June 26, 2020
Dr. Kortepeter will be discussing "Tales From Inside the Hot Zone," based on his recently published memoir: Inside the Hot Zone: A Soldier on the Front Lines of Biological Warfare. Dr. Kortepeter will provide an unvarnished perspective of some riveting accounts from his real-life medical thriller, as he describes the dangers, the drama, the fear, the frustrations, the irony, and the uncertainty he encountered as a physician in the role of “Biodefender.”
Mark G. Kortepeter, MD, MPH (Colonel, US Army-retired), is a physician, scientist, soldier, and author. He is a Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s College of Public Health and Director of the Special Pathogens Research Network. During a 27-year Army career, Dr. Kortepeter held numerous senior positions in biodefense and research, including Deputy Commander of the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID – aka, the “hot zone”), Biodefense Consultant for the Army Surgeon General and co-chair of NATO’s Biomedical Advisory Panel. He has worked with multiple organizations, including the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the World Health Organization, the CDC, and the National Academy of Medicine.
Dr. Kortepeter’s expertise includes pathophysiology of Ebola virus infection, care for patients requiring biocontainment, and management of exposures to potential biological weapons threats. He recently returned from 6 weeks working for the World Health Organization as the Infection Prevention and Control lead in Ebola preparedness efforts in Burundi.
He has published over 80 journal articles and book chapters, and a novel, Biohazard 9-1-1. His medical thriller memoir of his experiencing managing infectious disease crises entitled, Inside the Hot Zone: a Soldier on the Front Lines of Biological Warfare was just published.