Jennifer Gardy

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Jennifer Gardy
Jennifer Gardy 2.jpg
Dr. Jennifer Gardy
BornJuly 3, 1979
Vancouver, Canada
Nationality Canadian
Alma mater University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, McGill University
Known for Epidemiology,Genomics,Bioinformatics
Awards National Academy of Medicine, 2021
Scientific career
Fields Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Bioinformatics
Institutions BC Centre for Disease Control
University of British Columbia,
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Doctoral advisor Fiona Brinkman

Jennifer Gardy is a Canadian scientist, educator and broadcaster, with expertise in the fields of molecular biology, biochemistry, and bioinformatics. Since February 2019 she has been the Deputy Director, Surveillance, Data, and Epidemiology on the Global Health: Malaria team at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. [1] She was previously an associate professor at the University of British Columbia's School of Population and Public Health, a Canada Research Chair in Public Health Genomics, [2] and a Senior Scientist at the BC Centre for Disease Control. She is an occasional host of CBC's The Nature of Things, [3] a science communicator, [4] and a children's book author. [5] She was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2021 as an International Member. [6]

Contents

Education

Gardy received her PhD in molecular biology and biochemistry from Simon Fraser University in 2006. Previously, she earned a BSc in Cell Biology and Genetics from the University of British Columbia (2000) and a Graduate Certificate in Biotechnology from McGill University in 2001. [7]

BC Centre for Disease Control

Dr. Gardy began working for the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) in 2009. [8] During Dr. Gardy's time at the BCCDC, her team published the first paper to use next-generation DNA sequencing to reconstruct person-to-person disease transmission events in a large outbreak of tuberculosis. [9] This and subsequent work from her team helped to establish the new field of pathogen genomic epidemiology. [10] In 2014, she was made the Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Public Health Genomics. [11] [12]

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

In her current role at the Gates Foundation, Dr. Gardy oversees strategy and investment activities for the Malaria Surveillance, Data, and Epidemiology portfolio, which focuses on empowering National Malaria Control Programs to use better-quality data and advanced analytics for malaria strategic planning, decision-making, and policy-setting. [13] Her portfolio includes work related to strengthening routine surveillance systems for malaria, improving data use within malaria programs, malaria genetic and genomic surveillance, and geospatial and mathematical modeling to understand malaria epidemiology.[ citation needed ]

Media

Jennifer Gardy has appeared on Discovery Channel Canada's Daily Planet. Jennifer Gardy has made regular appearances on CBC's documentary series The Nature of Things and hosted these episodes:

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Koch's postulates</span> Four criteria showing a causal relationship between a causative microbe and a disease

Koch's postulates are four criteria designed to establish a causal relationship between a microbe and a disease. The postulates were formulated by Robert Koch and Friedrich Loeffler in 1884, based on earlier concepts described by Jakob Henle, and the statements were refined and published by Koch in 1890. Koch applied the postulates to describe the etiology of cholera and tuberculosis, both of which are now ascribed to bacteria. The postulates have been controversially generalized to other diseases. More modern concepts in microbial pathogenesis cannot be examined using Koch's postulates, including viruses and asymptomatic carriers. They have largely been supplanted by other criteria such as the Bradford Hill criteria for infectious disease causality in modern public health and the Molecular Koch's postulates for microbial pathogenesis.

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Public health genomics is the use of genomics information to benefit public health. This is visualized as more effective preventive care and disease treatments with better specificity, tailored to the genetic makeup of each patient. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.), Public Health genomics is an emerging field of study that assesses the impact of genes and their interaction with behavior, diet and the environment on the population's health.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology</span> Institute for infection biology

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References

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  2. "Jennifer Gardy | School of Population and Public Health (SPPH)". spph.ubc.ca. Retrieved 2016-09-21.
  3. "The Nature of Things". CBC. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  4. "Jennifer Gardy: A Fresh New Voice on Science". www.thelavinagency.com. Retrieved 2018-09-22.
  5. "It's Catching". Owlkids. Retrieved 2016-09-21.
  6. Ogilvie, Jenna (2021-10-18). "National Academy of Medicine Elects 100 New Members". National Academy of Medicine. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  7. "Jennifer Gardy". The Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research. Archived from the original on 6 March 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  8. "Dr. Jennifer Gardy". BC Centre for Disease Control . 25 August 2014. Archived from the original on 13 October 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  9. Gardy, Jennifer L.; Johnston, James C.; Sui, Shannan J. Ho; Cook, Victoria J.; Shah, Lena; Brodkin, Elizabeth; Rempel, Shirley; Moore, Richard; Zhao, Yongjun; Holt, Robert; Varhol, Richard; Birol, Inanc; Lem, Marcus; Sharma, Meenu K.; Elwood, Kevin (2011-02-24). "Whole-Genome Sequencing and Social-Network Analysis of a Tuberculosis Outbreak". New England Journal of Medicine. 364 (8): 730–739. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1003176 . ISSN   0028-4793. PMID   21345102.
  10. "Jennifer Gardy - Science Star". SFU. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  11. "Jennifer Gardy - School of Population and Public Health (SPPH)". spph.ubc.ca.
  12. Chairs, Government of Canada, Industry Canada, Canada Research. "Canada Research Chairs". www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. "Malaria - Eradication, Prevention, Through Innovation & Data". Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  14. "Myth or Science Two: The Quest for Perfection" . Retrieved 2018-09-22.
  15. "CBC Documentaries - The Science Of Sleep - TheTVDB.com". thetvdb.com. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  16. "What Happens in Your Brain While You Sleep? New Research". The Nature of Things. CBC-TV. Archived from the original on 8 February 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  17. "Myth or Science: The Power of Poo" . Retrieved 2018-09-22.