The risk of intentional animal disease biothreats to society – and what we can do about it theanimalecho.woah.org/en/the-risk-...

If you are interested in pursuing a PhD in Biodefense at the Schar School at George Mason, join me tonight for a virtual information session at 6 PM ET. schar.gmu.edu/admissions/m...

The Trump Administration’s Response to Congo’s Ebola Outbreak Isn’t Normal, Infectious Disease Leaders Say www.notus.org/health-scien...

Pandora Report 9.25.2025 This issue features sweeping changes in U.S. vaccine policy, major shakeups across the intelligence community and pharmaceutical supply chains, and new developments at the intersection of AI, biosecurity, and biotechnology. pandorareport.org

State Department outlines plans to move from global health aid to self-reliance thehill.com/homenews/adm...

Strengthening and Modernizing Biosafety Oversight: Region 1 Listening Session NIH, in partnership with the local biosafety associations will be holding its public listening session to obtain stakeholder feedback on NIH’s effort to modernize biosafety oversight. osp.od.nih.gov/events/stren...

The Formula: How to Protect Public Health Amid Rising Hostility www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/the-...

Monarez: "Kennedy demanded 2 things of me that were were inconsistent w/ my oath of office. He directed me to commit in advance to approving every ACIP recommendation regardless of the scientific evidence. He also directed me to dismiss career officials responsible for vaccine policy without cause"

Ousted CDC director expected to push back against RFK Jr.’s version of her firing www.politico.com/news/2025/09...

Pandora Report 9.12.2025 This issue features coverage of the Ebola outbreak in DRC, updates on COVID and long COVID, fallout from recent CDC leadership changes, and GMU alumni making an impact in public health and national security. pandorareport.org/2025/09/15/p...

Good new article in @thebulletin.org by @filippalentzos.bsky.social @haileywingo.bsky.social Jez Littlewood & @albertomuti.bsky.social on options for verifying BWC: How new technology could make it easier to identify covert bioweapons programs thebulletin.org/2025/09/how-...

#ChemicalWeapons #Syria #Disarmament #OPCW #UNSC Syria Chemical Weapons Concerns Widen with New Evidence, United Nations Disarmament Chief Tells Security Council press.un.org/en/2025/sc16... [...] Referring to “this month’s report”, she said the OPCW Technical Secretariat had noted that “in ...

#ChemicalWeapons #Syria #Disarmament #OPCW #UNSC UN Security Council endorses Syria–OPCW cooperation shafaq.com/en/World/UN-... [...] Syria’s UN Ambassador Ibrahim al-Albi, speaking for the first time before the Council, said Damascus had signed a host country agreement with the OPCW and ...

U.S. tells Europe it’s ending cooperation on combating foreign disinformation, including from Russia meduza.io/en/news/2025...

Interested in biodefense or global health security? Prospective students are invited to attend an online information session on 9/10 from 12-1 PM ET to learn about the @scharschool.bsky.social Biodefense M.S. program. masongrad.my.salesforce-sites.com/events/targe...

Former CDC directors/acting directors Foege, Roper, Satcher, Koplan, Besser, Frieden, Schuchat, Walensky and Cohen:  “These are not typical requests from a health secretary to a C.D.C. director. Not even close. None of us would have agreed to the secretary’s demands…” www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/o...

We Ran the C.D.C.: Kennedy Is Endangering Every American’s Health www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/o...

RFK Jr.’s endless anti-vax campaign targets the science that could lead to cancer vaccines thebulletin.org/2025/09/rfk-...

Pandora Report 8.29.2025 This week's Pandora Report covers the firing of CDC Director Susan Monarez, ACIP's creation of a working group to review COVID-19 vaccines, updates on H5N1, New World screwworm, and more. pandorareport.org

The OPCW found "indicators of nerve agents" at 1 of the 9 undeclared sites they visited in Syria earlier this year. The nature of the indicator and the identity of the nerve agents (note plural) were not revealed. Important reminder of need to address this issue ASAP. www.opcw.org/sites/defaul...

Former CDC Director William Foege: How public health can fight back in a time of dangerous nonsense www.statnews.com/2025/08/18/r...

