SPHERE Hosts Discussion on Environmental Factors and Infectious Disease Spread

Experts explore how human activities like deforestation can lead to 'spillover events' and increase pandemic risk.

Published on Feb. 1, 2026

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The WashU School of Public Health's Solutions through Planetary Health Research (SPHERE) hosted a series of lectures and panels on Wednesday, Jan. 21, exploring the environmental risk factors associated with the spread of infectious disease. Keynote speakers Felicia Keesing and Neil Vora discussed the importance of biodiversity in preventing disease outbreaks and how human activities like deforestation can contribute to 'spillover events' that increase pandemic risk. The event featured a solutions-oriented approach, with speakers and panelists exploring how policy can be used to address these interconnected issues of human, animal, and environmental health.

Why it matters

As the COVID-19 pandemic has shown, the spread of infectious diseases can have devastating global impacts. Understanding the environmental factors that contribute to disease transmission, and developing policies to mitigate those risks, is crucial for preventing future pandemics. This event highlights the importance of an interdisciplinary approach that considers the systematic interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.

The details

The keynote speakers were Felicia Keesing, the David and Rosalie Rose Distinguished Professor of Science, Mathematics, and Computing at Bard College, and Neil Vora, the executive director of Preventing Pandemics at the Source Coalition and orchestrator in residence at Integral Consulting. Keesing spoke about the necessity of biodiversity for preventing the spread of infectious disease, while Vora discussed how deforestation and other human activities can lead to 'spillover events' that increase pandemic risk. The event also featured panels with other WashU faculty and local experts, who explored solutions-oriented approaches to addressing these interconnected issues.

  • The event was held on Wednesday, January 21, 2026.

The players

Felicia Keesing

The David and Rosalie Rose Distinguished Professor of Science, Mathematics, and Computing at Bard College.

Neil Vora

The executive director of Preventing Pandemics at the Source Coalition and orchestrator in residence at Integral Consulting.

Dan Giammar

Co-director of SPHERE at WashU.

Christina Stallings

Co-director of SPHERE at WashU.

Jennifer Mandeville

Senior Network Manager of SPHERE at WashU.

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What they’re saying

“My jaw dropped, but you have to engage accordingly in that — that is just a misunderstanding of where the risk comes from. Rather, it is human activities that lead to a loss of biodiversity that creates that risk for spillovers, and there are a number of different mechanisms by which deforestation and land use change can drive that spillover.”

— Neil Vora, Executive Director, Preventing Pandemics at the Source Coalition (studlife.com)

“The thing that's been the most exciting and motivating for me is to hear after the first panel how many questions the audience [asked related to a] solutions mindset — not just how do we do the research and what's the best way to do the research, but how do we turn that research into impact.”

— Jennifer Mandeville, Senior Network Manager, SPHERE (studlife.com)

What’s next

SPHERE plans to continue hosting events and initiatives that bring together experts from various disciplines to explore solutions for addressing the interconnected issues of human, animal, and environmental health.

The takeaway

This event highlights the critical importance of an interdisciplinary approach to understanding and addressing the environmental factors that contribute to the spread of infectious diseases. By fostering collaboration across academic fields and engaging the broader community, SPHERE is working to translate research into real-world impact and solutions.