George Washington University Public Health/Medical Experts Available for Media Interviews on the COVID-19 Pandemic

Public health experts predict the United States may be headed for thousands of new COVID-19 cases and deaths this winter, a surge that is already straining health care systems around the country. The George Washington University has the following experts available to talk about a variety of aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Public Health
Lynn R. Goldman, MD, MS, MPH, the Michael and Lori Milken Dean of Milken Institute School of Public Health, is an expert on emergency/public health preparedness and has deep knowledge of the intersection of policy and public health. She can talk about COVID-19, prevention strategies and ways to protect society’s most vulnerable populations.

Amanda Castel, MD, MPH, a professor of epidemiology, is an expert in infectious diseases and can talk about transmission, social distancing, contact tracing, surveillance and other COVID-19 related topics. She has served as an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, spent over a decade working with local and state health departments and is board certified in both pediatrics and preventive medicine and public health.

COVID-19 Vaccines
David Diemert, MD, principal investigator for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine trial at GW and a professor of medicine, can speak to COVID-19 vaccines, how they work and the scientific process behind creating these and other vaccines. 

Marc Siegel, MD, co-principal investigator for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine trial at GW and an associate professor of medicine, is an infectious disease expert who can speak to COVID-19 vaccine efficacy and distribution.

Jon Andrus, MD, an adjunct professor of global health, is an expert on epidemiology, vaccines, immunizations and response to emerging infectious disease threats. He previously served as the deputy director for the Pan American Health Organization, where he handled emergency response and preparedness. 

Vaccine Hesitancy and Disinformation
Neil Johnson, a professor of physics, studies how misinformation evolves and spreads online, especially related to vaccines. His recent work examined the battle between pro-vaccination and anti-vaccination communities on Facebook.

David Broniatowski, an associate professor of engineering management and systems engineering, conducts research on decision making under risk, group decision-making and behavioral epidemiology. His research includes using Twitter data to look at sentiments toward vaccination and the resulting social response.

Health Policy and Government Response
Leana Wen, MD, MSc, a visiting professor of health policy and management, is an expert on governmental response to public health crises. An emergency physician and formerly the Health Commissioner for the City of Baltimore, Dr. Wen can discuss the medical and public response to the outbreak.

Jeffrey Levi, PhD, a professor of health policy and management, is an expert on how policy decisions — such as cuts to public health funding, Medicaid and the public charge rule — could hamper the nation’s ability to respond to the growing COVID-19 situation in the United States. For 10 years, he was executive director of Trust for America’s Health, where he led annual assessments of the preparedness of states and the federal government.

Health Workforce/Contact Tracing
Patricia Pittman, PhD, is director of the GW Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity and an expert in health workforce systems and innovation. Dr. Pittman can provide expertise on topics related to health workforce staffing, including research showing many states are facing critical shortages in frontline health care workers.

Karen Drenkard, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, an associate professor of nursing, is an expert on health workforce systems. She can discuss nurse workforce issues during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Candice Chen, MD, is an associate professor of health policy. She can talk about the need for contact tracing to help control the spread of COVID-19 and an online tool that helps policymakers estimate the number of contact tracers needed in order to help flatten the curve. 

COVID-19’s Impact on Vulnerable Populations
Carlos E. Rodríguez-Díaz, PhD, MPHE, MCHES, is an associate professor of prevention and community health. He can speak on the topic of protecting vulnerable populations, including the Latino population. His research shows that Latino communities are at high risk for COVID-19 because of factors related to structural racism. He can conduct interviews in English and Spanish.

Wendy Ellis, DrPH, MPH, is director of the Center for Community Resilience. She is an expert on programs and policy initiatives public officials can use to address ACEs – adverse childhood experiences and adverse community environments. She can discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic relates to health disparities, children, and minority and low-income communities. 

