J. Glenn Morris

Last updated
J. Glenn Morris
Born (1951-11-08) November 8, 1951 (age 71)
Jackson, Mississippi
CitizenshipUnited States
Education
Known for Emerging infectious diseases
SpouseDeborah Morris
Children3
Scientific career
Institutions

John Glenn Morris, Jr. (born November 8, 1951) is an American physician and epidemiologist. He is the founding and current director of the Emerging Pathogens Institute, an interdisciplinary research facility located within the University of Florida, having served since 2007. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Early life

Morris was born in Jackson, Mississippi, To John Glenn Morris, Sr. (1918–2006) and Pauline Love Morris (1918–1999). [2] John Glenn Morris Sr. was a theologian who received his Doctor of Philosophy from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1946, completing a dissertation entitled Christianity and social change in China, 1912–1942. [3] Both of Morris' parents served as Christian missionaries in Bangkok, Thailand; John Glenn Morris Sr. taught Hebrew and Greek to Thai and Chinese and Pauline Love Morris worked with refugees. [2] Morris moved to Thailand at the age of six weeks but periodically resided in the United States, specifically in Louisville, Kentucky and Kansas City, Missouri. [2]

Education

Morris received his primary education from International School Bangkok, graduating in 1969. [4] As an undergraduate, Morris attended Rice University and obtained Bachelors of Arts in both medieval Chinese history and biology in 1973. [2] [5] Morris then received a Doctor of Medicine and Master of Public Health & Tropical Medicine from Tulane University in 1977. During his medical training, Morris was appointed a Hawthorne Scholar, receiving full tuition for his studies, [5] and was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. [6] Morris went on to complete residency at affiliated hospitals of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. [2] After, Morris participated in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Epidemic Intelligence Service, a two-year postdoctoral training in field epidemiology. Upon his completion, he completed a residency at Emory University School of Medicine and infectious disease fellowship at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. [2]

Career

Following the completion of his infectious disease fellowship, Morris held clinical and academic appointments in the University of Maryland Medical System and University of Maryland School of Public Health, the latter of which he would serve as interim dean. [7] While there, Morris played a role in investigating the human health effects of Pfiesteria, [8] a dinoflagellate with a hypothesized negative effect on human learning and memory.

Concurrently, Morris served as an authority on molecular epidemiology and pathogenesis of emerging infectious diseases, particularly in the agricultural sector. [9] Morris was appointed the Director of Epidemiology and Emergency Response Program, and later founded the Food Safety and Inspection Services Office of Public Health and Science, both within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); while at the USDA, he was instrumental in the development of FoodNet, a federal network for foodborne illness monitoring. [10]

In 2007, he was appointed director of the Emerging Pathogens Institute, an interdisciplinary research facility located within the University of Florida; he has also maintained both clinical appointments at University of Florida Health and Veterans Administration Hospital, and academic appointments at the University of Florida College of Medicine. Morris has continued to advocate for issues of public health consequence such as federal food safety programs [11] and responses to emerging pathogens like the Zika [12] and Keystone [13] viruses. More recently, he has been engaged in research on coronavirus transmission and the epidemiology of COVID-19. [14] [15] Alongside microbial pathogens, he has researched the human health effects of ciguatera fish poisoning [16] and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. [17] He also currently serves as Director of the NIOSH Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety.

In addition to clinical and academic roles, Morris serves as an associate editor for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Emerging Infectious Diseases journal. [18] Previously, Morris served as the director of Intralytix, a private biotechnology firm that in part develops phage therapy. [19]

Cholera

Morris' experience in the Epidemic Intelligence Service included the response to a series of cholera outbreaks in Rangsit, Thailand. [20] [21] Since the program's completion, Morris has published over eighty articles relating to the clinical and public health consequences of cholera and its causative agent, Vibrio cholerae [22] . This has included studies in Bangladesh, Haiti and Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [23] [24]

Media

Morris frequently appears in the media about the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida. [25] [26]

Honors and awards

Books and book chapters

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cholera</span> Bacterial infection of the small intestine

Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea lasting a few days. Vomiting and muscle cramps may also occur. Diarrhea can be so severe that it leads within hours to severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. This may result in sunken eyes, cold skin, decreased skin elasticity, and wrinkling of the hands and feet. Dehydration can cause the skin to turn bluish. Symptoms start two hours to five days after exposure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Infection</span> Invasion of an organisms body by pathogenic agents

An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable disease, is an illness resulting from an infection.

