Viruses, Vulnerability, and the Future of Global Health: Bridging Science and Justice

Viruses, Vulnerability and the Future of Global Health: Bridging Science and Justice The COVID-19 pandemic revealed what virology and public health have long recognized: viral threats are shaped not only by biology but also by social, political and economic forces. In this webinar, Dr. Tyler Evans, CEO and Co-Founder of Wellness Equity Alliance, will share insights from over 20 years of global pandemic response to explore how advances in vaccines, antivirals and diagnostics must be paired with equity and access. Drawing on lessons from COVID-19, HIV, Ebola and influenza, the talk will highlight how science and justice must move together to ensure breakthroughs in the lab translate into lives saved worldwide. By attending this webinar, you’ll learn: • How social and structural factors influence viral spread and resilience • Recent advances in vaccines, antiviral therapies and diagnostic tools • Lessons from global responses to COVID-19, HIV, Ebola and influenza • Why equity is essential for the future of viral disease management Affiliation/title: Tyler Evans, MD, MS, MPH, AAHIVS, DTM&H, FIDSA Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Medical Officer, Principal Investigator | Wellness Equity Alliance Author: Pandemics, Poverty, and Politics: Decoding the Social and Political Drivers of Pandemics from Plague to COVID-19 Personal pronouns He / Him Other: Biography: Tyler B. Evans, MD, MS, MPH, AAHIVS, DTM&H, FIDSA is the CEO and co-founder of Wellness Equity Alliance and the author of Pandemics, Poverty, and Politics: Decoding the Social and Political Drivers of Pandemics from Plague to COVID-19 (2025). His work bridges frontline medical care, global health, and public policy, with a career dedicated to advancing health equity for marginalized and vulnerable populations. Dr. Evans previously served as CEO/CMO of Curative Medical Associates, leading nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaigns that administered more than two million doses across 10 states, prioritizing equitable access. He has also held key public health leadership roles during the pandemic, including Deputy Public Health Officer and Chief of the COVID-19 Vaccination Branch at Marin County Health and Human Services, and as New York City’s first Chief Medical Officer for the Office of Emergency Management during the city’s initial COVID-19 surge in 2020. With training in tropical and infectious disease, preventive medicine, and epidemiology, Dr. Evans has worked extensively with underserved populations both domestically and abroad. His global health work includes missions with Médecins Sans Frontières and Partners in Health in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East, as well as stateside service with the Indian Health Service and federally qualified health centers. He founded one of the nation’s first integrated refugee and asylee health programs in New York City and co-founded the NYC Refugee and Asylee Health Coalition. His clinical and research interests span HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, tuberculosis, neglected tropical diseases, and the social determinants of health, with a focus on migrants, LGBTQ+ communities (particularly transgender health), the unhoused, and Native American populations. He currently holds faculty appointments at USC’s Keck School of Medicine and UCSF and serves on multiple boards, including the HIV Medicine Association. Through both his leadership and his writing, Dr. Evans brings a globally informed, justice-driven perspective to the intersection of medicine, equity, and society – calling for systemic change to address the root causes of health disparities. He divides his time between the Bay Area and New York City.