December 18, 2016

I recently visited the University of Chicago where I was invited to speak at the 14th Ricketts Symposium.  The Symposium celebrates the accomplishments of a terrific microbiologist.  From the symposium web site:

"Howard T. Ricketts, a University of Chicago pathologist, passed away from typhus on May 3, 1910 at the age of 39.  Ricketts was responsible for discovering the organisms that caused Rocky Mountain spotted fever and epidemic typhus, as well as the modes of transmission of those diseases.  His discoveries led to advancements in vaccine and immunity research."

The symposium was a terrific event, and is organized by Olaf Schneewind, the chair of the Microbiology Department (shown in the photo on the left).