War in Ukraine – Biosecurity
March 30, 2022
PANELISTS:
Prof. Gregory Koblentz
George Mason University
Michael Matthews
DHS/CISA and NSF contributor
You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
- When: Wednesday, Mar 30, 2022 09:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
- Topic: NSF Special Panel #2 War in Ukraine: Biosecurity
- Register in advance for this webinar:
- https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gW6f7PdvQVuf-1yyVhFqng
- After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
To help you stay informed about the rapidly changing and very dangerous situation in Ukraine, NSF will be hosting a series of Special Topics Panel Discussions with subject matter experts. These will be scheduled approximately every two weeks (more often as required). We are creating a new Ukraine War resource blog page on the NSF website where we will post timely information and thought pieces from different perspectives. I also encourage you to send topic requests, questions, and concerns to me at: [email protected]
NSF is hosting the second War in Ukraine Special Topics Panel Discussion focus on biosecurity and chemical-biological threats in Ukraine next Wednesday, March 30th 0900-1015 PST. Our lead speaker will be Professor Gregory Koblentz, Director of the Biodefense Graduate Program at George Mason University. Dr. Koblentz will talk about the chemical-biological weapon (CBW) dimension to the war in Ukraine including Russia’s BW allegations and the prospect of false flag operations involving chemical and biological weapons. NSF Contributor and DHS/CISA Protective Security Advisor for Nevada, Michael Matthews, will discuss the potential impacts of CBW in Ukraine on the homeland.
Stay tuned in and watch videos of our recent NSF programs on our War in Ukraine series and earlier programs at: https://nationalsecurityforum.org
(scroll to the bottom of the landing page to watch the videos)
UPCOMING Program(s): The 3rd program in the War in Ukraine Special Topic Discussion series will be on Thursday, April 14th
Please join us for these very important and timely programs and be ready to share your thoughts and questions with our speakers.
Gregory D. Koblentz is an Associate Professor and Director of the Biodefense Graduate Program at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government. The Biodefense Graduate Program is a multidisciplinary research and education program designed to prepare students to work on issues at the nexus of health, science, and security and bridge the gap between science and policy. He also directs the Virtual Summer Workshop on Pandemics and Global Health Security at the Schar School. Dr. Koblentz is an Associate Faculty at the Center for Security Policy Studies at George Mason and a member of the Scientist Working Group on Biological and Chemical Security at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation in Washington, DC. In 2016, he briefed the United Nations Security Council on the impact of emerging technologies on the threat posed by non-state actors armed with weapons of mass destruction. He serves as a pro bono advisor for the Open Society Justice Initiative and DARPA, as a consultant for the Stimson Center on their cheminformatics program and is a member of the Biothreat Advisory Board of Heat Biologics. Prior to arriving at George Mason, Dr. Koblentz was a visiting assistant professor in the School of Foreign Service and Department of Government at Georgetown University. His research and teaching focus on understanding the causes and consequences of the proliferation of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons to state and non-state actors and the impact of emerging technologies on international security. He has published widely on issues related to biodefense, dual-use research, and the proliferation of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. He received a PhD in political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a MPP from the Harvard Kennedy School.
The National Security Forum is a non-partisan, educational, nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering civil discourse and informed discussion about timely and important national security topics. We bring expert speakers from around the U.S. to talk about national and international security, domestic and foreign terrorism, economic and financial threats, the safety of our food and water supply, energy policy, electrical grid stability, and a variety of other topics that affect all Americans. The National Security Forum partners with the Washoe County School District to host an annual Youth Security Forum to encourage future generations national security leaders.