Stephen J Thomas Stephen J. Thomas, an infectious diseases physician, is Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the State University of New York, Upstate Medical University. Pre-empting the next pandemic Recent disease outbreaks, like Ebola and Zika, have demonstrated the need to anticipate pandemics and contain them before they emerge. 24 October 2017, 18:00 PM Pre-empting the next pandemic Recent disease outbreaks, like Ebola and Zika, have demonstrated the need to anticipate pandemics and contain them before they emerge. 24 October 2017, 18:00 PM