Pfizer professor to discuss bioterrorism, biowarfare this week at UNMC

More about Dr. Cieslak Dr. Cieslak, who earned his M.D. from The Ohio State University, has served in the following posts: Pediatric infectious disease staff physician at Brooke Army Medical Center; Chief of field operations and then chief of the operational medicine Division at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Ft. Detrick. Md.; Chairman of the San Antonio Military Pediatric Center; Department of Defense liason officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta.

Col. Theodore Cieslak, M.D., U.S. Department of Defense liaison officer to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a national leader in biopreparedness and the medical aspects of bioterrorism, will visit UNMC this week.

The UNMC Department of Internal Medicine section of infectious diseases was awarded a Pfizer Visiting Professorship grant to host the visit.

Dr. Cieslak will:

• Tour the Nebraska Medical Center Biocontainment Unit;
  
• Visit the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory at UNMC; and
  
• Meet with UNMC and hospital, infectious disease and public health leadership.

He also will attend a briefing at the Center for Biopreparedness Education on campus, visit Offutt AFB and give lectures.

Dr. Cieslak is one of eight physicians this year selected for the 2009 Pfizer Visiting Professorship.

The visiting professorships are part of Pfizer’s Medical and Academic Partnerships (MAP) grant program, which aims to increase opportunities for scientific exchange and education at medical schools, teaching hospitals and other organizations.

On Monday at 2 p.m. in the Durham Research Center auditorium, Dr. Cieslak will present, “Introduction to biowarfare and bioterrorism,” which is targeted toward a lay audience. The campus is invited to attend.

On Wednesday at noon in the Eppley Science Hall Amphitheater Room 3010, his talk, “Bioterrorism: Ten key steps in the management of biological and chemical casualties,” will be targeted toward a health care audience. Lunch will be provided to the first 75 attendees who RSVP to Elaine Litton, 559-8668, or elainelitton@unmc.edu.