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As part of the Microbiology, Public health, & History (MPH) Film Fest orchestrated by Hood College, Freda Freeman from the Frederick National Laboratory is participating in a panel discussion following the screening the 2011 film "Contagion." The event is the first in the MPH Film Fest series, striving to address the spread of health-related misinformation and disinformation among the public and promote understanding of microorganisms.
Mark Chee, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology at Hood College, is organizing the events. Chee aims to use the film as a means to build understanding of and trust in scientists, researchers, and public health professionals. This will help clarify the work that such people do under both emergency/pandemic-related and non-emergency conditions.
The panel discussion will view pandemics from a global perspective to understand how pathogenic microorganisms can transform societies, countries, and civilizations.
Panelists
Freda Freeman, M.S., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research
Freda Freeman started her career in pharmaceutical microbiology at Merck & Co, Inc. In 2005, she joined Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc. (formerly SAIC) where she is currently the Quality Control Microbiology Associate Director for the Vaccine Clinical Materials Program. Freda holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from James Madison University and a Master of Science degree in Biotechnology and Management from Mount Saint Mary’s University. She has a passion for mentoring and has served as a Women in Science Stem mentor. Additionally, she is founder and president of the Mark Henry Freeman Scholarship fund, a non-profit organization that promotes road safety and empowers the youth in Ghana to explore their potential. Freda is a proud graduate of Leadership Frederick County class of 2023. She resides in Frederick, MD with her husband and two beautiful girls.
Brianne Barker, Ph.D., Drew University
Dr. Barker is currently Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Biology at Drew University. She earned her BS in Biology from Duke University and her Ph.D in Immunology from Harvard University. Dr. Barker’s laboratory focuses on innate immune/inflammatory responses to viral infections and vaccines. She is also particularly interested in science communication and is the co-host of the podcasts “This Week in Virology” and “Immune”. Dr. Barker competed on Jeopardy in July 2022 and is a one-time champion from Season 38. She was invited to participate in the Jeopardy Champions Wildcard Tournament in December 2023.
Andrew Pekosz, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Pekosz is a Professor and Vice Chair in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He received his BS in Biochemistry from Rutgers University and his Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of Pennsylvania. His laboratory studies the basic biology of influenza, coronaviruses, and other emerging viruses. Dr. Pekosz is co-Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Excellence in Influenza Research and Response (JH-CEIRR) and Director of the Center for Emerging Viral Infectious Diseases (CEVID). He has authored more than 200 scientific papers, is on the editorial board for several journals, and has served on several National Institute of Health scientific and policy review boards focused on biosafety and biocontainment. He has been interviewed on COVID-19, influenza, vaccines, biosafety, emerging infectious diseases, and pandemic preparedness by National Public Radio, the Associated Press (AP), the Baltimore Sun, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Cable News Network (CNN), CSPAN, British Broadcasting Company (BBC), Bloomberg Television, Al Jazeera, France24, Voice of America, the Discovery Channel, and numerous local radio and television stations.
Melissa Ryckman, Ph.D., University of Tennessee Southern
Dr. Melissa Ryckman earned her Ph.D. in History from the University of California Irvine in 2011 and has been at University Tennessee Southern since 2013. Originally a medievalist studying the Languedocian inquisitions, her research interests have expanded, and she is interested in investigating the ways in religious beliefs affect social and interpersonal relations more broadly. This, in turn, has led to a fascination with religious cults. Outside of academia, she is a wife and mother, a crocheter, a fan of science fiction, and frustrates many by her refusal to watch any series until all episodes are streaming.