Melissa Batchelor, PhD, RN-BC, FNP-BC, FGSA, FAAN, an associate professor of nursing, is an expert on aging and health. Dr. Batchelor can discuss COVID-19 in older adults, including those in long-term care facilities. She can also provide strategies to communicate with older adults about COVID-19. 

Jehan “Gigi” El-Bayoumi, MD, is founding director of the GW Rodham Institute and a professor of medicine. She is an expert on addressing health equity challenges. She can speak to the disparities laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Janice Blanchard, MD, MPH, is a professor of emergency medicine and health disparities researcher. She can speak to her personal experience as a frontline health care worker caring for patients disproportionately affected by the virus. 

Public Health Law
Dayna Bowen Matthew, JD, PhD, is the Dean and Harold H. Greene Professor of Law at GW Law. She is a leader in public health and civil rights law who focuses on racial disparities in health care and is the author of the book Just Medicine: A Cure for Racial inequality in American Health Care. She is available to discuss how COVID-19 has disproportionately affected communities of color and whether members of these groups should receive priority in the distribution of a coronavirus vaccine.

Sara Rosenbaum, JD, the Harold and Jane Hirsh Professor of Health Law and Policy, is an expert on how policy decisions, such as cuts to Medicaid, community health centers and vaccine distribution to disadvantaged communities. Professor Rosenbaum is a leading public health law scholar who has devoted her career to issues such as health justice and the safety net system for medically underserved populations.

Workplace Safety
David Michaels, PhD, is a professor of environmental and occupational health. An epidemiologist with extensive experience in research, regulatory and public policy, he can discuss how COVID-19 impacts workplace health and safety, and related policy issues. One of the nation’s leaders in workplace safety, he served as Assistant Secretary in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the Obama administration. Michaels was also appointed to President-elect Joe Biden’s COVID-19 advisory board.

Melissa Perry, PhD, ScD, MHS, is chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health. She has conducted significant research on factors in occupational injury and disease, and can discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on workers at food service and fast food locations, meatpacking plants, construction sites, agricultural operations, and interventions aimed at protecting them. She can also talk about COVID-19 safety and the transportation industry.

Pandemic Shutdowns and Air Pollution
Susan Anenberg, PhD, is an associate professor of environmental and occupational health. She can provide expertise on the health implications of air pollution and climate change and how COVID-19 stay-at-home orders have affected air pollution, from local to global scales.

Mental Health
Daniel Lieberman, MD, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is an expert on depression and anxiety. He can speak about managing mental health and staying positive during COVID-19 stay-at-home orders.

Suzan Song, MD, PhD, MPH, director of the Division of Child/Adolescent & Family Psychiatry and an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, can speak about the well-being of children and adolescents during this stressful time.

COVID-19 Testing & Quarantining
William Borden, MD, MBA, a professor of medicine, is an expert on COVID-19 testing on small and large scales. He can speak to slowing the spread at home and at work.

Monica Lypson, MD, a professor of medicine, is an expert on COVID-19 testing and on ways to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Antonia Sepulveda, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Pathology, can speak to testing related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Infectious Disease and COVID-19 Long-Haulers
Gary Simon, MD, director of the Division of Infectious Diseases and Walter G. Ross Professor of Medicine and of Microbiology & Tropical Medicine, can speak to inquiries about the pandemic, including COVID-19 symptoms, treatments and vaccines.

Hana Akselrod, MD, MPH, is the co-director of the GW COVID-19 Recovery Clinic and an assistant professor of medicine. She can speak to caring for COVID-19 “long-haulers.”

Sanjay Maggirwar, PhD, chair of the Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Tropical Medicine, is an expert on viral transmission and can speak to spread in public spaces.

Reducing Risk and Making Everyday Decisions
Michael Knight, MD, an assistant professor of medicine, can speak to strategies for socializing with family and friends while keeping vulnerable loved ones safe.

Adam Friedman, MD, interim chair of the Department of Dermatology, can speak to skin and hair conditions related to COVID-19, as well as strategies for “mask-ne,” a skin condition brought on by prolonged wear of facial personal protective equipment.