<i>Vibrio cholerae</i> Species of bacterium

Vibrio cholerae is a species of Gram-negative, facultative anaerobe and comma-shaped bacteria. The bacteria naturally live in brackish or saltwater where they attach themselves easily to the chitin-containing shells of crabs, shrimp, and other shellfish. Some strains of V. cholerae are pathogenic to humans and cause a deadly disease called cholera, which can be derived from the consumption of undercooked or raw marine life species.

<i>Campylobacter</i> Genus of Gram-negative bacteria

Campylobacter is a type of bacteria that can cause a diarrhea disease in people. Its name means "curved bacteria", as the germ typically appears in a comma or "s" shape. According to its scientific classification, it is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria that are motile.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epidemic</span> Rapid spread of disease affecting a large number of people in a short time

An epidemic is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of hosts in a given population within a short period of time. For example, in meningococcal infections, an attack rate in excess of 15 cases per 100,000 people for two consecutive weeks is considered an epidemic.

<i>Vibrio</i> Genus of bacteria and the disease it can cause

Vibrio is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria, possessing a curved-rod (comma) shape, several species of which can cause foodborne infection, usually associated with eating undercooked seafood. Being highly salt tolerant and unable to survive in fresh water, Vibrio spp. are commonly found in various salt water environments. Vibrio spp. are facultative anaerobes that test positive for oxidase and do not form spores. All members of the genus are motile. They are able to have polar or lateral flagellum with or without sheaths. Vibrio species typically possess two chromosomes, which is unusual for bacteria. Each chromosome has a distinct and independent origin of replication, and are conserved together over time in the genus. Recent phylogenies have been constructed based on a suite of genes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fecal–oral route</span> Disease transmission via pathogens from fecal particles

The fecal–oral route describes a particular route of transmission of a disease wherein pathogens in fecal particles pass from one person to the mouth of another person. Main causes of fecal–oral disease transmission include lack of adequate sanitation, and poor hygiene practices. If soil or water bodies are polluted with fecal material, humans can be infected with waterborne diseases or soil-transmitted diseases. Fecal contamination of food is another form of fecal-oral transmission. Washing hands properly after changing a baby's diaper or after performing anal hygiene can prevent foodborne illness from spreading.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foodborne illness</span> Illness from eating spoiled food

Foodborne illness is any illness resulting from the contamination of food by pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites, as well as prions, and toxins such as aflatoxins in peanuts, poisonous mushrooms, and various species of beans that have not been boiled for at least 10 minutes.

<i>Vibrio vulnificus</i> Species of pathogenic bacterium found in water

Vibrio vulnificus is a species of Gram-negative, motile, curved rod-shaped (vibrio), pathogenic bacteria of the genus Vibrio. Present in marine environments such as estuaries, brackish ponds, or coastal areas, V. vulnificus is related to V. cholerae, the causative agent of cholera. At least one strain of V. vulnificus is bioluminescent. Increasing seasonal ocean temperatures and low-salt marine environments like estuaries favor a greater concentration of Vibrio within filter-feeding shellfish; V. vulnificus infections in the Eastern United States have increased eightfold from 1988–2018.

