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Public Engagement Opportunities Reddit Ask Me Anythings
ASM works with the AskScience subreddit team to organize quasi-monthly Ask Me Anything (AMA) discussions, in which expert panelists respond to questions from the Reddit community. AMA discussions are open to the public and cover a wide range of technical knowledge. Topical AMAs organized by ASM touch on all parts of microbiology, from vaccines and disease, to microbiomes, to medical diagnostics.
Upcoming
January 30—Updates on COVID-19, Influenza and RSV
2023
December 12—What Are The Next Steps After COP28? We're Experts on Microbes And Biogeochemistry
- Ahmed Shibl, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Biology Program, NYU Abu Dhabi.
- Lisa Y. Stein, Ph.D., Professor and Canada Research Chair in, Climate Change Microbiology, Faculty of Science—Biological Sciences, University of Alberta.
- Fengping Wang, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor, School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong Universty.
June 12—Worried About Egg Prices? We're Experts Here to Discuss Avian Influenza AKA Bird Flu.
AMA Panel:
- Kevin Kuchinski, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia and Genomics Specialist, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control.
- Yuko Sato, D.V.M., M.S., Diplomate ACPV, Associate Professor, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Iowa State University.
- Xiu-Feng (Henry) Wan, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri.
May 4—We're Experts Here to Discuss the Recent Outbreaks of the Superfungus Candida auris in Hospitals, Nursing Homes and Other Healthcare Facilities.
AMA Panel:
- Rebecca A Drummond, Ph.D., Institute of Immunology & Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham.
- Scott Filler, M.D., Investigator, The Lundquist Institute; Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA; Principal, NovaDigm Technologies.
- Jeniel Nett, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Medicine and Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Wisconsin.
- Peter G. Pappas, M.D., Senior Scientist, Inflammation, Immunology and Immunotherapeutics,
O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham.
April 18—We're Experts Here to Discuss the Recent Outbreaks of Marburg Virus.
AMA Panel:
- Christopher Basler, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
- Melinda Brindley, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Infectious Disease, Department of Population Health, University of Georgia.
- Jana Broadhurst, M.D., Ph.D., DTMH, Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center.
- Elke Mühlberger, Ph.D., Professor,
Department of Virology, Immunology and Microbiology,
Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine,
Boston University.
March 14—We're Experts in the Therapeutic Use of Psychedelics.
AMA Panel:
- Meghan Hibicke, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Researcher, LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans.
- Emmanuelle Schindler, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Yale University School of Medicine; Medical
Director, Headache Center of Excellence, Va. Connecticut Healthcare
System.
February 28—Been Watching "The Last of Us" on HBO? We're Experts on Fungal Infections.
AMA Panel:
- Charissa de Bekker, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Microbiology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University.
- Carolyn Elya, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University.
- Matt Kasson, Ph.D., Director of the International Culture Collection of (Vesicular) Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Associate Professor of Forest Pathology and Mycology, West Virginia University.
- Ilan Schwartz, M.D., Ph.D., Infectious Diseases Physician and Instructor in the Department of Medicine, Duke University.
February 7—We're Experts in the Disease Known as Relapsing Fever.
AMA Panel:
- Phil Stewart, Ph.D., Rocky Mountain Laboratories.
- Tom Schwan, Ph.D., Rocky Mountain Laboratories.
2022
November 17—We're Experts on Influenza (Aka The Flu).
AMA Panel:
- Jessica Belser, Ph.D., Research Microbiologist, Immunology and Pathogenesis Branch, Influenza Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Haley Bridgewater, Ph.D. Candidate, Tinker Vaccine Development Laboratory, Boise State University.
- Larry Plon, PharmD, Assistant Adjunct Professor, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California Irvine.
September 21—What's in Your Mouth? We're Experts Who Study the Oral Microbiome and How it Impacts Your Health.
AMA Panel:
- Purnima Kumar, D.D.S., Ph.D., Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of Michigan.
- Bruno Lima, D.D.S., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota.
- Michael Schmidt, Ph.D., Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina.
August 25—We're Experts Who Study How Wildfires Affect Micro- and Macro-Ecosystems.
AMA Panel:
- Brent Christner, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Preeminent Scholar, University of Florida.
- Sam L. Fox, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, Natural Resources and Society, University of Idaho.
- John Spear, Ph.D., Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines.
- Thea Whitman, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Soil Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
- Zifan Zhao, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida.
