Pathogens in Pop Culture: Pandemic and Play - A Board Game Journey with Matt Leacock Transmission Interrupted

Pathogens in Pop Culture: Pandemic and Play - A Board Game Journey with Matt LeacockJoin NETEC hosts Lauren Sauer and Rachel Lookadoo for this special episode of Transmission Interrupted as the Pathogens in Pop Culture series continues. In this episode, Lauren and Rachel delve into the world of tabletop gaming with special guest Matt Leacock, renowned board game designer and creator of the widely popular cooperative game Pandemic. Together, they explore Matt’s experience creating the game and discuss how real-life pandemics and issues like global warming influence the design and creation of his tabletop games. From the positive reception of the game within the infectious disease and pandemic response communities to Matt’s upcoming climate change-focused game, Daybreak, this episode promises to be a captivating exploration of the intersection between gaming, education, and public health, offering a unique perspective on these critically important topics. So grab your headphones and join us for another intriguing episode of Transmission Interrupted.
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GuestsMatt LeacockMatt Leacock has been designing board games since he was very young and full time since 2014. He is best known as a designer of cooperative games, including Pandemic, Daybreak, and Forbidden Island. Pandemic, first published in 2008, has sold over 5 million copies worldwide and is available in over 30 languages. His latest game, Daybreak, challenges players to stop climate change. He lives in Sunnyvale, California. For information about Matt and his creations, visit Matt Leacock Games at www.leacock.com
HostLauren Sauer, MScLauren is an Associate Professor in the College of Public Health, Department of Environmental, Agricultural, and Occupational Health, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Core Faculty of the UNMC Global Center for Health Security. She is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and the director of the Special Pathogens Research Network.
She previously served as Director of Operations for the Johns Hopkins Office of Critical Event Preparedness where she ran the inpatient COVID-19 biobank and served on the COVID-19 research steering committee for JHU. Lauren’s research focuses on human subjects research in bio-emergencies and disasters, in particular, ethical implementation of research and navigating the regulatory environment. The goal of her research is to provide health care facilities with the tools needed to conduct a clinical and operational research response in emergencies.
Rachel Lookadoo, JDRachel Lookadoo is an Assistant Professor in the Epidemiology department of the College of Public Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and serves as the Deputy Director of the Center for Biosecurity, Biopreparedness, and Emerging Infectious Diseases. She also acts as the Director of Public Health Policy for the Water, Climate, and Health program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Ms. Lookadoo’s background is as an attorney, and she focuses on the various legal and regulatory issues that can arise in emergency preparedness and response. She specializes in public health impacts of climate change, healthcare surge events, isolation/quarantine law, crisis standards of care, infectious disease response, and general legal preparedness. Ms. Lookadoo also conducts emergency preparedness trainings and assessments for public health departments and healthcare facilities nationally. Ms. Lookadoo received her Juris Doctor degree from American University Washington College of Law,