Day 8

The morning started with Dr. Stephen Waring presenting on bioterrorism. Dr. Waring works both with neurodegenerative diseases as well as working with the Center for Biosecurity and Public Health Preparedness.

In his discussion on bioterrorism, Dr. Waring informed us that bioterrorism is the intentional or threatened use of viruses, bacteria, fungi, or toxins from living organisms to produce death or disease in humans, animals, or plants.

He instructed us on the history of recent bioterrorism and accidental releases of toxins, the biological agents of greatest concern, and how to prepare and be ready in case of a release.

Websites and resources related to this presentation:

After his talk on bioterrorism, Dr. Waring presented on Parkinson's Disease.

The first thing he discussed was epidemiology: the study of the distribution and determinants of health related events in specified populations and the application of this information to alleviate health problems. An epidemiologist uses the tools of careful observation and deductive reasoning to find the causes and cures of illness.

Parkinson's is a progressive neurological disorder. It is caused by the degeneration of cells that produce the neurochemical dopamine, which causes tremors, muscle stiffness, slowness of movements, and loss of balance.

Approximately one million Americans have Parkinson's. There are 60,000 new cases annually, with the average age of onset being between 55 and 60.

Websites and resources related to this presentation:

In the afternoon, Dr. Franklin returned and we began the process of writing the PBL.