Joseph Fair

Last updated
Joseph Fair
Alma materTulane University, Loyola University
Scientific career
FieldsVirology
InstitutionsMetabiota, Inc., NBC

Joseph Fair is a virologist and former vice president and director of research and development for Metabiota, Inc. [1] [2] Since March 2020 he has been a science contributor for the American television network NBC. [3]

Contents

Education

After briefly attending the University of Kentucky, Fair received his bachelor's degree in biology from Loyola University New Orleans, and his M.P.H. and Ph.D. in molecular biology from Tulane University. [4]

Work

Fair is known for his work with hemorrhagic fevers notably Ebola and Lassa fever (LHF), [1] as well as the tracking and biosurveillance of infectious diseases. [1]

From April 2008 to April 2014, Fair was a corporate vice-president at Metabiota, Inc. (formerly Global Viral Forecasting, Inc.). He then worked as a consulting advisor to Fondation Mérieux. [2] From 2015 to 2017 he was a chief adviser in Global Health Surveillance & Diagnostics for MRIGlobal and a senior fellow in global health security at Pennsylvania State University. [5] In 2018 he worked with International Medical Corps. [6] Since January 2018 he has been a senior fellow at the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs at the Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University. [5]

In 2020, Fair was hospitalized with COVID-19-like symptoms shortly after taking a crowded flight, despite wearing a mask and gloves, and theorized that he caught the virus via his eyes as a result of not wearing goggles. [7] [8] Later PCR and antibody testing, however, revealed Fair did not have COVID; the cause of his illness remains unknown. [9] [10]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Joseph Fair". American Society for Microbiology. Archived from the original on 19 May 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  2. 1 2 "A Virologist Takes You Inside the Ebola Protective Suit". NPR. Archived from the original on 9 May 2020. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  3. "Joseph Fair". IMDb. Archived from the original on 2017-02-15. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
  4. "Alumnus is working front lines of Ebola outbreak in West Africa - Loyola University New Orleans". www.loyno.edu. Archived from the original on 2015-09-07. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
  5. 1 2 "Senior fellows: Joseph Fair". Bush School of Government and Public Service. Archived from the original on 14 November 2018.
  6. "Ebola in DRC: Q&A with Dr. Joseph Fair". Outbreak Observatory. Archived from the original on 2022-04-01. Retrieved 2020-07-04.
  7. Wamsley, Laurel (May 22, 2020). "Coronavirus FAQs: Can I Catch It Through My Eyes? Will Goggles Help?". NPR . Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  8. Fieldstadt, Elisha (May 14, 2020). "Virologist hospitalized with coronavirus believes he got it through his eyes". NBC News. Archived from the original on 2022-04-01. Retrieved 2020-07-04.
  9. Murray, Rheana. "After severe illness, NBC's Dr. Joseph Fair tests negative for COVID-19 antibodies". TODAY.com. Archived from the original on 2020-07-09. Retrieved 2020-07-11.
  10. Dawood, A.A. (January 2021). "Transmission of SARS CoV-2 virus through the ocular mucosa worth taking precautions". Vacunas (English Edition). 22 (1): 56–57. doi: 10.1016/j.vacune.2021.01.007 .