Our 5th year of Science on Tap continues!
Thanks to the continued support of UNM, Explora and the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History
A time to eat, drink & talk about science!
on Central is our new home
Join us Thursday, April 6 at 5:30!
Infectious Diseases:
where's the line between public health and security?
Lisa Astuto-Gribble, PhD, MPH
Sandia National Laboratories
Bioscience research is changing rapidly. For example,
improvements in sequencing have exceeded Moore's Law. In parallel with the
scientific advances, there has been a growing concern about the threat of
bioterrorism. A selective review of the changes in the science and in
bioterrorism incidents will provide a background for considering the various
controls to address bioterrorism that are being implemented in the US and
internationally. Should the materials be controlled? Should the equipment be
controlled? Should there be controls on the expertise that could contribute to
biological weapons? There is not a consensus approach to assessing the risks or
the appropriate measures to address those risks, or how to evaluate tradeoffs
of possible impacts to science and public health.
Jennifer Gaudioso leads the
International Biological and Chemical Threat Reduction (IBCTR) program at
Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM, USA. This program
enhances United States and international security by seeking innovative
solutions for countering biological and chemical threats globally.
Specifically, IBCTR develops and applies systems-based approaches to reduce the
risk of intentional or accidental release of dangerous biological and chemical
agents globally. The program has organized many international conferences,
trainings, and workshops to build local capacity to address these issues.
In the last five years, Jennifer and her team have visited facilities in more
than 40 countries specifically to consult on biosecurity and chemical security
issues. IBCTR is an OIE Collaborating Centre for Laboratory Biorisk Management.
Jennifer has served on the National Academies' Committee on Education on Dual
Use Issues in the Life Sciences and their Committee on “Anticipating
Biosecurity Challenges of the Global Expansion of High Containment Biological
Laboratories”. She has served as a member of three international teams to
develop biosafety and biorisk management international standards. She has been
named a principal-external collaborator with the Japanese National Institute
for Infectious Disease. Jennifer is author of numerous journal articles, and
book chapters, and has presented her research at national and international
meetings. Gaudioso co-edited the book Laboratory Biorisk Management: Biosafety
and Biosecurity. She also co-authored the Laboratory Biosecurity
Handbook. Jennifer has served on SNL’s Institutional Biosafety Committee,
is an active member of the American Biological Safety Association, and is on
the board of the Elizabeth R Griffin Research Foundation. She earned her Ph.D.
in chemistry at Cornell University.
