St George’s virologist Dr Elisabetta Groppelli to appear on Channel 4 coronavirus special debate
Published: 22 April 2020
Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Lecturer in global health at St George’s, University of London, Dr Elisabetta Groppelli will be appearing on Channel 4’s science debate “Can Science Beat The Virus?” on Wednesday 22nd April, 9pm on Channel 4.
The special debate will feature a panel of eminent scientists discussing the major topics surrounding coronavirus, such as: how long will a vaccine take? How will we make enough vaccine to give to the entire world's population? Using science how can the UK and the world safely exit lockdown?
Joining Dr Groppelli on the panel will be: Sir Paul Nurse, a Nobel Prize winner and director of the Francis Crick Institute; Professor Sunetra Gupta, a theoretical epidemiologist from University of Oxford; and Professor Deenan Pillay, UCL’s Pro-Vice-Provost International and Professor of Virology.
At St George’s, Dr Groppelli is one of several researchers stepping up efforts to find out more about the biology of coronavirus and how we might be able to treat the disease. In the Institute for Infection & Immunity, her work will focus on testing different drugs in cell cultures to evaluate their potential in preventing and treating coronavirus.
During the discussion, Dr Groppelli will also be drawing on her experiences of dealing with the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014-16. Working with Public Health England, Dr Groppelli led the efforts on the ground to tackle the disease in Sierra Leone. She is now applying her knowledge from this outbreak to develop on action plan for coronavirus, which includes keeping the public up to date with the latest information.
Speaking ahead of the show, Dr Groppelli said: “As well as ensuring critical research is ongoing, it’s essential the public can stay informed of the current situation and learn how we hope to find our way out of this pandemic.
“I’m very excited to be a part of this discussion, which I hope will dispel some of the myths and provide hope for the future by showcasing the science that will eventually beat coronavirus.”
The discussion will cover everything from mass testing to vaccine development and how science can hold the answers to getting out of the pandemic. Can Science Beat the Virus? will air on Channel 4 at 9pm on Wednesday 22nd April, and will also be available for catch up on All4.