SIR JOHN MONASH DISTINGUISHED PUBLIC LECTURE BY PROFESSOR SCOTT O'NEILL

‘Dengue: a growing problem globally’

TUESDAY, 30 SEPTEMBER 2014, 6PM @ PLENARY THEATRE

Monash University Malaysia will be launching the Sir John Monash Distinguished Public Lecture Series with the aim to further enhance its positioning in Malaysia and the region and to engage the community through the promotion of thought leadership in key areas that are strategic to the development of the region in the 21st Century. The Sir John Monash Distinguished Public Lecture Series will address key issues that are relevant to various stakeholders in the region, including areas such as - sustainability; socioeconomic development; innovation and technology; health and well-being; societal transformation; Islamic economic thought and halal ecosystem; and international understanding. The Distinguished Public Lecture Series will cover a wide variety of contemporary and multidisciplinary topics. It will be presented by high-profile thinkers, international leaders, policy makers, corporate leaders and world-class academicians and experts, who are distinguished in their areas of expertise and whose work have made a significant  impact to the global community. The public lecture to be presented by Professor Scott O'Neill is titled ‘Dengue: a growing problem globally’.   Brief Synopsis The problem of dengue continues to grow for tropical countries throughout the world. Communities and leaders are desperate for effective control strategies but progress remains very slow with crippling epidemics a regular occurrence throughout the world. Progress on new vaccines and therapeutic drugs is slow and disheartening. New approaches targeting vector control are in various states of development and offer new hope for the future. However these novel tools present their own challenges in terms of public acceptance. If these challenges can be overcome they present one of the few new options available to control dengue.

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About the Speaker Professor Scott O'Neill (PhD FAA FAAAS) is an internationally recognised Australian scientist. He heads the international Eliminate Dengue Research Program. His team is developing and testing a biological control method that reduces the ability of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to transmit dengue viruses. The program – currently field testing in four countries - is expanding and gearing up for efficacy trials over the next few years. Professor O'Neill has published over 100 high-impact research papers with some 6400 ISI citations. He has received many awards including the Centenary Medal, the Mackerras Medal and is a Fellow of the Australia Academy of Science. He has spent his academic career at Yale University, The University of Queensland and Monash University where he has been Dean of Science since mid 2011.