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A World Health Organisation influenza expert, Professor Anne Kelso, will present this year's Ian Constable Lecture, The 21st Century Pandemic, at The University of Western Australia.

This year saw the beginning of the first influenza pandemic in 40 years reminding us that, despite the medical advances of the previous century, we are still vulnerable to the medical, social and economic effects of infectious disease.

Professor Kelso will argue that although we have co-existed with flu viruses throughout recorded history and have developed vaccines and antiviral drugs to control them, their remarkable capacity for change means that the evolution of flu viruses - and even the progress of the present pandemic - cannot be predicted.

She believes that in 2009 we have a unique opportunity to use modern surveillance, communication and analytical tools to study this pandemic.  Lessons will guide public health responses and improve our ability to combat inevitable pandemics in future.

Director of the World Health Organisation's Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, Professor Kelso is also Director of four such centres worldwide which undertake global surveillance of human flu viruses and make recommendations on the composition of flu vaccines on behalf of the WHO.

The annual Ian Constable Lecture, presented by UWA's Institute of Advanced Studies since 2000, is dedicated to Professor Constable, formerly the Director of the Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science and of the Lions Eye Institute.

WHAT: Ian Constable Lecture 2009 - The 21st Century Pandemic

WHEN: Monday, October 5, from 7.30pm to 9pm

WHERE: Octagon Theatre, UWA (Carparks 1 and 2, off Stirling Highway and Hackett Drive entrances)

All are welcome to this free event. Tickets are essential and are available from the Octagon Theatre Box Office, (+61 8 6488 2440), 12 noon - 4.15pm Monday to Friday.  Limit of six per person.

Media references

David Cohen (Lions Eye Institute)  (+61 4) 14 780 441
Audrey Barton (Institute of Advanced Studies)  (+61 8)  6488 1340
Janine MacDonald (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 5563  /  (+61 4) 32 637 716