Zoom Vaccine Speaker Series on Thurs., May 20
Vaccine Science & Safety
Thurs., May 20 at 7 pm | FREE Webinar
Vaccines are among the most significant achievements of public health. According to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, vaccinations have prevented more than 100+ million cases of serious disease since 1924.
Panelists
Credit Johns Hopkins University
Damani Arnold Piggott, MD, PhD 
Assistant Dean for Graduate Biomedical Education and Graduate Student Diversity; Associate Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Piggott has worked on clinical and research projects in urban and rural communities in the United States, the Caribbean, West Africa, and South Africa. He is actively engaged in the clinical care of patients with HIV and other infectious disease conditions. His research program centers on understanding the biological, behavioral, and social pathways necessary to improve survival and quality of life for persons aging with chronic infections such as HIV, with particular focus on those most severely affected by these conditions, namely socially marginalized, historically disadvantaged, vulnerable, and resource-constrained communities.
Credit Abbie Tyler Photography
Anthony Cillo, PhD
Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
For his doctoral work, Anthony worked with Dr. John Mellors in the Division of Infectious Diseases and studied the ways in which the Human Immunodeficiency Virus persists in patients despite long-term treatment with antiretroviral medication. After receiving his PhD, Anthony joined Dr. Dario Vignali’s lab at Hillman Cancer Center to investigate how the immune system can be harnessed to treat cancer. With the emergence of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Anthony began working with the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine to better understand the immune response to SARS-COV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19). Overall, Anthony has more than 15 years of scientific training and has been directly involved in laboratory research for more than 10 years. His diverse research experiences have led to expertise in both virology and immunology, with a track record of peer reviewed publications and invitations to speak at both national and international conferences.
Dr. Tara Vijayan, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine, UCLA
Dr. Tara Vijayan is an associate professor of medicine at UCLA. She currently serves as the Medical Director for the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, Associate Director of Scientific Foundations of Medicine, Director of the Health Equity Pathway for the Internal Medicine Residency and Director of the Medical Education Pathway for the Multicampus Fellowship in Infectious Diseases. Her passions are health equity, implementation science, and combating the global threat of antimicrobial resistance. Outside of UCLA, she loves doing puzzles, reading, and hiking with her two wildlings, her husband and her 11-year-old hound.
Submit your questions!
Have a question for one of the panelists? Submit them here 
to be asked during the moderated Q&A!
