1/9/17: Dr. William Schaffner, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

With flu season upon us and the scare with the mosquito born virus last summer, infectious diseases are a topic of conversation.  Dr. William Schaffner will share his expertise on what we face with the flu, what the summer may bring, and what the future may hold especially with global warming.

Dr. William Schaffner is committed to not only teaching his students at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine; but also communicating about medicine to the general public. He often is invited to comment in local and national media on communicable disease issues, translating research advances and public health events into language that the public can understand.

Dr. Schaffner’s primary interest has been the prevention of infectious diseases. He is a strong proponent of collaboration between academic medical centers and public health institutions. He has worked extensively on the effective use of vaccines in both pediatric and adult populations and has been a member of numerous expert advisory committees that establish national vaccine policy.