Paul Turner at the 2017 Lasker Public Lecture in Honor of Al Sommer.
Are viruses alive? How, when, and why do viruses jump to new species and what are the implications for human health? Can viruses be harnessed as cures for dangerous bacterial infections and other diseases? What is new research revealing about the nature of viruses and their genomes?
Evolutionary biologist and virologist Paul Turner addressed these questions in an exploration of “the good, the bad, and the ugly” in the world of viruses. The free public lecture was held on October 25 at the Bell House in Brooklyn and was co-hosted with the Secret Science Club. This special lecture was supported by an anonymous donation made in honor of the Lasker Foundation board member, Alfred (Al) Sommer, recipient of the 1997 Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award and epidemiologist and Dean Emeritus at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
The Lasker annual public lectures are an exciting initiative that creates a direct dialogue between the public and some of the most accomplished scientists in the world.
