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Eleanor Murray

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Alma materHarvard University
McGill University
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Scientific career
InstitutionsHarvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Boston University School of Public Health
ThesisHarvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (2016)

Eleanor (Ellie) Jane Murray is a British-Canadian epidemiologist, science communicator and assistant professor at the Boston University School of Public Health. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Murray created a series of multi-lingual, accessible infographics to communicate information about COVID-19.

Early life and education

Murray earned her bachelor's degree in biology at McGill University. She moved to the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, where she completed a Master of Public Health. After graduating, Murray moved to Massachusetts, where she joined Harvard University for graduate research; along the way earning a ScD in Epidemiology and MSc in Biostatistics. Murray eventually completed her doctorate in science at Harvard University. She studied the use of agent-based models in clinical decision making.[1] Murray earned her doctoral degree in 2016 and was subsequently appointed a postdoctoral researcher.[2] Her research considered causal inference as a means to improve evidence-based decision making in clinical medicine.[3]

Research and career

In 2019 Murray joined Boston University as an Assistant Professor. Decision making in clinical medicine and public health requires complicated choices between treatment pathways. To evaluate the most effective approach, physicians typically make use of observational data and randomized controlled trials, but in the absence of these, decisions can be made using a agent-based models or individual-level simulation model. Of these, agent-based models are more versatile; they can combine data from various sources to make more generalised inferences.[4] Murray applies these models to a variety of medical conditions, including HIV, cancer and cardiovascular disease.[5] Murray became well known for her use of social media, where she shares complex epidemiological concepts using Twitter threads and GIFs.[6]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Murray partnered with Benjamin Linas to create a series of resources for the general public.[6][7] The resources included an infographic on what to do if you have a positive test, contact tracing, and how to talk about COVID-19 to children. She shared the resources through GitHub[8] and they were translated into several different languages. She argued that the epidemiology community should use the attention they received during the COVID-19 pandemic to help people understand what epidemiologists do.[6] She was regularly interviewed by the media, explaining concepts such as herd immunity,[9] social distancing,[10] and how to travel safely in a post-pandemic world.[11]

As the pandemic progressed, people wanted information at faster rate than science was generating answers.[12] Murray used social media to explain research findings and to debunk COVID-19-related pseudoscience.[13] Amidst the confusion and misinformation, Murray collated a list of reputable COVID-19 experts who were active on Twitter.[14][15] In particular, people looked to understand what was and wasn't safe to do as the world opened up from lockdown. Murray explained that everyone faced a spectrum of risk, and that people had to learn how to assess what level of risk they were happy to take.[12][16]

As the virus spread around the world, fashion designers started to create novel face masks.[17] Murray expressed her concern that designer face shields may not be effective in stopping the movement of SARS-CoV-2 through the air and may only act to change their direction.[17]

Selected publications

Pomaki, Georgia; Franche, Renée-Louise; Murray, Eleanor; Khushrushahi, Noushin; Lampinen, Thomas M. (June 2012). "Workplace-Based Work Disability Prevention Interventions for Workers with Common Mental Health Conditions: A Review of the Literature". Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 22 (2): 182–195. doi:10.1007/s10926-011-9338-9. ISSN 1053-0487. PMID 22038297. S2CID 25394336.

White, Marc; Wagner, Shannon; Schultz, Izabela Z.; Murray, Eleanor; Bradley, Susan M.; Hsu, Vernita; McGuire, Lisa; Schulz, Werner (2013). "Modifiable workplace risk factors contributing to workplace absence across health conditions: A stakeholder-centered best-evidence synthesis of systematic reviews". Work. 45 (4): 475–92. doi:10.3233/WOR-131628. PMID 23531590.

Murray, Eleanor J.; Robins, James M.; Seage, George R.; Freedberg, Kenneth A.; Hernán, Miguel A. (2017-06-30). "A Comparison of Agent-Based Models and the Parametric G-Formula for Causal Inference". American Journal of Epidemiology. 186 (2): 131–142. doi:10.1093/aje/kwx091. ISSN 0002-9262. PMC 5860229. PMID 28838064.

References

  1. ^ Murray, Eleanor Jane (2016). Agent-Based Models for Causal Inference (Thesis). OCLC 951560497.
  2. ^ "Eleanor Murray". scholar.harvard.edu. Archived from the original on 2020-08-09. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  3. ^ "Eleanor Murray – Society for Epidemiologic Research". Archived from the original on 2021-07-27. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  4. ^ Murray, Eleanor J.; Robins, James M.; Seage, George R.; Freedberg, Kenneth A.; Hernán, Miguel A. (2017-07-15). "A Comparison of Agent-Based Models and the Parametric G-Formula for Causal Inference". American Journal of Epidemiology. 186 (2): 131–142. doi:10.1093/aje/kwx091. ISSN 0002-9262. PMC 5860229. PMID 28838064.
  5. ^ "Dr Eleanor (Ellie) Murray | Murray Causal Lab". sites.bu.edu. Archived from the original on 2020-05-27. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  6. ^ a b c "Stick Figures Fighting COVID-19 | SPH | Boston University". School of Public Health. Archived from the original on 2020-04-25. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  7. ^ "Simple science communication helps ease fears and spread good information during the COVID-19 pandemic". massivesci.com. 16 April 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-04-30. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  8. ^ Murray, Eleanor (Ellie) (2020-05-26), eleanormurray/COVID_19, archived from the original on 2020-05-14, retrieved 2020-05-26
  9. ^ Haelle, Tara (2020-05-14). "Everything You Need to Know About Herd Immunity". Medium. Archived from the original on 2020-05-19. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  10. ^ "BU professors and students explore the side effects of social distancing – The Daily Free Press". Archived from the original on 2020-03-24. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  11. ^ Editors, Elemental (2020-05-19). "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: How to Travel Safely During Covid-19". Medium. Archived from the original on 2020-06-09. Retrieved 2020-05-26. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  12. ^ a b "How to Stay Safe When You Go Back to the Gym". Vitals. 20 May 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-05-28. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  13. ^ "No proof smokers protected against COVID-19: epidemiologist explains how studies get misinterpreted". CTVNews. 2020-05-13. Archived from the original on 2020-05-25. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  14. ^ "How an Immunology Blog Became a Covid-19 Guide to Going Out". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Archived from the original on 2020-05-26. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  15. ^ "Follow These Twitter Accounts For Accurate Information On The Coronavirus". Lifehacker Australia. 2020-03-10. Archived from the original on 2020-07-20. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  16. ^ "Think Of Risk As A Spectrum". Lifehacker Australia. 2020-05-20. Archived from the original on 2020-05-26. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  17. ^ a b Pitcher, Laura (2020-05-19). "Investigating the fashionable masks of the future". i-D. Archived from the original on 2020-05-27. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
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