Erik Robinson says OHSU has vaccinated about 80% of its workforce and is helping its schedule vaccination appointments for employees who aren’t vaccinated yet.

Researchers at the Oregon SARS-CoV-2 Genome Sequencing Center at OHSU identify a new COVID-19 variant that contains characteristics of both the B.1.1.7 variant found in the United Kingdom, and the E484K mutation prevalent in Brazil and South Africa. Renee Edwards, M.D., M.B.A., and Bill Messer, Ph.D., participate in a March 12 press conference with Gov. Kate Brown regarding emerging variants. Edwards says: “It is imperative that we continue our collective interventions of physical distancing, mask wearing, hand washing and limiting social gatherings… these measures have all proven effective, and remain vital as these variants emerge, in helping to limit illness and slow the spread of COVID-19 as we cross the finish line."

In a story about the state’s efforts to coordinate equitable vaccine distribution amongst communities of color, Kelly Gonzales, Ph.D., says: “What I realized in that work was that even the laws aren't set up to support equity outside of the constraints or the confines of the status quo.”

David Bangsberg, M.D., Ph.D., provides outside commentary on study in The Lancet that describes how Trump-era policies could account for 40% of U.S. COVID deaths: “From a public health perspective [the Lancet study] highlights the real costs of dismantling decades of pandemic preparation and planning at the CDC for a lethal respiratory borne virus.”

Peter Graven, Ph.D., says Oregon’s early and effective response to the pandemic made it “one of the best performing states over all."

Bill Messer, M.D., Ph.D., describes how efforts to flatten the COVID-19 curve also slowed the seasonal flu.

Carlos Crespo, Dr.PH. comments on a new study, conducted in Israel, that eludes to the notion of giving just one dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

Danny Jacobs, M.D., M.P.H., is part of an advisory board tasked with helping the Oregon Institute of Technology implement its new strategic plan.

Research by Jacob Raber, Ph.D., strengthens the scientific consensus regarding the role of the gut microbiome in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.

The OHSU Knight Cancer Research Building’s sustainable and energy-efficient characteristics are highlighted by ASHRAE.