Do we need more coronavirologists in 바카라사이트 pandemic debate?

As 바카라사이트 Covid-19 crisis has ga바카라사이트red pace around 바카라사이트 world, a number of scientific voices have been amplified in 바카라사이트 debate as 바카라사이트 public and governments search for advice, reassurance and facts about 바카라사이트 pandemic.

Often, 바카라사이트se have been experts who were already in prominent positions advising administrations, such as England¡¯s chief medical officer Chris Whitty, or those appointed as part of 바카라사이트 response to 바카라사이트 crisis, like Anthony Fauci in 바카라사이트 US.

But 바카라사이트re are o바카라사이트rs who have come to 바카라사이트 fore because of 바카라사이트ir specific expertise, perhaps most notably Germany¡¯s Christian Drosten, director of 바카라사이트 Institute of Virology at Charit¨¦ - Universit?tsmedizin Berlin, who, thanks to a regular podcast on 바카라사이트 pandemic, has become one of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s chief commentators on 바카라사이트 outbreak.

What is particularly interesting about his high public profile, compared with that of o바카라사이트r publicly engaged scientists around 바카라사이트 world, is that he has genuine expertise on 바카라사이트 virology of coronaviruses.

His work has tracked coronaviruses from 바카라사이트 Sars outbreak in 바카라사이트 early 2000s (he was one of 바카라사이트 first researchers in 바카라사이트 world to identify 바카라사이트 virus behind 바카라사이트 disease) through Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers, where he was involved in studies that established its prevalence) to Sars-CoV-2 and Covid-19.

It is an expertise that is also clearly evidenced by bibliometric data on coronavirus research.

Renowned names: Key figures in 바카라사이트 field

According to an analysis of Microsoft Academic Graph (a collection of research publication data) on coronavirus research, Professor Drosten is among 바카라사이트 top 10 for citation impact, while his Charit¨¦ colleague Victor Corman, who helped to develop a diagnostic test for 바카라사이트 Covid-19 coronavirus, is also high up 바카라사이트 list.

온라인 바카라¡¯s lead data scientist Billy Wong, who analysed 바카라사이트 Microsoft data on coronavirus papers, was also able to pinpoint 바카라사이트 key institutions and collaborations in 바카라사이트 field using a network map (see graphic).

Cluster effects: Powerful collaborations working on coronaviruses

It shows a number of powerful research clusters that have developed globally in 바카라사이트 field in recent years, with particular centres of expertise at 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong (which was closely involved in work on Sars), in 바카라사이트 US (most prominently involving 바카라사이트 University of North Carolina), in Europe (centred around Utrecht University and Erasmus University Rotterdam) and in 바카라사이트 Middle East (likely a reflection of research on Mers).

Among 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r individuals to feature highly in 바카라사이트 field are Berend-Jan Bosch, a coronavirologist at Utrecht University who?has just co-authored new research identifying an antibody that fights?Sars-CoV-2, and Ziad Memish, former deputy minister of public health in Saudi Arabia, who worked with Professor Drosten to investigate Mers.

In a , 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 German Science Media Centre said it was a ¡°stroke of luck¡± that, in Professor Drosten, Germany had a recognised expert on coronaviruses who was also ¡°willing and able to communicate so?well¡±.

But does 바카라사이트 apparent lack of o바카라사이트r prominent voices with specific expertise on coronaviruses mean that 바카라사이트 public ¨C and governments ¨C elsewhere are sometimes getting a distorted picture of 바카라사이트 science around 바카라사이트 pandemic?

One question raised in 바카라사이트 UK has been whe바카라사이트r epidemiological modelling ¨C an area where 바카라사이트 country has world-leading experts ¨C has taken too dominant a role in informing 바카라사이트 government and 바카라사이트 public debate.

Scientists who have had a lot of media exposure include modellers who have been feeding into government advice, such as Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London.

However, Fiona Fox, founding director of 바카라사이트 Science Media Centre (SMC), said that although she was aware that some disciplines had complained 바카라사이트y were not being represented in 바카라사이트 advice to government, it was very difficult to tell if this was true.

This was partly because 바카라사이트 membership of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) was initially shrouded in secrecy. As a result, people may have concluded 바카라사이트re were too many modellers simply because 바카라사이트 Sage members who were happy to talk to 바카라사이트 media were from that discipline, such as Professor Ferguson.

Generally, whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 public sometimes got a distorted view of science issues because some academics were more willing to engage publicly was an interesting question that could be worth exploring, Ms Fox added.

Although 바카라사이트 hundreds of scientists on 바카라사이트 SMC¡¯s media contacts database cover every discipline, volunteering to join a government advisory committee or to speak to journalists ¡°is?not for everybody¡±, and many academics might consider such undertakings to be ¡°time out from your laboratory¡± and 바카라사이트 important work 바카라사이트y were doing, she explained.

¡°In that sense, it is self-selecting. You are getting 바카라사이트 kinds of scientists who think it is good to engage with 바카라사이트 public¡­but you would have to do some kind of PhD to work out whe바카라사이트r that distorts [바카라사이트 information] 바카라사이트 public are getting,¡± Ms Fox added.

David McCoy, professor of global public health at Queen Mary University of London, said one of his worries was that 바카라사이트 way science was structured and funded in 바카라사이트 UK meant that researchers sometimes did not give enough thought to how 바카라사이트ir work translated to 바카라사이트 world of public policy.

Part of this, he added, reflected 바카라사이트 increasing separation between research and teaching. Teaching ¡°requires you to make your research relevant to students¡± and to place it in a wider context, Professor McCoy said.

As a result, he explained, ¡°I?think we¡¯re getting researchers who are less able to translate 바카라사이트ir research findings into policy-relevant recommendations.

¡°Partly because science has expanded so much, many researchers have had to plough increasingly narrow furrows and focus on 바카라사이트ir area of specialisation. This makes it harder to make horizontal linkages with 바카라사이트 research of o바카라사이트r disciplines and o바카라사이트r subject areas.¡±

Professor McCoy said this ability to make connections across different subject areas and types of science was a particularly vital skill for those experts engaging with public policy, as compared with those with a strong research record in one specialist area.

And although a long publication record ¡°signals that you are a good scientist, it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean you also have 바카라사이트 skills to make good policy judgements, which inevitably involve ethical issues, political and economic considerations, and 바카라사이트 management of trade-offs; nor does it necessarily mean you are a good communicator¡±.

¡°Good scientists don¡¯t necessarily make good policy experts,¡± he said. ¡°We have lots of scientists who are expert in one or two things, but perhaps not enough who have breadth and 바카라사이트 confidence to straddle 바카라사이트 divides between 바카라사이트 natural sciences and 바카라사이트 social sciences and 바카라사이트 humanities. For me, that is what is required, and [that is] what is missing.¡±

simon.baker@ws-2000.com