Inaugural Weinstein Lecture to take place April 27

Author: William G. Gilroy

Dyann F. Wirth

The University of Notre Dame’s Eck Institute for Global Health will present its inaugural Paul P. Weinstein Memorial Lecture April 27 (Wednesday) at 3:45 p.m. in 101 Jordan Hall of Science.

Dyann F. Wirth, Richard Pearson Strong Professor of Infectious Diseases and chair of the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard School of Public Health, will present the lecture, titled “From Genes to Genomes: Genetic Diversity in Malaria, Implications for Biology and Pathogenesis.” The public is invited to attend both the lecture and a reception that follows, also in the Jordan Hall of Science.

Weinstein, a leading authority on parasitology, vector biology and public health, joined the department of biological sciences at Notre Dame in 1969 as a professor and department chair. For over 21 years, he was an exceptional researcher, teacher and mentor. Reflecting his passion for research, he continued working and publishing after his retirement from teaching in 1990 until his death in 2008. Throughout his career he pursued research to understand and combat parasites responsible for problems such as blindness and elephantiasis.

The Eck Institute established the lecture in recognition of the excellence that Weinstein brought to a life dedicated to advancing research on infectious diseases and training multiple generations of scientists. The lecture will alternate with the George B. Craig Memorial Lecture Series and be delivered by scholars or policy makers who have contributed significantly to global health.

Wirth, an expert in tropical disease and molecular microbiology, is co-director of the Harvard University Global Infectious Diseases Program and director of the Harvard Malaria Initiative. She also is a senior associate member at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT and co-director of the Broad’s Infectious Disease Initiative.

More information on the Eck Institute is available at globalhealth.nd.edu.

Contact: Katharine Taylor, 574-631-1029, ktaylo12@nd.edu