Join Dr. Peter N. Wenger, MD, Associate Professor in the School of UMDNJ Public Health, for a discussion of the science behind the PBS American Experience program, INFLUENZA 1918: The worst epidemic the United States has ever known. Students should be familiar with the documentary (at minimum, the portions listed below) and should prepare questions ahead of time for Dr. Wenger. MAGPI is pleased to be a partner in the STARS Science in the Cinema project.

Preparing for the videoconference event:

View the Documentary

• Preferred Option: Purchase or rent PBS’ American Experience Program Titled: INFLUENZA 1918: The worst epidemic the United States has ever known.” Watch the video with your class. You can purchase the video from Shop PBS.
• Second Option (Unable to purchase or find the video): Watch the video segments listed below with your class: 1918 Flu (Nov. 2006) A virus that killed up to 50 million people is brought back to life to decipher its deadliness. (13 mins.); Pandemic Flu (Jan. 2006) Will the virus that causes bird flu develop the ability to move from person to person? (6 mins.)
• Third Option (Unable to purchase video or watch video segments): Make sure the class has an understanding of the key details from the video transcript of “Influenza 1918.”

Conduct the Teacher Lesson Plan: Lesson Plan can be found on the PBS Website

Develop Questions: Students will develop questions for Dr. Wenger regarding the topics covered in the documentary as well as contemporary issues of a possible pandemic, preparedness, and current public health policy. Teachers will review questions for appropriateness and content. Students will write questions on note cards for the videoconference. We will call on schools in round-robin fashion during the videoconference events.

About the Science in the Cinema Program

Science in the Cinema, in its original form, is a free film and lecture series intended for a broad range of individuals who enjoy the cinema and have an interest in science and medicine. Selected films touch on a variety of medical and scientific topics. Following each film, an expert discusses the science depicted in the film and takes questions from the audience. These discussions also include the ethical implications raised by the film. Science in the Cinema programs, in this form, was only available to live audiences.

Through the use of videoconferencing our Science and the Cinema program uses technology to accomplish the same goals. It allows students to interact directly with scientists and researchers in their respective fields of expertise without leaving their school. These projects also challenge the students by engaging them in discussions on the ethical and moral issues that the advancement of science and technology places on the world community. Projects are being developed that will include experts in the fields of medicine, genetics, anthropology, cellular biology, and toxicology.

About Dr. Peter Wenger

Dr. Wenger is a graduate of University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)/New Jersey Medical School (NJMS).  He completed a residency in Pediatrics/International Child Health at Case Western Reserve (Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital) in Cleveland, Ohio in 1992.  Dr. Wenger served in the Public Health Service as a member of the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) in the Hospital Infections Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 1992 through 1994.  In 1996 he completed a fellowship in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UMDNJ/NJMS and joined the medical staff of the Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases in the Department of Pediatrics at UMDNJ/NJMS.  He received a primary appointment to the Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health (UMDNJ/NJMS) in the summer of 2001. He has been a faculty member in the UMDNJ School of Public Health since 2000 in the Quantitative Methods Division.  In the summer 0f 2001 Dr. Wenger was appointed medical director of Project Vaccinate, a NJ Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) funded collaborative program to raise and maintain timely, age-appropriate immunizations in the children of the greater Newark area.  In addition, he was named consultant epidemiologist in the Office of Surveillance and Prevention at the Newark Department of Health and Human Services (NDHHS) in the spring of 2002.  In his position as epidemiologist in the NDHHS Dr.Wenger is chairperson of the Surveillance Committee and member of the Steering Committee of the Newark Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS), a federally funded project dedicated to developing local response strategies in event of major medical emergencies including those resulting from terrorist activities.  He has published in peer-reviewed medical journals, written several chapters in medical textbooks, and lectured extensively, both nationally and internationally, on immunizations, HIV issues, hospital-acquired infections, and hospital infection control.