Gopinath Balakrish Nair is an Indian microbiologist known for his work on cholera. At present, he is the Ag. Regional Adviser, Research Policy and Cooperation Unit, Department of Communicable Diseases, World Health Organization. Before joining WHO, he was the executive director of Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad, NCR, India. Before joining THSTI, he was working in NICED as the director. He has also served as the director of Laboratory Sciences Division at the International Center for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research,, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natural reservoir</span> Type of population in infectious disease ecology

In infectious disease ecology and epidemiology, a natural reservoir, also known as a disease reservoir or a reservoir of infection, is the population of organisms or the specific environment in which an infectious pathogen naturally lives and reproduces, or upon which the pathogen primarily depends for its survival. A reservoir is usually a living host of a certain species, such as an animal or a plant, inside of which a pathogen survives, often without causing disease for the reservoir itself. By some definitions a reservoir may also be an environment external to an organism, such as a volume of contaminated air or water.

The discovery of disease-causing pathogens is an important activity in the field of medical science. Many viruses, bacteria, protozoa, fungi, helminthes and prions are identified as a confirmed or potential pathogen. In the United States, a Centers for Disease Control program, begun in 1995, identified over a hundred patients with life-threatening illnesses that were considered to be of an infectious cause, but that could not be linked to a known pathogen. The association of pathogens with disease can be a complex and controversial process, in some cases requiring decades or even centuries to achieve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pathogenic bacteria</span> Disease-causing bacteria

Pathogenic bacteria are bacteria that can cause disease. This article focuses on the bacteria that are pathogenic to humans. Most species of bacteria are harmless and are often beneficial but others can cause infectious diseases. The number of these pathogenic species in humans is estimated to be fewer than a hundred. By contrast, several thousand species are part of the gut flora present in the digestive tract.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emerging Pathogens Institute</span>

The Emerging Pathogens Institute (EPI) is an interdisciplinary research institution associated with the University of Florida. The institute focuses on fusing key disciplines to develop outreach, education, and research capabilities designed to preserve the region's health and economy, as well as to prevent or contain new and re-emerging diseases. Researchers within the institute work in more than 30 different countries around the world, with over 250 affiliated faculty members stemming from 11 University of Florida colleges, centers, and institutes. The 90,000-square-foot building includes laboratories and collaborative space for bioinformatics and mathematical modeling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shah M. Faruque</span>

Shah Mohammad Faruque is a professor in the School of Environment and Life Sciences at Independent University Bangladesh (IUB). He is widely recognized for his research in Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium which causes the epidemic diarrhoeal disease Cholera. Among other positions, previously he was a professor at BRAC University; director of the Genomics Centre at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), and formerly director of the Centre for Food and Water Borne Diseases in ICDDR,B. His areas of research interest include microbial genomics, bacteriophages, environmental microbiology, ecology, and evolution of bacterial pathogens, particularly those associated with waterborne and foodborne diseases. Faruque is primarily known for his work in genomics, epidemiology and ecology of the cholera pathogen, and its bacteriophages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Thomas Ryan</span>

Edward Thomas Ryan is an American microbiologist, immunologist, and physician at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital. Ryan served as president of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene from 2009 to 2010. Ryan is Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Director of Global Infectious Diseases at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Ryan's research and clinical focus has been on infectious diseases associated with residing in, immigrating from, or traveling through resource-limited areas. Ryan is a Fellow of the American Society of Microbiology, the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, the American College of Physicians, and the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Renaud Piarroux is a French pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases and tropical medicine. From 2008 to 2017, he has been a full professor of parasitology and mycology at the University of Aix-Marseille in Marseille, France, and head of parasitology and mycology at Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille. Since 2017, he has been a full professor of parasitology and mycology at the Sorbonne University in Paris, France, and Head of Parasitology and Mycology at Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris. Over the years, Piarroux has taken part in several missions and research projects in Africa, including the study of the dynamics of cholera epidemics in Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea, prevention and management of parasitic diseases in Morocco, and a program to fight against waterborne diseases in Ivory Coast.