Pandora Report 8.22.2025 This week's Pandora Report includes discussion of the twelfth anniversary of the sarin gas attack in the Ghouta district of Damascus, ODNI 2.0, avian influenza, new immunization guidance from ACOG and AAP, and more. pandorareport.org

The Twelfth Anniversary of the Largest Chemical Attack in Syria: Justice and Accountability are Priorities in the Transitional Process snhr.org/blog/2025/08...

When Air Becomes a Lethal Weapon: Remembering The Ghouta Chemical Attack and Its Lasting Toll on Survivors syrianobserver.com/syrian-actor...

More than 750 current and former HHS employees signed a letter to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. insisting he stop spreading inaccurate information and guarantee the safety of the workforce.

The long lost copy of the history of the origin of the MTCR has finally been found! The Missile Technology Control Regime: Case Study of a Multilateral Negotiation carnegieendowment.org/research/199...

Pandora Report 8.15.2025 This week's Pandora Report covers updates on bird flu, discussion of the shooting at CDC's main campus in Atlanta, and more. pandorareport.org

I witnessed Operation Warp Speed. Trump’s refusal to defend it is baffling. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

The release of WWII-era military documents this year has given a boost to researchers digging into Japan's germ warfare program. Japan's government has never apologized for the atrocities.

The White House inherited a system for handling outbreaks. No one left knows how to use it, Stephanie Psaki, Beth Cameron, and Jon Finer argue.

Pandora Report 8.8.2025 This week’s Pandora Report covers Biodefense program news, updates on avian influenza, HHS’ termination of contracts funding mRNA vaccine development research, and more. pandorareport.org

"There is no senior official in the White House responsible for pandemic preparedness, biosecurity, or biodefense—at a time when experts estimate a greater than a 1 in 4 chance of another pandemic as deadly as COVID-19 within the next decade."

Summertime departures have left the White House without a senior official for pandemic preparedness. Former deputy director of the White House’s pandemic office @nikkiromanik.bsky.social explains how the consequences extend beyond domestic biosecurity and biodefense.

"There is no senior official in the White House responsible for pandemic preparedness, biosecurity, or biodefense—at a time when experts estimate a greater than a 1 in 4 chance of another pandemic as deadly as COVID-19 within the next decade." www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/whit...

Well, this is a huge Executive Order power grab... www.whitehouse.gov/presidential... 1/3

"mRNA vaccines are a vital tool for saving lives, protecting economies, and ensuring security in the United States and around the globe. The U.S. government must reverse this ill-advised decision and continue to invest in this crucial technology." Read the full statement now. ⤵️

Check out the newest issue of the Pandora Report from our biodefense faculty and students!

HHS is turning its back on the most promising vaccine technology of the 21st century HHS Winds Down mRNA Vaccine Development Under BARDA www.hhs.gov/press-room/h...

Pandora Report 8.1.2025 pandorareport.org

A possible turning point for research governance in the life sciences by David Gillum in mSphere journals.asm.org/doi/epdf/10....

"Grok 4 is essentially frontier-level technical capability with safety features roughly on the level of gas station fireworks."

xAI's Grok 4 has no meaningful safety guardrails www.lesswrong.com/posts/dqd54w...

OPCW Executive Council to hold special meeting on July 22 to discuss Israeli strike on the MOD HQ this week and how that will affect their ability to comply with CWC and identify, secure and destroy any CW remaining in the country from the former regime www.opcw.org/sites/defaul...

Pandora Report 7.18.2025 This week's Pandora Report includes more updates on avian influenza, discussion of recent cuts and layoffs in the US federal government, implications of Israeli airstrikes on Damascus for efforts to destroy Syria's CW stockpile, and more. pandorareport.org

Israel's attacks on Damascus hinder chemical weapons search, Syrian official says @reuters.com www.reuters.com/business/fin...

Syria Acts To Adhere to Chemical Weapons Convention, While Russia Doubles Down on Non-Compliance www.fdd.org/analysis/202...

Finally, an article that addresses the existential threat of our time: excessive movie watching options.

Pandora Report 7.11.2025 This week's Pandora Report incudes discussion of H5N1, a lawsuit filed by professional organizations against HHS and RFK Jr. over COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, rising measles cases in the US, and more. pandorareport.org