Belgian virologist Peter Piot was appointed special adviser to Europen Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on coronavirus related issues, the Commission announced on Thursday.
Piot was already part of a group of experts set up by the Commission to provide scientific guidance on the coronavirus crisis.
His task will be to advise the Commission in "supporting and steering research and innovation in the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic," the Commission said.
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"Professor Piot's invaluable experience will help guide our actions to accelerate the development and deployment of vaccines, diagnostics and treatments to tackle the coronavirus, and to develop a strategy to prepare us for any future epidemics,” said German Ursula von der Leyen.
Piot, who holds a PhD in microbiology from the University of Antwerp and studied at the University of Ghent, is a former director of UNAIDS. He is one of the people who discovered the Ebola virus. Piot is currently Director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. He has taught at numerous universities.
Piot has had coronavirus himself, Knack magazine reported this week.
The Brussels Times
