In this engaging presentation, Dr. Green will highlight how pandemics have long shaped human history, drawing on the Black Death as a case study. Emphasizing the intersection of human-driven networks, ecological factors, and cutting-edge genetic research, Dr. Green will illustrate how pandemics gain global footholds and persist over time. The talk will explore how these insights can inform present-day responses to emerging infectious diseases.

“Pandemics, however, are unique in that they manage to exploit human networks to spread globally and, more often than not, sustain themselves. Whether the diseases are carried by humans themselves or by human-created ecologies or means of transport, pandemics always have an anthropogenic element.” — Dr. Monica H. Green