On January 14th, Dr. Jaya Prakash was recognized for her volunteer service at the “Volunteers In Pinellas” annual luncheon.

Since May of 2011, she has helped train county emergency managers on pandemic influenza planning, as well as assisting with hurricane preparedness for special needs. She is helping emergency managers learn how to support public health needs within the County during a pandemic event.

As an expert in infectious disease, Dr. Prakash previously worked with the Chicago Department of Public Health as part of a consulting group helping to manage the response to the second wave of an H1N1 influenza pandemic. She is also a member of the American Public Health Association’s international health section where she chairs the global health expertise directory.

Dr. Prakash shares her knowledge both here and abroad. While visiting her family in India, Dr. Jaya Prakash gave a presentation on December 30th at her alma mater, B.J. Medical College, for the annual meeting of Pune Microbiologists. Her topic was “Antimicrobial Resistance – New Challenges and New Solutions”. In attendance were experts in infectious disease, graduate students and other clinicians.

Dr. Prakash first joined the faculty of National University in 1997, and currently teaches microbiology and pathology at the university’s Florida campus.