July 5—We're Infectious Disease Experts Here to Answer Your Questions About Mpox (Formerly Called Monkeypox).
AMA Panel:
- Christy Hutson, Ph.D., M.S., Branch Chief, Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Reeti Khare, Ph.D., D(ABMM), Director, Infectious Disease Laboratory, National Jewish Health.
- Rodney E. Rohde, Ph.D., M.S., SM(ASCP)CM, SVCM, MBCM, FACSc, Regents' Professor, Texas State University System, University Distinguished Chair & Professor, Clinical Laboratory Science.
- Rachel L. Roper, Ph.D., Professor, Microbiology & Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University.
June 6—Summer is Tick Season. We Are Experts on The Science of Lyme Disease (And Other Tickborne Illnesses), And we Are Here to Answer Your Questions.
AMA Panel:
- Paul Auwaerter, M.D., MBA, Clinical Director, Division of Infectious Diseases, Sherrilyn and Ken Fisher Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
- Alan Barbour, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, University of California Irvine.
- Lillian Rainer Butler, Ph.D. Student, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore.
- Job Lopez, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Pediatrics-Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine.
- Jean Tsao, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University.
April 26—Been Watching "The Dropout" on Hulu About The Theranos Scandal? We're Experts in The Field of Medical Diagnostics Here to Answer Your Questions About How Different Tests (Blood, Urine, Saliva) Are ACTUALLY Run, Analyzed and Regulated.
AMA Panel:
- Hassan Aziz, Ph.D., FACSs, MLS(ASCP)CM, Dean, College of Nursing & Health Sciences, Texas A&M Corpus Christi.
- Ericka Hendrix, Ph.D., MB(ASCP)CM, Associate Professor/Program Director, School of Health Professions, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
- Cristian Lozano, MLS(ASCP)CM (u/LabMicroDCLS), University of Kansas Medical Center.
- Stephanie Noblit, Esq., MLS(ASCP)CM, Legislative Attorney at the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association.
- Rodney E. Rohde, Ph.D., M.S., SM(ASCP)CM, SVCCM, MBCM, FACSc, Regents' Professor, Texas State University System, University Distinguished Chair & Professor, Clinical Laboratory Science.
- Burhan A. Khan, M.D., M.Sc., Medical/Scientific Consultant for diagnostic laboratories.
March 17—We're Experts Studying COVID-19 In Deer And Other Wildlife.
AMA Panel:
- Angela Bosco-Lauth, Ph.D., D.V.M., Assistant Professor, Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University.
- Andrew S. Bowman, M.S., D.V.M., Ph.D., Diplomate ACVPM, Associate Professor, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, The Ohio State University.
- Martha I. Nelson, Ph.D., Staff Scientist, National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Institutes of Health.
February 10—We're Experts Here to Discuss Neglected Tropical Diseases and Why You Should Care About Them.
AMA Panel:
- Caryn Bern, M.D., M.P.H., Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, UCSF School of Medicine.
- De'Broski Herbert, Ph.D., Penn Presidential Associate Professor of Immunology, University of Pennsylvania.
- Julie Jacobson, M.D., DTM&H, FASTMH- Founder and Managing Partner, Bridges to Development; Immediate Past President of the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene [ASTMH].
- Patrick Lammie, Ph.D., Director, Neglected Tropical Disease Support Center.
- Laura-Isobel McCall, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, University of Oklahoma.
- Jill Weatherhead, M.D., Ph.D., CTropMed, FAAP, Assistant Professor, Adult and Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital.
2021
December 23—We're Microbiologists And Artists Who Recently Competed in (And Won!) the American Society for Microbiology's Agar Art Contest.
AMA Panel:
- Sarah Adkins-Jablonsky, Ph.D., Medical student, Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine.
- Sonja Borndörfer, Student, University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf.
- Mireya Duran- Medical Laboratory Scientist, Texas Health (Dallas).
- Judy Nguyen, Ph.D., Administrator, Monarch Butterfly Friends Hawaii.
- Natascha Varona, Ph.D. Student, University of Miami.
November 1—We're Experts Here to Discuss Sexually Transmitted Infections.
AMA Panel:
- Srishti Baid, Doctoral Student, University of Kansas.
- Jose Bazan, D.O., Infectious Diseases Physician, Associate Professor of Clinical Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine.
- Megan Crumpler, Ph.D., HCLD, Laboratory Director, Orange County Public Health Laboratory.
