Keynote Speaker Apoorva Mandavilli, The New York Times, addresses the crowd virtually. (Photo by Sirtaj S. Grewal/SMPH Media Solutions)
Panel Makes One Health Connection with White-nose Syndrome in Bats and Keynote Highlights Impacts of Communication Networks
By Katie Newcomb, GHI Communications Director…The UW–Madison 20th Global Health Symposium was held on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, with the theme, Why Global Health Networks Matter. More than 200 registered guests for the hybrid event met both online and at the H.F. DeLuca Room in the Discovery Building to hear engaging discussions, view multidisciplinary global health posters from across campus, and network. The milestone event was co-hosted by the Global Health Institute (GHI), Office of Global Health at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health (OGH at SMPH), and CALS Global.
The presentations began with Emcee, James Conway, Professor of Pediatrics and OGH at SMPH Director, welcoming all to the event. Jorge Osorio, GHI Director, moderated the fireside chat panel of multidisciplinary experts discussing White-nose Syndrome in Bats Connection to One Health. Panelists included Eyal Frank, Assistant Professor, University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy; Bruce Klein, Tenured Professor and Chief, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Public Health; Tonie Rocke, Research Epidemiologist, National Wildlife Health Center; and David Drake, Professor and Extension Wildlife Specialist, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
The topic was inspired by Frank’s 2024 publication in Science, which shared how an invasive fungus affecting bat populations led farmers to compensate with higher insecticide use and resulted in negative impacts on human infant health. His work was also cited in The New York Times. Bruce Klein’s work, in partnership with PhD Candidate Isidoro-Ayza, was also recently featured in UW News and Science in 2024, and sheds light on the secrets of White-nose Syndrome, including how the fungus gains entry at the surface of bats’ skin. Both Rocke and Drake have extensive experience on the subject and have worked within the field and with Klein. Rocke’s work includes developing and testing vaccines and other strategies to combat the disease. Here is a 2019 news piece featuring Rocke, from the School of Veterinary Medicine. Questions from the audience were taken at the end of the discussion.
CALS Global Director, Jennifer Kushner, welcomed and introduced Keynote Speaker, Apoorva Mandavilli, Science and Global Health Reporter from The New York Times. Mandavilli is a UW–Madison alumnae, and joined the event virtually. She shared her work reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic and how her communication networks within health leadership helped unearth timely stories for public health, and also how past coverage experience could be used today to help spread accurate and timely information. Mandavilli also took questions from the audience. You can watch the full panel and keynote presentations on our 20th Global Health Symposium recording here.
More than 25 posters covering the gamut of global health topics from various disciplines across campus were shown and presented during the networking event at the end of the evening. Symposium Planning Team Member, and Programs Coordinator for the SMPH Office of Global Health, Betsy Tiegland, was also honored at the end of the night for her work on all 20 symposiums and celebrating her retirement announcement. It was a wonderful way to celebrate 20 years of the Global Health Symposium at UW–Madison, and we look forward to starting another 20 years of stimulating discussions and presentations next year. A gallery of more photos from the event is below to enjoy.
