Vaccination from the Misinformation Virus: Film Screening + Discussion

Join us for an installment of our First Thursday Films series as we and Carolina Public Humanities present the documentary "Vaccination from the Misinformation Virus" with an expert-led discussion to follow.

The film examines the development of vaccines and the misinformation campaign surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine, and discusses how to avoid media bias and acknowledge the importance of vaccines in our communities. 

Dr. Brian Southwell and Quintana Stewart will host a discussion following the film about health misinformation and how to address it.

About Dr. Brian Southwell

Dr. Brian Southwell is Senior Director of the Science in the Public Sphere Program in RTI International’s Center for Communication Science. He also is Adjunct Professor of Internal Medicine with Duke University and a graduate faculty member and Adjunct Associate Professor in Health Behavior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Southwell has published widely on topics such as public understanding of science. He co-founded the Duke Program on Medical Misinformation to improve patient-provider conversations about misinformation, and also has published a book, Misinformation and Mass Audiences, and various articles on the topic. Southwell was recently appointed to the Advisory Committee for the Council of Medical Specialty Societies-National Academy of Medicine-World Health Organization Collaboration on Identifying Credible Sources of Health Information in Social Media. He also has organized several summits on trust in science and medical misinformation, such as the Misinformation Solutions Forum sponsored by the Rita Allen Foundation in conjunction with the Aspen Institute. In addition, Southwell created and hosts The Measure of Everyday Life, a public radio show that translates research for general audiences on WNCU 90.7 FM, which is based at North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC.     

About Quintana Stewart

Quintana Stewart has worked for a little over twenty years in the field of Public Health. She has worked as a Health Educator, Community Coalition Coordinator, Emergency Management Planner, Agency Accreditation Coordinator and an Assistant Health Director. Quintana currently serves as the Health Director for Orange County, NC. She oversees the day-to-day operations of the county health department. The department operates two health clinics, a dental clinic and provides nutrition, family planning, maternal health, refugee health and communicable disease services as well as screening for adults, teens and children. In addition to these services, the department is also home to the county’s environmental health services as well as the Family Success Alliance program.
Prior to working in Orange County, Quintana worked more than 16 years at the Forsyth County Department of Public Health. She earned her Bachelor’s in Public Health Education, with a concentration in Community Health Education, from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2001. She earned a Master’s in Public Administration, with a concentration in Healthcare Administration, from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in 2013.