John Glenn Morris, Jr. (born November 8, 1951) is an American physician and epidemiologist. He is the founding and current director of the Emerging Pathogens Institute, an interdisciplinary research facility located within the University of Florida, having served since 2007.[1]

J. Glenn Morris
Born (1951-11-08) November 8, 1951 (age 72)
CitizenshipUnited States
Education
Known forEmerging infectious diseases
SpouseDeborah Morris
Children3
Scientific career
Institutions

Early life and education edit

Early life edit

Morris was born in Jackson, Mississippi, To John Glenn Morris, Sr. (1918–2006) and Pauline Love Morris (1918–1999).[2] John Glenn Morris Sr. was a theologian who received his Doctor of Philosophy from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1946, completing a dissertation entitled Christianity and social change in China, 1912–1942.[3] Both of Morris' parents served as Christian missionaries in Bangkok, Thailand; John Glenn Morris Sr. taught Hebrew and Greek to Thai and Chinese and Pauline Love Morris worked with refugees.[2] Morris moved to Thailand at the age of six weeks but periodically resided in the United States, specifically in Louisville, Kentucky and Kansas City, Missouri.[2]

Education edit

Morris received his primary education from International School Bangkok, graduating in 1969.[4] As an undergraduate, Morris attended Rice University and obtained Bachelors of Arts in both medieval Chinese history and biology in 1973.[2][5] Morris then received a Doctor of Medicine and Master of Public Health & Tropical Medicine from Tulane University in 1977. During his medical training, Morris was appointed a Hawthorne Scholar, receiving full tuition for his studies,[5] and was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.[6] Morris went on to complete residency at affiliated hospitals of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School.[2] After, Morris participated in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Epidemic Intelligence Service, a two-year postdoctoral training in field epidemiology. Upon his completion, he completed a residency at Emory University School of Medicine and infectious disease fellowship at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.[2]

Career edit

Following the completion of his infectious disease fellowship, Morris held clinical and academic appointments in the University of Maryland Medical System and University of Maryland School of Public Health, the latter of which he would serve as interim dean.[7] While there, Morris played a role in investigating the human health effects of Pfiesteria,[8] a dinoflagellate with a hypothesized negative effect on human learning and memory.

Concurrently, Morris served as an authority on molecular epidemiology and pathogenesis of emerging infectious diseases, particularly in the agricultural sector.[9] Morris was appointed the Director of Epidemiology and Emergency Response Program, and later founded the Food Safety and Inspection Services Office of Public Health and Science, both within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); while at the USDA, he was instrumental in the development of FoodNet, a federal network for foodborne illness monitoring.[10]

In 2007, he was appointed director of the Emerging Pathogens Institute, an interdisciplinary research facility located within the University of Florida; he has also maintained both clinical appointments at University of Florida Health and Veterans Administration Hospital, and academic appointments at the University of Florida College of Medicine. Morris has continued to advocate for issues of public health consequence such as federal food safety programs[11] and responses to emerging pathogens like the Zika[12] and Keystone[13] viruses. More recently, he has been engaged in research on coronavirus transmission and the epidemiology of COVID-19.[14][15] Alongside microbial pathogens, he has researched the human health effects of ciguatera fish poisoning[16] and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.[17] He also currently serves as Director of the NIOSH Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety.

In addition to clinical and academic roles, Morris serves as an associate editor for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Emerging Infectious Diseases journal.[18] Previously, Morris served as the director of Intralytix, a private biotechnology firm that in part develops phage therapy.[19]

Cholera edit

Morris' experience in the Epidemic Intelligence Service included the response to a series of cholera outbreaks in Rangsit, Thailand.[20][21] Since the program's completion, Morris has published over eighty articles relating to the clinical and public health consequences of cholera and its causative agent, Vibrio cholerae[22]. This has included studies in Bangladesh, Haiti and Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo.[23][24]

Media edit

Morris frequently appears in the media about the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida.[25][26]

Honors and awards edit

Books and book chapters edit

  • Morris, J.G., Potter M. Foodborne Infections and Intoxications – 4th Edition. Elsevier; 2013.
  • Morris, J.G., Vugia, D.J. Foodborne Infections and Intoxicants – 5th Edition. Elsevier; 2021.
  • Morris, J.G. “Cholera and Other Vibrioses.” In: Quah, S.R. and Cockerham, W.C. (eds.) The International Encyclopedia of Public Health, 2nd edition. vol. 2, pp. 1–8. Oxford: Academic Press.
  • Morris, J.G. “Human illness associated with harmful algal blooms.” In: Bennett, J.E., Dolin,R., Blaser, M.J. (eds). Principles & Practice of Infectious Diseases, 8th edition. Elsevier 2013

