Watch A COVID-19 Conversation with Larry Brilliant & Seth MacFarlane

Written by: The Exchange

Join renowned epidemiologist Larry Brilliant and Science & Entertainment Exchange advisory board member writer/director/producer/actor Seth MacFarlane as they take a deep dive into current COVID-19 events,
tackling a list of frequently asked questions to help us all understand what lies ahead. As we struggle through what remains of a hard winter, confronting the reality of continued lockdowns and restrictions, spirits are nevertheless buoyed by the promise of vaccines that signal better days to come. With new COVID variants circulating it’s clear that this pandemic is not over…Not by a longshot. So what can we expect spring and summer to look like? When might vaccines realistically become available to everyone? Who’s next in line and who might ultimately be left behind? How do we best address concerns about vaccine safety? And how likely is it that we might need to apply the lessons learned from this pandemic to another one in the future? Tune in for answers to these and many other provocative and important questions.

Speakers:

Larry Brilliant is a physician and epidemiologist, CEO of Pandefense Advisory, and a CNN Medical Analyst. He was previously the Chair of the Advisory Board of the NGO Ending Pandemics, the president and CEO of the Skoll Global Threats Fund, vice president of Google, and the founding executive director of Google.org. He co-founded the Seva Foundation, whose programs have given back sight to more than 5 million blind people. Larry was a key member of the successful WHO Smallpox Eradication Programme for SE Asia and the WHO Polio Eradication Programme. Recent awards include the TED Prize, Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, “International Public Health Hero,” and four honorary doctorates.

Seth MacFarlane is a prolific writer and director behind some of the most popular content on television and film, while also expanding his career in the worlds of music and philanthropy. At 24, Seth became the youngest showrunner in television history when his animated series Family Guy aired on FOX. He created, currently executive produces, and stars in Hulu’s live-action space adventure series, The Orville. He also executive produced both 21st century installments of the Cosmos series, Cosmos: Possible Worlds. He is on the advisory board of The Science & Entertainment Exchange.


The statements and opinions expressed in this piece are those of the event participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for this event or of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.