Macrophages are a type of white blood cell central to the immune system. They detect harmful pathogens – viruses, bacteria, and fungi – and engulf them, serving as helpful scavengers to keep infections at bay. They also cause or suppress inflammation and secrete molecules that allow communication between different cell types, all which provide a healthy immune response in fighting any infection or disease.

The second installment of the Tulane Innovation series will address the race for COVID-19 tests, treatments and a vaccine.

Dr. Marcia Glass, an associate professor of medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine, coordinated a donation from Goggles for Docs, a nationwide effort to deliver protective goggles to frontline workers caring for COVID-19 patients.

The Tulane Innovation series will feature discussions by leading Tulane experts from a wide variety of fields, offering insights and solutions to today’s greatest challenges.

The COVID-19 pandemic has stressed the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) available to healthcare workers around the country, and companies are stepping up to help protect those on the front line. This week, medical staff in New Orleans — one of the country’s hardest hit areas — received thousands of face shields from Apple as part of a PPE drive organized by Tulane School of Medicine.

Tulane National Primate Research Center Director, Dr. Jay Rappaport, will serve as a member of a newly formed National Institutes of Health (NIH) public-private collaboration to rapidly respond to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and prepare for future pandemics. 

The Tulane School of Social Work hopes its surveys help them better understand the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on psychosocial health.