For those who were unable to connect during live broadcasting of this seminar, you may now find the recording at the CIE’s YouTube channel (don’t forget to subscribe to our channel) or simply follow these direct links to seminar’s content:
- Intro to disease ecology
- Is COVID-19 just as bad as the plague or small pox?
- Where does COVID-19 come from?
- Will COVID-19 become more virulent over time?
- Some key things about transmission
- How to manage COVID-19?
- Can we avoid this happening again?
Seminar was presented by Alfred Deakin Professor Marcel Klaassen from the Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong.
A follow-up talk by Marcel was given to the CIE-Geelong discussion group on the epidemiology of COVID-19. You can now watch the recording of this talk:
- COVID-19 epidemiology – its past and its possible futures
- The app that Marcel developed and which was used in the presentation is available HERE (please scale your screen’s zoom so data fits your screen; navigation is done by clicking on the right or left sides of your screen, similar to a photo gallery, even if you can’t see the navigation arrows)
Interested in Disease Ecology and Epidemiology?
Then you should consider taking SLE 354 in T2-2020. More information below (make sure to watch the Welcome to SLE 354 video):
Avoiding and fighting disease is an important aspect of our life and that of most other organisms. Often the pathogens that cause these diseases are microorganisms and invertebrate parasites that try and use other organisms (i.e. hosts) to their benefit. This unit will provide a deep understanding of the processes underlying the evolution and ecology of host-pathogen interactions and how these affect animal populations and communities and even ecosystems.
Notably in the face of various global change processes, creating sub-optimal conditions for many animals and making them, and the populations, communities and ecosystems of which they form part, more vulnerable to disease, this unit is of great importance to the broad community of animal ecologists. At the same time this unit is also of interest to students of wildlife conservation and management and the (bio-) medical sciences wanting to develop a deeper understanding of why pathogens are around and why they behave the way they do; knowledge of fundamental importance when managing wildlife and endeavouring fighting infectious diseases.
During T2-2020 this unit will be delivered entirely online, using video recordings, web-based presentations, tutorials and (computer) pracs. Group assignments will involve the production and delivery of online powerpoint presentations and a scientific report centred around your self-selected COVID-19 or other (wildlife) disease research project.
A prerequisite for following this unit is general knowledge of animal life and research methods/statistics. As your unit chair, I trust you will find this unit both intellectually stimulating and relevant to your studies in your current course and your future directions as a Deakin graduate.
Centre for Integrative Ecology 