“Five Bermudian scientists will discuss the interconnected-ness of scientific disciplines through the lens of COVID, and its impact in Bermuda, as Bermuda College’s newly-named Roche Science Public Forum launches next week with a virtual public panel discussion,” the College said.
Amy Harvey, Chair of the Roche Science event said, “This year, Covid-19 has highlighted how so many aspects of our lives can be affected because they are interconnected and interrelated. We wanted to see how COVID has affected the three pillars of sustainability in any country: society, the environment and the economy, and so we invited scientists from multiple disciplines to share their expertise.
“Bermuda has been unique in that we have managed to keep our numbers down due to public compliance with COVID protocols. The fact that as a community, we were all on board from the start, has been a huge help for minimising the spread.”
Dr. Sandy De Silva; Dr Shaina Kelly; Dr. Tucker Murphy, Dr. Phillippe Rouja; and Mr. Craig Simmons, will discuss the serious impact of the virus in their respective discipline – public health, the local environment and next steps for rebuilding our economy.
Speaking to the multi-disciplinary approach, Senior Biology Lecturer, Alnisha Simmons explained, “Science is often viewed as an isolated field of study. This pandemic has not only exposed the world to the biology of viral replication, viral transmission and viral take-down, but it’s also shown how such a minute entity can wreak havoc on families, communities, countries and the world.
“The impact science has on society is a fundamental concern. And while vaccines will help our biology, it’s evident that there will be areas with limited immunity. The psychological, economic, and environmental trauma resulting, will require more collaborative and global attention for us to begin to heal and to thrive again. From the multi-disciplinary panel, we hope to gain insight on how Bermuda can plan ahead to deal with the aftermath of Covid-19.”
In addition to the virtual panel discussion, which is a free event, lab kits are being prepared for distribution to the Island’s participating middle school students that continue with the COVID theme and its impact by testing the merits of handwashing. Students will be provided with re-usable bottles to make hand sanitizer and instructed how to analyse bacterial growth on agar dishes for different variables.
2020 marked the 25th anniversary of the relationship between Bermuda College and what was formerly known as Corange Pharmaceuticals. The company became Roche and decided to rebrand Science Week and the Science Centre as part of the celebrations. However, the pandemic delayed official celebrations until a safer time, according to Ms. Harvey.
According to the website, the event will take place on February 10th. Log-in details for the virtual panel discussion can be found here, and on the College website at www.college.bm.
