Four PNNL researchers recognized for response efforts during West African Ebola epidemic

A group of scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) were recently recognized with the Secretary of Energy’s Appreciation Award for their contributions in the response efforts to the West African Ebola epidemic of 2014-2015.

Katrina Waters, Mary Lancaster, Mike Spradling, and Karena Rodda were presented with their awards by the Chief Scientist of the National Nuclear Security Administration Dimitri Kuznezov and Laboratory Director Steven Ashby.

“You tackled an unprecedented challenge with passion, courage and dedication,” Ashby said. “You clearly went beyond the call of duty to support our nation’s response to this historic epidemic.”

Each of the awardees worked in areas of fundamental biology, infectious disease, data analytics, emergency response, epidemiology, and systems engineering during a critical time in the Ebola response in the summer and fall of 2014.

During that epidemic, the virus caused more than 11,000 deaths in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea.

More recently, a new Ebola outbreak has been declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since the virus was first recognized in a 39-year old man on April 22, nine other reported cases have appeared, resulting in four deaths. The World Health Organization has since opened an in-depth field investigation.