Bacterial phylodynamics is the study of immunology, epidemiology, and phylogenetics of bacterial pathogens to better understand the evolutionary role of these pathogens. Phylodynamic analysis includes analyzing genetic diversity, natural selection, and population dynamics of infectious disease pathogen phylogenies during pandemics and studying intra-host evolution of viruses. Phylodynamics combines the study of phylogenetic analysis, ecological, and evolutionary processes to better understand of the mechanisms that drive spatiotemporal incidence and phylogenetic patterns of bacterial pathogens. Bacterial phylodynamics uses genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in order to better understand the evolutionary mechanism of bacterial pathogens. Many phylodynamic studies have been performed on viruses, specifically RNA viruses which have high mutation rates. The field of bacterial phylodynamics has increased substantially due to the advancement of next-generation sequencing and the amount of data available.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melanie Blokesch</span> German microbiologist

Melanie Blokesch is a German microbiologist. Her research focuses on Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium causing cholera. She is a professor of life sciences at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), where she heads the Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia L. Miller</span> American microbiologist

Virginia L. Miller is a microbiologist known for her work on studying the factors leading to disease caused by bacteria. Miller is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology (2003) and a former Pew Charitable Trust Biomedical Scholar (1989).

References

  1. ↑ "J. Glenn Morris, Jr. – Emerging Pathogens Institute – University of Florida". www.epi.ufl.edu. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "MAA – Faculty Profile – Glenn Morris, Jr". www.medicalalumni.org. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  3. ↑ Morris, Glenn (1946). Christianity and social change in China, 1912–1942 (Ph. D. thesis). Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
  4. ↑ The Thai that Binds (March 2010). "ISB Newsletter Volume 59 March 2010" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-06-26.
  5. 1 2 "Class Notes: 1970–1974" (PDF). Sallyport – Rice Magazine. October–November 1973. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-06-26.
  6. ↑ The Jambalaya Year Book: 1977 (PDF). Tulane University. 1977. p. 216. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-06-26.
  7. ↑ "Meet the Researchers – Healthy Gulf Healthy Communities" . Retrieved 2019-06-27.
  8. ↑ Morris, J. Glenn; Charache, Patricia; Hebel, J. Richard; Wasserman, Martin P.; Kauffman, C. Lisa; Shoemaker, Ritchie C.; Parrott, Colleen; Dickson, Curtis; Matuszak, Diane L. (1998-08-15). "Learning and memory difficulties after environmental exposure to waterways containing toxin-producing Pfiesteria or Pfiesteria-like dinoflagellates". The Lancet. 352 (9127): 532–539. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(98)02132-1 . ISSN   0140-6736. PMID   9716058. S2CID   30393394.
  9. ↑ "J. Glenn Morris Jr., M.D. | C-SPAN.org". www.c-span.org. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  10. ↑ Institute of Medicine and National Research council of the National Academies (2010). Enhancing Food Safety: The Role of the Food and Drug Administration. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press. p. 575. ISBN   9780309163583.
  11. ↑ "Safety of Food Supply | C-SPAN.org". www.c-span.org. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  12. ↑ Florida Department of Health (2016). "Innovative Diagnostic Testing or Therapeutics" (PDF). Retrieved 2019-07-19.