- Miguel E. Quiñones-Mateu, Ph.D., Professor, Webster Family Chair in Viral Pathogenesis, University of Otago.
- Barbara Van Der Pol, Ph.D., M.P.H., Professor of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham.
September 16—We Are Microbiologists Studying All Aspects of Fungi
AMA Panel:
- Brian Lovett, Ph.D., Post-Doctoral Researcher, West Virginia University.
- Delaney Lynn Miller, Graduate Student, Indiana University.
- Adriana L. Romero-Olivares, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, New Mexico State University.
- Jessie Uehling, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Oregon State University.
July 29—We Are Scientists Studying Microbes in Outer Space.
AMA Panel:
- Jamie Foster, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida.
- Christine Moissl-Eichinger, Dr. rer. nat., Professor for Interactive Microbiome Research, Medical University of Graz.
- Aaron Regberg, Ph.D., Geomicrobiologist, Planetary Protection Lead, Astromaterials Acquisition & Curation Office, Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Division, NASA Johnson Space Center.
- Rosa Santomartino, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Associate in Space Microbiology, University of Edinburgh (UK).
May 27—We're Experts Here to Discuss Zoonotic Disease.
AMA Panel:
- Barbara Han, Ph.D., Disease Ecologist, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies.
- David Blehert, Ph.D., Chief, Laboratory Sciences Branch, U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center.
- Greg Gray, M.D., MPH, Professor of Medicine and Global Health, Duke University.
- Tara Smith, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Kent State University College of Public Health.
April 20—We're Experts Here to Discuss the Antimicrobial Resistance Crisis.
AMA Panel:
- Azeem Ahmad, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology, Marian University.
- Zoe Hansen, Ph.D. Student, Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University.
- Ayesha Khan, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
- Maria Fernanda Mojica, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Scholar, Case Western Reserve University.
- Sanjana Mukherjee, Ph.D., M.Sc., ORISE Public Health Policy and Regulatory Research Fellow, U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
March 11—We Are Experts Looking at Connections Between The Gut Microbiome And Mental Health.
AMA Panel:
- Christy Clutter, Ph.D., Contributing writer, American Society for Microbiology.
- Sean Gibbons, Ph.D., Washington Research Foundation Distinguished Investigator & Assistant Professor, Institute for Systems Biology.
- Jonathan Lynch, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, Hsiao Lab, UCLA.
- Beatriz Peñalver Bernabé, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Chicago.
- Gregor Reid, Ph.D., MBA, Endowed Chair in Human Microbiome and Probiotics, Lawson Health Research Institute.
February 4—Updates on COVID vaccines.
AMA Panel:
- Maria Elena Bottazzi, Ph.D., FASTMH, Associate Dean, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine.
- A. Oveta Fuller, Ph.D., Associate Professor, African Studies Center International Institute; Microbiology and Immunology Department, University of Michigan Medical School.
- Kevin McCarthy, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Center for Vaccine Research; Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh.
- Angela Rasmussen, Ph.D., Affiliate, Georgetown University Center for Global Health Science and Security.
2020
December 15—Got Questions About Vaccines For COVID-19? We Are Experts Here With Your Answers.
AMA Panel:
- Brianne R. Barker, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology, Drew University.
- A. Oveta Fuller, Ph.D., Associate Professor, African Studies Center International Institute; Microbiology and Immunology Department, University of Michigan Medical School.
- Vineet D. Menachery, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas.
October 27—We Are Experts Here to Answer Your Questions on Shortages of Laboratory Testing Supplies For COVID-19 And Other Infectious Diseases.
AMA Panel:
- Amanda Harrington, Ph.D., D(ABMM), Director, Clinical Microbiology Laboratory; Associate Professor and Vice Chair for Clinical Pathology; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Loyola University Chicago.
- Melissa Miller, Ph.D., D(ABMM), F(AAM), Professor, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine; Director, Clinical Molecular Microbiology Laboratory; Director, Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, University of North Carolina School of Medicine.
- Sherri Goodlove, Vice President, Marketing, Association for Supply Chain Management.
- Peter A. Bolstorff, CSCP, SCOR-P, Executive Vice President, Corporate Development, Association for Supply Chain Management.
- Susan Butler-Wu, Ph.D., D(ABMM), SM(ASCP), Associate Professor of Clinical Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, and Director of Clinical Microbiology at LAC+USC Medical Center.