Rescuers in Japan are racing against the clock to find people trapped in the rubble of a 7.5 magnitude earthquake, according to CNN. The quake, which struck New Year’s Day on the western coast of Japan, has triggered multiple aftershocks and set off tsunami alerts as far away as eastern Russia. According to the latest reports, at least 48 people have been killed.

If you would like more context on this matter, please consider Joseph Barbera, associate professor of engineering management and systems engineering at the George Washington University. Barbera is a board-certified emergency physician with a 35-year history in developing emergency response systems and responding to local, national, and international emergencies and disasters. He has extensive experience participating in the management of response to earthquakes, tsunamis, and hurricanes, such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Through the GW Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management, he studies disaster response and recovery, risk management, and business continuity. Barbera can speak to the earthquake vulnerabilities, search and rescue issues, and the medical impact from an earthquake series.

If you would like to speak with Prof. Barbera, please contact GW Senior Media Relations Specialist Cate Douglass at [email protected].