In March, HHMI and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) presented a symposium on the global spread of avian flu and the preparedness of surveillance and public health systems to address that spread. The Capitol Hill event was headlined by a noted panel of speakers and chaired by HHMI investigator Robert A. Lamb of Northwestern University.

		The panel of speakers included Jeffery K. Taubenberger (left), Chair, Department of Pathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology; David Nabarro (center), Senior Coordinator for the United Nations System for Influenza Coordination; and Nancy J. Cox (right), Director, CDC Influenza Division, and Director, WHO Collaboration Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Control of Influenza. View Full Image Held in the Russell Senate Office Building, the symposium addressed, among other things, the lessons learned from the 1918 influenza pandemic. View Full Image An audience of congressional staff, policy makers, and other interested citizens learned of concerns in developing countries about the threat not only to public health but also to national stability. View Full Image Robert A. Lamb, an HHMI investigator and virologist at Northwestern University, educated the audience on how today's avian flu virus compares to those viruses linked to past pandemics. View Full Image The gene chip company, Affymetrix, is partnering with the Centers for Disease Control to develop a custom microarray for quick identification of the avian flu virus, reported Matthew Lorence, Associate Director of Emerging Markets at the company. View Full Image Assistant Commissioner for the Bureau of Epidemiology Services at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Farzad Mostashari, explained the city's well-oiled system for surveillance and tracking of infectious disease. View Full Image Photos: Paul Fetters