References edit

  1. ^ "J. Glenn Morris, Jr. – Emerging Pathogens Institute – University of Florida". www.epi.ufl.edu. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "MAA – Faculty Profile – Glenn Morris, Jr". www.medicalalumni.org. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  3. ^ Morris, Glenn (1946). Christianity and social change in China, 1912–1942 (Ph. D. thesis). Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
  4. ^ The Thai that Binds (March 2010). "ISB Newsletter Volume 59 March 2010" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-06-26.
  5. ^ a b "Class Notes: 1970–1974" (PDF). Sallyport – Rice Magazine. October–November 1973. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-06-26.
  6. ^ The Jambalaya Year Book: 1977 (PDF). Tulane University. 1977. p. 216. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-06-26.
  7. ^ "Meet the Researchers – Healthy Gulf Healthy Communities". Retrieved 2019-06-27.
  8. ^ Morris, J. Glenn; Charache, Patricia; Hebel, J. Richard; Wasserman, Martin P.; Kauffman, C. Lisa; Shoemaker, Ritchie C.; Parrott, Colleen; Dickson, Curtis; Matuszak, Diane L. (1998-08-15). "Learning and memory difficulties after environmental exposure to waterways containing toxin-producing Pfiesteria or Pfiesteria-like dinoflagellates". The Lancet. 352 (9127): 532–539. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(98)02132-1. ISSN 0140-6736. PMID 9716058. S2CID 30393394.
  9. ^ "J. Glenn Morris Jr., M.D. | C-SPAN.org". www.c-span.org. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  10. ^ Institute of Medicine and National Research council of the National Academies (2010). Enhancing Food Safety: The Role of the Food and Drug Administration. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press. p. 575. ISBN 9780309163583.
  11. ^ "Safety of Food Supply | C-SPAN.org". www.c-span.org. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  12. ^ Florida Department of Health (2016). "Innovative Diagnostic Testing or Therapeutics" (PDF). Retrieved 2019-07-19.
  13. ^ Miller, Daylina. "Keystone Virus Found In Human For First Time". wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  14. ^ Lednicky, John A.; Tagliamonte, Massimiliano S.; White, Sarah K.; Elbadry, Maha A.; Alam, Md. Mahbubul; Stephenson, Caroline J.; Bonny, Tania S.; Loeb, Julia C.; Telisma, Taina; Chavannes, Sonese; Ostrov, David A. (2021-12-02). "Independent infections of porcine deltacoronavirus among Haitian children". Nature. 600 (7887): 133–137. Bibcode:2021Natur.600..133L. doi:10.1038/s41586-021-04111-z. ISSN 0028-0836. PMC 8636265. PMID 34789872. S2CID 244362943.
  15. ^ Lednicky, John A.; Lauzardo, Michael; Fan, Z. Hugh; Jutla, Antarpreet; Tilly, Trevor B.; Gangwar, Mayank; Usmani, Moiz; Shankar, Sripriya Nannu; Mohamed, Karim; Eiguren-Fernandez, Arantza; Stephenson, Caroline J. (November 2020). "Viable SARS-CoV-2 in the air of a hospital room with COVID-19 patients". International Journal of Infectious Diseases. 100: 476–482. doi:10.1016/j.ijid.2020.09.025. PMC 7493737. PMID 32949774.
  16. ^ Morris, J. Glenn; Smith, Tyler B.; Grattan, Lynn M.; Cook, Robert L.; Radke, Elizabeth G.; Anderson, Donald M. (2013-05-01). "Ciguatera Incidence in the US Virgin Islands Has Not Increased over a 30-Year Time Period Despite Rising Seawater Temperatures". The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 88 (5): 908–913. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.12-0676. ISSN 0002-9637. PMC 3752756. PMID 23400575.
  17. ^ Grattan, Lynn M.; Roberts, Sparkle; Mahan, William T.; McLaughlin, Patrick K.; Otwell, W. Steven; Morris, J. Glenn (June 2011). "The Early Psychological Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on Florida and Alabama Communities". Environmental Health Perspectives. 119 (6): 838–843. doi:10.1289/ehp.1002915. ISSN 0091-6765. PMC 3114820. PMID 21330230.
  18. ^ "Editors – Emerging Infectious Diseases journal – CDC". Emerging Infectious Diseases journal. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  19. ^ "Intralytix, Inc". www.intralytix.com. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  20. ^ Gewin, Virginia (2007-05-23). "Glenn Morris, director, Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida". Nature. 447 (7143): 504. doi:10.1038/nj7143-504a. ISSN 0028-0836.
  21. ^ Karaulnik, M.; Echeverria, P. D.; Blake, P. A.; Holck, S. E.; West, G. R.; Morris, J. G. (1982-01-01). "From the Centers for Disease Control". The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 145 (1): 131–134. doi:10.1093/infdis/145.1.131. ISSN 0022-1899. PMID 7054317.
  22. ^ "PubMed Search for Cholera and Cholerae from author J Glenn Morris Jr". PubMed. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  23. ^ Rashed, S.M., Azman, A.S., Alan, M., Li, S., Sack, D.A., Morris, J.G., Longini, I., Siddique, A.K., Iqbal, A., Huq, A., Colwell, R.R., Sack, R. B., Sine, O.C.  “Genetic variation of Vibrio cholerae during outbreaks, Bangladesh, 2010-2011.”  Emerg. Inf. Dis. 2014, 20, 54-60.
  24. ^ Mavian, C., Paisie, T.K., Alam, M.T., Browne, C., Beau De Rochars, V.M., Nembrini, S., Cash, M.N., Nelson, E.J., Azarian, T., Ali. A., Morris, J.G., Salemi, M.  “Toxigenic Vibrio cholerae evolution and establishment of reservoirs in aquatic ecosystems.”  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2020 Apr 7;117(14):7897-7904. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1918763117. Epub 2020 Mar 30. PMID 32229557
  25. ^ Mazzei, Patricia (2020-07-06). "As the Virus Surged, Florida Partied. Tracking the Revelers Has Been Tough". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  26. ^ "Insufficient testing hurts U.S. coronavirus response". MSNBC.com. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  27. ^ "Bay Weekly: Dock of the Bay". bayweekly.com. Retrieved 2019-06-27.
  28. ^ Armed Forces Epidemiological Board (May 21, 2003). "Transcript, Armed Forces Epidemiolgoical Board Spring Meeting, 2003" (PDF). Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  29. ^ "James D. Bruce Memorial Award for Distinguished Contributions in Preventive Medicine | Awards, Masterships & Competitions | ACP". www.acponline.org. Retrieved 2019-06-27.