Dr. James W. Kazura
The University of Notre Dame’s Eck Institute for Global Health will present its Paul P. Weinstein Memorial Lecture at 4 p.m. Dec. 5 (Wednesday) in Room 105 of the Jordan Hall of Science. Dr. James W. Kazura, professor of international medicine and pathology and director of the Center for Global Health and Diseases at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, will present the lecture, titled “Mosquitoes, Pathogens, and Human Populations: Global Health Research from the Laboratory to the Real World.” The lecture is free and open to the public.
Kazura’s work focuses on the advancement of fundamental knowledge of the mechanisms underlying susceptibility to infection and the pathogenesis of disease due to malaria and chronic worm infections endemic in tropical areas of the world. The ultimate goal is to use this knowledge to develop preventive and interventional strategies that are culturally appropriate and cost effective.
In addition to his research, Kazura has been active in promoting tropical medicine as a scholarly and scientific discipline through participation on numerous National Institutes of Health and World Health Organization committees and other venues, such as editorial service on major tropical disease journals.
Weinstein, a leading authority on parasitology, vector biology and public health, joined the department of biological sciences at Notre Dame in 1969 as a professor and department chair. For more than 21 years, he was an exceptional researcher, teacher and mentor. Reflecting his passion for research, he continued working and publishing after his retirement from teaching in 1990 until his death in 2008. Throughout his career, he pursued research to understand and combat parasites responsible for problems such as blindness and elephantiasis.
The Eck Institute established the lecture in 2011 in recognition of the excellence that Weinstein brought to a life dedicated to advancing research on infectious diseases and training multiple generations of scientists. The lecture will alternate with the George B. Craig Memorial Lecture Series and be delivered by scholars or policymakers who have contributed significantly to global health.
Contact: Sarah Craig, 574-631-2665, Craig.20@nd.edu