  13. ↑ Miller, Daylina. "Keystone Virus Found In Human For First Time". wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  14. ↑ Lednicky, John A.; Tagliamonte, Massimiliano S.; White, Sarah K.; Elbadry, Maha A.; Alam, Md. Mahbubul; Stephenson, Caroline J.; Bonny, Tania S.; Loeb, Julia C.; Telisma, Taina; Chavannes, Sonese; Ostrov, David A. (2021-12-02). "Independent infections of porcine deltacoronavirus among Haitian children". Nature. 600 (7887): 133–137. Bibcode:2021Natur.600..133L. doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-04111-z . ISSN   0028-0836. PMC   8636265 . PMID   34789872. S2CID   244362943.
  15. ↑ Lednicky, John A.; Lauzardo, Michael; Fan, Z. Hugh; Jutla, Antarpreet; Tilly, Trevor B.; Gangwar, Mayank; Usmani, Moiz; Shankar, Sripriya Nannu; Mohamed, Karim; Eiguren-Fernandez, Arantza; Stephenson, Caroline J. (November 2020). "Viable SARS-CoV-2 in the air of a hospital room with COVID-19 patients". International Journal of Infectious Diseases. 100: 476–482. doi:10.1016/j.ijid.2020.09.025. PMC   7493737 . PMID   32949774.
  16. ↑ Morris, J. Glenn; Smith, Tyler B.; Grattan, Lynn M.; Cook, Robert L.; Radke, Elizabeth G.; Anderson, Donald M. (2013-05-01). "Ciguatera Incidence in the US Virgin Islands Has Not Increased over a 30-Year Time Period Despite Rising Seawater Temperatures". The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 88 (5): 908–913. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.12-0676. ISSN   0002-9637. PMC   3752756 . PMID   23400575.
  17. ↑ Grattan, Lynn M.; Roberts, Sparkle; Mahan, William T.; McLaughlin, Patrick K.; Otwell, W. Steven; Morris, J. Glenn (June 2011). "The Early Psychological Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on Florida and Alabama Communities". Environmental Health Perspectives. 119 (6): 838–843. doi:10.1289/ehp.1002915. ISSN   0091-6765. PMC   3114820 . PMID   21330230.
  18. ↑ "Editors – Emerging Infectious Diseases journal – CDC". Emerging Infectious Diseases journal. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  19. ↑ "Intralytix, Inc". www.intralytix.com. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  20. ↑ Gewin, Virginia (2007-05-23). "Glenn Morris, director, Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida". Nature. 447 (7143): 504. doi: 10.1038/nj7143-504a . ISSN   0028-0836.
  21. ↑ Karaulnik, M.; Echeverria, P. D.; Blake, P. A.; Holck, S. E.; West, G. R.; Morris, J. G. (1982-01-01). "From the Centers for Disease Control". The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 145 (1): 131–134. doi:10.1093/infdis/145.1.131. ISSN   0022-1899. PMID   7054317.
  22. ↑ "PubMed Search for Cholera and Cholerae from author J Glenn Morris Jr". PubMed. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  23. ↑ Rashed, S.M., Azman, A.S., Alan, M., Li, S., Sack, D.A., Morris, J.G., Longini, I., Siddique, A.K., Iqbal, A., Huq, A., Colwell, R.R., Sack, R. B., Sine, O.C.  “Genetic variation of Vibrio cholerae during outbreaks, Bangladesh, 2010-2011.”  Emerg. Inf. Dis. 2014, 20, 54-60.
  24. ↑ Mavian, C., Paisie, T.K., Alam, M.T., Browne, C., Beau De Rochars, V.M., Nembrini, S., Cash, M.N., Nelson, E.J., Azarian, T., Ali. A., Morris, J.G., Salemi, M.  “Toxigenic Vibrio cholerae evolution and establishment of reservoirs in aquatic ecosystems.”  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2020 Apr 7;117(14):7897-7904. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1918763117. Epub 2020 Mar 30. PMID 32229557
  25. ↑ Mazzei, Patricia (2020-07-06). "As the Virus Surged, Florida Partied. Tracking the Revelers Has Been Tough". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  26. ↑ "Insufficient testing hurts U.S. coronavirus response". MSNBC.com. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  27. ↑ "Bay Weekly: Dock of the Bay". bayweekly.com. Retrieved 2019-06-27.
  28. ↑ Armed Forces Epidemiological Board (May 21, 2003). "Transcript, Armed Forces Epidemiolgoical Board Spring Meeting, 2003" (PDF). Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  29. ↑ "James D. Bruce Memorial Award for Distinguished Contributions in Preventive Medicine | Awards, Masterships & Competitions | ACP". www.acponline.org. Retrieved 2019-06-27.
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