhead can discuss the impact of the coronavirus on global and domestic economies, including the impact of COVID-19 on the Chinese markets, volatility in U.S. markets, and possible policy reactions. Coxhead is an economist in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

Contact: coxhead@wisc.edu Twitter: @ICoxhead

Vicki Bier is a risk analyst with a background in pandemic preparedness. She is available to talk about the decisions likely to face policymakers during a potential community spread of COVID-19, including whether or not to close schools, the criteria for canceling public gatherings like sporting events and conventions, and the possible effects of reduced business on employment.

Contact: bier@engr.wisc.edu

Laura Albert is an expert on the operations and analytics of the airline industry. She is available for commentary about the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the industry and how long it might take to recover.

Contact: laura@engr.wisc.edu Twitter: @lauraalbertphd

Kristen Bernard is an expert on zoonotic viruses, which are transmitted between animals and people. She currently works on mosquito-borne and tick-borne viruses, but also worked with another coronavirus, SARS, after it first emerged in 2003.

Contact: kristen.bernard@wisc.edu Twitter: @UWBernardLab

Christopher Olsen is an expert on zoonotic infections. He has worked on coronaviruses in animals and was a coronavirus consultant in the early days of the SARS pandemic.

Contact: chris.olsen@wisc.edu

Robert Kirchdoerfer is an expert on how coronaviruses infect cells and make copies of their genomes once inside their hosts. He can talk about the biology of coronaviruses.

Contact: rnkirchdoerf@wisc.edu Twitter: @RKirchdoerfer

Richard Keller is an expert on historical and cultural dimensions of global health. He can speak about the history of global epidemics and the intersection of infectious disease and racism.

Contact: rckeller@wisc.edu Twitter: @RichardCKeller