‘Vaccines in the Age of COVID-19’ presented by the Science Inquiry Series

GALLATIN VALLEY FRIENDS OF THE SCIENCES

BOZEMAN – How do vaccines work, how have Montanans helped, and what are the implications for COVID-19?  Dr. Mark Jutila, MSU Regents Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, will offer insights into these questions in the second virtual presentation of the Winter/Spring 2021 Science Inquiry Series.

The talk will be presented online via Zoom on Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m., sponsored by the Gallatin Valley Friends of the Sciences and co-sponsored by the non-profit community service organization Hopa Mountain and the Museum of the Rockies.

The series explores cutting edge science topics, their latest developments, and their relevance to society through speaker presentations followed by questions from the audience.  The talks are free to the public.

In his presentation, entitled “Vaccines in the Age of COVID-19,” Jutila will discuss how vaccines work and Montana’s role in vaccine development, including the impact of Maurice Hilleman, a Montana native and MSU graduate.  He will conclude with an emphasis on the immune response to the current SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus and vaccine development and implementation in COVID-19.

A Bozeman native, Dr. Jutila holds a Ph.D. in Immunology/Veterinary Science from Washington State University, and was awarded a post-doctoral fellowship in immunology at Stanford University before joining the MSU faculty in 1989.  His current research focuses on understanding and improving immune responses in the body.  He currently heads MSU’s department of Microbiology and Immunology, and is a member of the National Academy of Inventors.  

The Zoom presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer period via the Zoom chat function; the event will last approximately an hour. To access the Zoom link for the talk, go to the Gallatin Valley Friends of the Sciences web site at gallatinscience.org.