2020 in Scientists Own Words – The Scientist

We can slow it down by canceling all these events, which we completely should do. But its still going to spread to most places.

Maciej Boni, a biologist at Penn State University, speaking to The Scientistabout how the high number of undetected cases makes it difficult to track viral spread based on confirmed infections (March 12)

Abdul Mannan Baig, a researcher at Aga Khan University in Pakistan, speaking to The Scientistabout indications that SARS-CoV-2 can target the nervous system (March 24)

Kishana Taylor, a postdoc in microbiology and molecular genetics at the University of California, Davis, speaking to The Scientistabout pandemic-related hiring freezes in academia (March 26)

Kathleen Millen, a neuroscientist at Seattle Childrens Hospital Research Institute, in an email to The Scientistabout how pandemic-related lab shutdowns affected the scientific community (March 27)

A cryogenic electron microscope-based visualization of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is helping researchers understand precise molecular interactions with antibodies.

VISUALIZATION BY RUBEN DIAZ, BASED ON WORK BY DAVID VEESLER, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON

Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, speaking with CNNs Sanjay Guptaabout the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psyches of his daughters and other Americans (April 1)

Peter Daszak, president of the nonprofit EcoHealth Alliance, talking to 60 Minutes about the ongoing politicization of science with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic (May 10)

Erica Ollmann Saphire, an immunologist at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology, speaking to The Scientistabout the promise of antibody candidates that could prevent SARS-CoV-2 from entering cells (June 2)

Jillian Carmichael, a postdoc in virologist Benhur Lees lab at Mount Sinais Icahn School of Medicine, speaking with The Scientistabout missing out on research during the pandemic due to the closure of daycares and schools (June 25)

Nelly Yatich, epidemiologist in Nairobi, Kenya, discussing with The Scientist the challenges of determining the basic reproductive number, R0, which describes the initial spread of an infection in a completely susceptible population (July 13)

Hannah Davis, an artist living in Brooklyn, speaking to The Scientist about memory loss, sporadic bursts of blurred vision, a racing heart, difficulties breathing, insomnia, and various aches and pains that she experienced for months after testing positive for COVID-19 (July 17)

Ravinder Sehgal holds one of the birds he studied at a site in southwest Cameroon.

COURTESY OF RAVINDER SEHGAL

A. David Paltiel of Yale School of Public Health speaking to UPIabout his paper that indicated that masks, social distancing, and testing college students every two days could limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2 on campuses this fall (July 31)

Ravinder Sehgal, a biologist at San Francisco State University, speaking to The Scientistabout how a pandemic-related university travel ban limited his field research in infectious diseases (August 20)

Miriam Merad, who directs the Precision Medicine Institute at Mount Sinai, speaking to The Scientist about the rapid pace of COVID-19-related research this year (September 16)

Rick Bright (center) with National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci (left) and Marilyn Serafini, former president and co-CEO of the Alliance for Health Reform

Patricia Garca, a Solidarity Trial investigator and the former health minister of Peru, speaking with The Scientistin the wake of the Surgisphere scandal (October 1)

An amended whistleblower complaint filed by attorneys representing Rick Bright, an immunologist who resigned from his post at the National Institutes of Health on October 6

Albert Bourla, chairman and chief executive of Pfizer, speaking to CNBC after the firm announced preliminary results from a Phase 3 trial of its COVID-19 vaccine, developed in collaboration with BioNTech, that suggest it is 90 percent effective in preventing the disease (November 9)

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2020 in Scientists Own Words - The Scientist