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Health Gig


Feb 5, 2020

We are so happy to be here with Suzan Murray, who is the program director of the Global Health Program of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. She has been with Smithsonian for over 30 years -- thirteen of which was as head of the National Zoo hospital. She is now working with the Smithsonian Global Health Program to build bridges and create international collaborations to increase and diffuse knowledge in wildlife and human health care. In this podcast, Murray talks about how the health of the environment, humans and animals is inextricably linked.  Illnesses that are in the wildlife population can jump into the human population, just like the Coronavirus. Murray is working with UC Davis and USAID on a project called PREDICT which uses modeling to identify the regions in which the next emerging disease is most likely to erupt. Murray also talks about the pandas, the elephants and even the incredible flying fox. Murray is enamored by all of the diverse expertises needed to care for wildlife. She sees the clear power of interdisciplinary and international teams working together to solve the world’s problems. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the Smithsonian will host the 2020 #EarthOptimism Summit in Washington, DC on April 22-25th. The Summit will showcase stories of both small- and large-scale actions that frame the conversation and demonstrate that success is possible. Learn more From Suzan Murray by visiting https://www.si.edu/unit/conservation-biology-institute