ANN ARBOR—University of Michigan has a long history

of influenza research. Thomas Francis Jr., the founder of the epidemiology department, is credited with first isolating flu virus and with developing the first killed virus flu vaccine.

Francis served as a mentor to Hunein “John” Maassab, now emeritus professor of epidemiology, who spent some four decades developing the science behind FluMist, a new nasal spray flu vaccine.

U-M experts available to discuss flu include:

• Arnold Monto, professor of epidemiology, School of Public Health. Monto is an internationally known cold and flu expert who got his start studying with Francis. He is involved in a variety of cold and flu research projects, including examining the antibodies developed by people who receive FluMist and inactivated vaccine, as well as assessing the global impact of influeza on death and hospitalization.

Monto has conducted research on antiviral flu treatments such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu), and found in another study that if enough children are vaccinated, outbreak size can be reduced. Additionally, Monto is director of the University of Michigan Bioterrorism Preparedness Initiative.

• Matthew Boulton, clinical associate professor at epidemiology at U-M and chief medical epidemiologist for the State of Michigan. Boulton and a team at the Michigan Department of Health authored the article “Severe Morbidity and Mortality Associated with Influenza in Children

and Young Adults- Michigan, 2003″ that appeared in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Sept. 5; that research helped prompt the CDC recommendation to conduct enhanced surveillance for influenza associated severe illness and death in children this flu season.

Boulton is responsible for influenza surveillance and control and public sector supply of flu vaccine in Michigan.

• Howard Markel, director of the Center for the History of Medicine, and a professor of the history of medicine and of pediatrics and communicable diseases, U-M Medical School. As a medical historian, Markel can speak to the history of major influenza outbreaks, such as the pandemic of 1918. Markel is the author of “Quarantine!: East European Jewish Immigrants and the New York City Epidemics of 1892” and a “When Germs Travel.”

• Alison Aeillo, assistant professor in epidemiology, School of Public Health. Aiello conducts research on the relationship between immune response to viral infections and chronic diseases. Also can discuss life-course socioeconomic determinants of infectious diseases, antibiotic resistance and chronic disease management. Aiello is the co-principal investigator with Arnold Monto on a flu mask study conducted with students at U-M.

Maassab is not available for interviews, but Monto can discuss the history of FluMist and the science involved in the cold-adapted, live-attenuated, trivalent influenza virus vaccine approved by the FDA this summer and available for the first time this flu season. Background on FluMist, including a timeline of its development, photos of Maassab and a list of web resources related to flu, is at http://www.sph.umich.edu/news_events/flumist/index.html.

Beta SP footage with Maassab sound bites and b-roll in his lab is available for TV producers.

Email: [email protected]