Media Advisory: UB to host COVID-19 chat series for K-12 students

BUFFALO, N.Y. – How do ventilators work? Can pets catch COVID-19? What kind of hand sanitizer is the best? The University at Buffalo will answer these questions and more through a live, virtual chat series on COVID-19 for K-12 students.

The series, organized by UB’s Genome, Environment and Microbiome Community of Excellence (GEM), will call on university faculty, staff and students to answer kids’ most pressing questions about the pandemic.

Although intended for young students, all are welcome to participate. Each entry in the series will be recorded and made available on the GEM website.

The scheduled speakers include:

• Friday, May 8, 11 a.m.–noon: “How do we help COVID-19 patients breathe?” Led by Carla Moscato, DNP, clinical assistant professor in the UB School of Nursing.
• Monday, May 11, 2-3 p.m.: “Health research and you” Led by the UB Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s Laurene Tumiel-Berhalter, PhD, core director; Megan Wilson-Crowley, community research facilitator; and Danielle Abramo-Balling, community recruitment liaison.
• Tuesday, May 12, 1-2 p.m.: “Wondering about viruses and microbiology – how do I stay safe from something I can’t see?” Led by Terry-Ann Smith, research facilities and building manager in the UB Clinical and Translational Research Center.
• Tuesday, May 12, 2-3 p.m.: “Wondering about viruses and microbiology – what is RNA and how does it make me sick?” Led by Chris Rupert, UB doctoral candidate in biological sciences.
• Wednesday, May 13, 1-2 p.m.: “Making sense of information – can I catch COVID from my pet?” Led by Pamela Rose, UB health sciences librarian and Buffalo Zoo docent.
• Thursday, May 14, 3-4 p.m.: “Understanding the spread of COVID infections using computers and big data” Led by Jonathan Bard, senior bioinformatics analyst in the New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences.