Webinar series PDPC

Join us to discuss the PDPC and its research projects

At the Pandemic and Disaster Preparedness Center (PDPC), academics from a wide range of disciplines will carry out cutting-edge research. In addition, they will collaborate with policymakers and practitioners at local, national, and international levels. Through joint efforts, we will better prepare societies for the disasters and pandemics of the future.

The central research themes of PDPC will be discussed in a series of webinars every 3rd Thursday of the month. Scientists will pitch their research, followed by a panel discussion. We are pleased to invite you to join us and contribute ideas regarding the scope and direction of the PDPC and its research projects.

Past webinars

Rewatch these webinars below

Thursday, June 16 | 10:30 to 11:30
Integrated early-warning surveillance methods and tools

Thursday, April 21 | 13:00 to 14:00
Climate change and vector-borne disease outbreaks

Thursday, March 17 | 13:00 to 14:00
Towards social and urban resilience for pandemics and disasters

Thursday, February 17 | 13:00 to 14:00
Pandemic lessons for flood disaster preparedness

Thursday, January 20 | 13:00 to 14:00
Predicting, measuring and quantifying airborne virus transmission

 

Integrated early-warning surveillance methods and tools

To be prepared for new virus outbreaks, we need a well-functioning and integrated early-warning system. Think of different methods and tools like detecting changes in ecology, catch-all techniques like metagenomics, and citizen science. Our scientists present their plans to research an integrated surveillance network for early-warning and tracking of future pandemics. Gertjan Medema (TU Delft) introduces this project, after which Miranda De Graaf (Erasmus MC) talks about ‘determining viral characteristics of viruses’. Alexander Verbraeck (TU Delft) explains the role of transport hubs and Ewout Fanoy (GGD) the contribution to public health research. Sabine Roeser (TU Delft) is last but not least with ‘ethics research and research ethics’.

Climate change and vector-borne disease outbreaks

Rising sea levels and extreme weather events are predicted to be increasingly common due to climate change. Preparing urban deltas for these risks includes developing large water storage areas like wetlands. But do these solutions account for another fast-expanding global threat: the risk of arbovirus outbreaks? In the fourth PDPC webinar, Marion Koopmans (Erasmus MC) and Pier Sybesma (TU Delft) and colleagues will present the ecological context of arbovirus risks in a changing delta and introduce the joint research plans.  For example, Julie Pietrzak (TU Delft) talks about the challenging combination of climate, salt and surface water. Maarten Schrama (Leiden University, Naturalis) talks about the mosquito/predator race in salinizing landscapes. Judy Shamoun-Baranes (UVA) discusses the possibility of birds linking pins, while Reina Sikkema (Erasmus MC) dives deep into integrated sampling to assess vectorborne disease risks.

Towards social and urban resilience for pandemics and disasters

Disasters, health crises, and measures taken to limit harm and risks often hit disadvantaged members of society the hardest. In the third PDPC webinar, we deal with the question: ‘How do we create a knowledge base to identify social and urban conditions that mitigate those impacts?’ While Pearl Dykstra (EUR) and Maarten Ham (TU Delft) introduce the frontrunner project, four researchers talk about the sub-projects: Marjolein Pijpers – van Esch (TU Delft) talks about urban heat and inequalities. Luc Coffeng (Erasmus MC) tells you more about the spread of Covid through social networks. Mis- and disinformation on Covid-19 is tackled by Rens Vliegenthart (UVA), and Godfried Engbersen (EUR) talks about local public infrastructure and agency during disasters.

Pandemic lessons for flood disaster preparedness

The second webinar of the PDPC was about the lessons learned during this pandemic and what they teach us about better water disaster preparedness. But also the other way around: What does water management teach us about structural preparedness for pandemics? And how vulnerable is our health care system during a crisis? With Pearl Dykstra (EUR), Anja Schreijer (Erasmus MC), Bas Jonkman (TU Delft), and Roland Bal (Erasmus MC).

Predicting, measuring and quantifying airborne virus transmission

How can we better predict the spread of airborne viruses? But also: How can we combine scientific knowledge from various disciplines to arrive at solutions? Marion Koopmans (Erasmus MC), Ron Fouchier (Erasmus MC), Sander Herft (Erasmus MC), Inge Wouters (UU), Pieter Fraaij (Erasmus MC), Philomena Bluyssen (TU Delft) contributed to the above question during the very first webinar of the PDPC. During the Q&A and panel discussion Jérôme Wishaupt (Reinier de Graaf ziekenhuis), Bas Kolen (TU Delft), GuoQi Zhang (TU Delft), Hanneke Gelderblom (TU Eindhoven), Tess Homan (TU Eindhoven) and Anja Schreijer (PDPC) joined in.