Infectious disease specialist Matthew Bonds shares the science behind diseases, pandemics, how they spread, and how they are contained. Having spent time studying and working to improve health care delivery systems in countries such as Rwanda and Madagascar, Matthew brings a unique perspective to this conversation on the pandemic reshaping every aspect of modern life.
Matthew Bonds has doctorates in economics and infectious disease ecology. He uses mathematical models of ecological systems to understand the dynamics of poverty and disease. Matthew is also a co-founder and scientific director at Pivot, a health care delivery organization in Madagascar. He is currently on the faculty of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Matthew previously lived and worked with Partners In Health in Rwanda for five years. He did his postdoctoral at Columbia University’s Earth Institute.
I first heard of Matthew’s work at the intersection of economics and infectious disease before COVID-19 arrived on the scene. But, to be honest, I really didn’t “get it.” I had trouble wrapping my head around just what it translated to in terms of real-life action. I’m confused no longer! The arrival of the novel coronavirus and the health and economic destruction it has inflicted makes the vital nature of Matthew’s work understandable at the most basic level. No matter how many news stories you’ve already read about COVID-19, you won’t want to miss this insightful conversation with Matthew.
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