Experts available on rising COVID-19 cases, vaccines and restrictions

As COVID-19 cases across B.C. and Canada continue to accelerate, a number of SFU experts are currently available for interviews.

AVAILABLE SFU EXPERTS 

VIRUS AND VACCINES:

CAROLINE COLIJN, Canada 150 Research Chair in Mathematics for Evolution, Infection and Public Health 
ccolijn@sfu.ca
Expertise: Importance of COVID-19 vaccine efficacy in older age groups, role of data modeling in predicting disease spread, effectiveness of physical distancing, COVID-19 variants, vaccines and vaccinations 

JAMIE SCOTT, former Canada Research Chair in Molecular Immunity and professor emeritus, health sciences
626.567.2345| jkscott@sfu.ca
Expertise: Development of vaccines & vaccinations

RALPH PANTOPHLET, associate professor, health sciences
rpantophlet@sfu.ca
Expertise: Anti-viral neutralizing antibodies, antibody-mediated immunity and vaccine immunology

SCOTT LEAR, Pfizer/Heart & Stroke Foundation Chair in Cardiovascular Prevention Research, professor, health sciences
604.454.8542 | slear@providencehealth.bc.ca
Expertise: Public health measures (masks, distancing, restrictions), public health messaging and communication, vaccine rollout

COVID-19 DIS/MISINFORMATION:

AHMED AL-RAWI, professor, communication, The Disinformation Project
aalrawi@sfu.ca
Expertise: Mis/disinformation in the COVID-19 pandemic

ECONOMY & URBAN ISSUES:

ANDY YAN, director, The City Program 
ayan@sfu.ca
Expertise: Housing market trends - low interest rates and changing demographics (aging Millennials), rental market, uneven and unequal economic effects of COVID-19

TRAVEL & BORDERS:

JULIANNE PIPER, research fellow and project coordinator for Pandemics and Borders research team
julianne_piper@sfu.ca
Expertise: Cross-border measures, travel/border policies, public health intelligence/global public health intelligence network (GPHIN)

KELLEY LEE, professor, health sciences 
kelley_lee@sfu.ca
Expertise: Pandemics and Borders project, COVID-19 variants, vaccines and vaccinations

VALORIE CROOKS, Canada Research Chair in Health Service Geographies
604.417.9007 | crooks@sfu.ca
Expertise: Neighbourhood risks and vulnerability to COVID-19, the impending departure of Canadian snowbirds for winter, ongoing travel and border measures, vaccine tourism, geographic understandings of the pandemic

OLDER ADULTS & SENIORS:

GLORIA GUTMAN, professor emeritus, gerontology
gutman@sfu.ca
Expertise: Impacts of the pandemic on Canadians aged 55+ 
Her research team’s national survey showed more than 4,300 Canadians aged 55 - 64 experiencing more detrimental effects due to the pandemic 

CONTACT

BRADEN MCMILLAN, SFU Communications & Marketing 
236.880.3459 | bradenm@sfu.ca

Simon Fraser University
Communications & Marketing |  SFU Media Experts Directory
778.782.3210

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