Dr. Michael Osterholm Appointed to National Academy of Sciences

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH, a member of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) and keynote speaker for APICs 2005 annual conference, has been named to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences (IOM). This is one of the highest honors bestowed in the field of medicine, and is given to those who have contributed significantly to medical sciences, healthcare, and public health.

Osterholm is a professor of public health at the University of Minnesota, and serves as the director of the Universitys Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP). Osterholm is considered one of the foremost experts and thought leaders on issues related to public health preparedness, infectious disease epidemiology, bioterrorism, and agricultural and food biosecurity.

At the APIC Futures Summit in November 2004, Osterholm presented on the topic of existing and emerging threats that will change the world as we know it.  He raised the issue of pandemic influenza, and cautioned attendees that the impact of a global pandemic would be devastating in terms of both human and economic loss. He also warned that the world-wide public health system is ill-prepared for such an occurrence.

Osterholms keynote speech at the APIC annual meeting, titled Avian Flu and Emerging Infections:  Preparing for the Next Pandemic, is aptly timed, given the recent reports of avian flu in Southeast Asia and global media coverage of the issue.  The keynote speech will be delivered on Monday, June 20 at 9:15 a.m. at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore. For more information and registration, go to http://annual.apic.org/baltimore2005/

APIC is a multi-disciplinary voluntary international health organization with more than 10,000 members whose primary responsibility is infection prevention and control and epidemiology. APICs mission is to improve health and promote patient and employee safety by reducing risks of infection and other adverse outcomes. APIC advances this goal through education, research, collaboration, practice and credentialing.

Source: APIC