Media Advisory: RTI International’s COVID-19 Experts Are Available to Comment on Past, Present and Future of Pandemic in Reflection of One-Year Anniversary

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — RTI International, a nonprofit research institute, has several COVID-19 experts available for media interviews. As the world reflects on the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic — proclaimed by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020 — RTI’s scientists and researchers are available to provide insights on several topics, including virus variants, vaccines and distribution, global health systems, racial disparities and misinformation.  

Throughout the past year, the researchers have used experiences from past pandemics, epidemics and public health crises, to help provide insight to public health officials and key stakeholders on the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic and evidence-based solutions for combatting the impacts.

• Pia MacDonald, MPH, Ph.D., infectious disease epidemiologist at RTI
  • Focus areas: COVID-19 epidemiology, surveillance and prevention, vaccines and distribution, virus trajectory and variants. Dr. MacDonald has over 25 years of experience in epidemiological research and public health. She has used her experiences from previous pandemics and public health crises to track the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. She can provide insights on the science behind COVID-19 and its emergence, vaccine distribution, virus variants and the future trajectory of the virus and other emerging infectious diseases. Dr. MacDonald has been interviewed by several media outlets throughout the course of the pandemic on a range of topics.
• LaShawn Glasgow, DrPH, director of community and workplace health at RTI
  • Focus areas: Racial disparities in COVID-19 illness, deaths, and vaccinations. Dr. Glasgow can speak to racial disparities we’ve seen throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and strategies for centering racial equity in the U.S. COVID-19 response and all public health work.
• Brian Southwell, Ph.D., senior director, Science in the Public Sphere, Center for Communication Science at RTI
  • Focus areas: COVID-19 misinformation, vaccine communication and public understanding of science. Dr. Southwell is an expert in misinformation and the science behind why and how it spreads. Dr. Southwell has used his experience addressing misinformation during past infectious disease outbreaks to provide insight on the misinformation we have seen, and will continue to see, throughout the course of the pandemic.
• Richard Reithinger, Ph.D. vice president of global health within RTI’s International Development Group
  • Focus areas: Impacts of COVID-19 on global health systems and services, global pandemic response, zoonotic disease. Dr. Reithinger is an infectious disease expert with extensive experience managing health programs around the globe. He can comment on the ripple effect COVID-19 has had on other diseases worldwide and how health systems in lower- and middle-income countries are operating amidst the pandemic. Dr. Reithinger also studies zoonotic disease and can speak to the transfer of viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 from animals to humans.

Outside of the above experts and focus areas, RTI has additional experts available for media interviews which can be found by clicking here.

For questions or to set up an interview, please contact news@rti.org.