News

Extraordinary Scientist, Admired One Health Supporter-Activist-Leader Dies

London, U.K., October 24, 2016 — Jack Woodall, PhD (John Payne Woodall) 1935 – 2016, a viral epidemiologist, scientist and visiting Professor and Director (retd.) Nucleus for the Investigation of Emerging Infectious Diseases at the Institute of Medical Biochemistry, Center for Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil has died after a valiant battle with pancreatic cancer. 

Dr. Woodall was a co-founder and associate editor of ProMED-mail, the outbreak early warning system online of the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases of the International Society for Infectious Diseases.  ProMED-mail was one of Dr. Woodall’s primary passions since its inception.  He became the contents manager/editor of the ProMED-mail section in the One Health Initiative website http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/promed.php in February 2009 and retired from that endeavor in May 2016. Jack was an integral member of the One Health Initiative Autonomous pro bono team comprised of Laura H. Kahn, MD, MPH, MPP, Bruce Kaplan, DVM, Thomas P. Monath, MD and Lisa A. Conti, DVM, MPH.  Promotion and support of One Health with the goal of eventual implementation was of great importance to our esteemed colleague, Dr. Jack Woodall.

Other posts that Dr. Woodall held included the Biological Weapons Working Group of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, Washington DC (USA) since 2004, the Editorial Advisory Board of The Scientist magazine since 2007, and the Editorial Advisory Board, Journal of Medical Chemical, Biological & Radiological Defense since 2008.  In addition, he was on the Scientific Advisory Board, Sabin Vaccine Institute, Washington DC from 2004 – 2006.  He has served on the American Committee on Arthropod-Borne Viruses, American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (ASTMH) and as Web Site Editor of the ASTMH from 2002 – 2008.

Dr. Woodall earned his PhD in virology/entomology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.  He was subsequently Senior Scientist for Her Majesty’s Overseas Research Service, East African Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda;  a staff member of The Rockefeller Foundation, New York, NY (USA); Director, Belem Virus Laboratory, Belem, Para, Brazil;  Research Fellow, Yale Arbovirus Research Unit, Yale University, New Haven CT (USA);  Head, Arbovirus Laboratory, New York State Health Dept., Albany NY, (USA);  Staff member, US Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), (USA);  Director, San Juan Laboratories, San Juan, Puerto Rico;  Scientist with the World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland; and Director, Arbovirus Laboratory, New York State Health Dept., Albany, NY, (USA).  Dr. Woodall published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Dr. Woodall was an internationally recognized public health authority, educator and One Health leader. Serving as a pro bono contents manager of the ProMED-mail page of the One Health Initiative website, he was an active participant of the autonomous pro bono One Health team of Drs. Kahn, Kaplan, Monath and Conti.  He traveled frequently by invitation to promote the online reporting of emerging disease outbreaks and One Health.

The One Health Initiative team has suffered a profound and irreplaceable loss with the death of our dear friend and colleague, Jack Woodall.  He collaborated brilliantly and freely on every major One Health issue since joining the OHI team in 2009.  Numerous email communications were exchanged each week and frequently on a daily basis between the five of us.  Laura, Bruce, Tom and Lisa depended a great deal on Jack’s experience and wise insights about a variety of topics.  Our hearts go out to his wife Mary and all family members.  The national and international One Health community has lost an invaluable, dedicated and trusted advocate with the passing of Jack Woodall.  He shall be sorely missed and yet remembered fondly and affectionately.

Please see more at: http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/alumni/survey/professor_jack_woodall.html and http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/publications/Jack%20Woodall%20OHI%20Bio%20Feb2015.pdf.