A guest lecture from Dr. Daniel Jernigan, director of CDC’s Influenza Division

When it comes to respiratory disease investigations, Dr. Daniel Jernigan loves the hunt. Like an expert tracker, the seasoned epidemiologist asks: Who’s falling ill? Is there a cluster of cases? What relationship do the patients have with each other?

As director of CDC’s Influenza Division, Jernigan is always on the hunt, working to prepare for the next influenza pandemic. He believes the answers are out there if we know how to look for them. “We are determined to intervene where we can and stop the spread of disease— that’s public health,” he says.