Like institutions around the world, Portland State University is putting measures in place to address the potential impacts of the coronavirus/COVID-19 on our operations. At the same time, we want to make sure our experts are available to help our community understand and better respond to coronavirus fears and the effects the outbreak is having both locally and worldwide.
The following experts are available to the media to address coronavirus-related topics including:
The Public Health Response
How do you respond to an outbreak when there are so many unknowns? There’s a lot we still don’t know about the coronavirus/COVID-19, but Carlos Crespo, vice provost and professor with the PSU-OHSU School of Public Health, can speak to what we can do with the information we do have and why it’s still a good idea to get a flu shot.
Contact info: 503-725-5120 or ccrespo@pdx.edu
How a Virus Operates
Ken Stedman, professor in PSU’s Biology department, is known as “the virus hunter.” He’s an expert on how viruses evolve, and how vaccines are developed.
Contact info: Email is best at kstedman@pdx.edu, office is 503-725-3253
Aerosol Particles & the Virus
As an expert in indoor air quality, Richard Corsi, dean of the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science at PSU, can speak to the relationship between aerosol particles, air quality, and the spread of COVID-19. He also has advice regarding what steps can be taken to help slow the spread of the virus.
Contact info: 503-725-8393 or rcorsi@pdx.edu
Viruses, Vaccines and Immunity
Assistant Professor of Biology Brooke Napier studies microbiology and immunology as it relates to diet and disease and can speak to the efficacy of antibody testing, immunity and how vaccines work in the body.
Contact info: 503-725-8757 or brnapier@pdx.edu
The Economy
Hiro Ito, PSU’s department chair for Economics, can speak to the global impacts of coronavirus — and coronavirus worries — on the economy including how global economies relate to one another, short-term vs. long-term effects and the psychology of the marketplace.
Contact info: 503-725-3930 (office) 503-961-3168 (mobile) or ito@pdx.edu
Supply Chains that affect PNW Businesses
In our globally connected world, a viral outbreak has immediate effects on the supply chain of businesses around the world. Scott DuHadway is the Cameron Professor of Supply Chain Management and understands how supply chains behave under extraordinary circumstances.
Contact info: 517-899-7109 (mobile) or duhadway@pdx.edu
Economics impacts on the healthcare system
Rajiv Sharma is an economics professor who specializes in the U.S. healthcare system, and he is making some calculations about the potential financial impacts of the coronavirus outbreak. He can also speak to the specific shortcomings of the U.S. system for health care that cause problems in the face of an outbreak.
Contact info: 503-725-3925 or sharmar@pdx.edu
Coronavirus Anxiety Impacts
Bill Griesar teaches psychology and neuroscience at Portland State and can speak to how anxiety about something like COVID-19 operates in the brain, steps you can take to reduce panic, and related lines of inquiry.
Contact info: 503-914-7487 (mobile) and griesar@pdx.edu
Religious Responses to Epidemic
How do religious communities respond to epidemics? Natan Meir, Lorry I. Lokey Professor of Judaic Studies, has studied a magical ritual practiced by East European Jews for centuries: the cholera wedding, a ceremony in which two outcasts of the community were married to each other in the cemetery in a bid to stop an epidemic. This is only one of many magical practices used by various faith communities throughout history to battle against disease.
Contact info: 503-828-5303 or meir@pdx.edu
Social norms and communication
Lauren Frank specializes in public health communication, mass media research, and strategic communication. She is particularly interested in how people's social and media environments may influence their health decisions. She can speak on social norms (like shaking hands) are being upended by coronavirus in addition to how we should be communicating about the outbreak.
Contact info: 818-613-1376 (mobile) or lfrank@pdx.edu