New SHIELD Project to Modernize U.S. Preparedness Systems Through Innovation and Leadership

January 12, 2026 – As public health and health care navigate rapid changes, the need for a modern, resilient preparedness and response system has never been greater. We are proud to announce the launch of the Strengthening Health Systems Through Innovation, Engagement, and Leadership in Disasters (SHIELD) Initiative – a new effort designed to drive innovation through actionable plans, policies, and tools that strengthen our collective readiness for the future.

Bringing together experts and practitioners from across the field, SHIELD will build a vision for a preparedness and response system, along with specific tools and actionable plans that can help us work towards realizing that vision

At its core, SHIELD is about turning ideas into action, with three interconnected lines of effort:

1. Create a go-to hub: A new, easy-access repository for the best ideas, proven practices, and problem-solving tools so practitioners, experts, and researchers can share, quickly learn, and implement best practices.
2. Think bigger, together: Convene leading voices across sectors to envision the next generation of preparedness and response systems and translate that vision into actionable policies and modern practices.
3. Innovate for impact: Generate new research, tools, and ways of operating that could supercharge and transform the public health preparedness field.

“The SHIELD Initiative represents both urgency and optimism,” said Crystal Watson, DrPH, MPH, SHIELD Initiative Director and Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “We have an opportunity to design the preparedness systems we've always needed, ones that are updated, better connected, and ready for whatever comes next. Great preparedness isn't theoretical. It's practical tools that work in real communities. That's what we're building together."

Our public health preparedness systems are constantly being tested by emerging health security threats. “Preparedness has to evolve as the world around us changes,” said Tom Inglesby, MD, Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and Deputy Chair of the SHIELD Advisory Committee. “With SHIELD, we’re taking a proactive approach—uniting experts, policymakers, and practitioners to design the next generation of health security systems. Our goal is simple but vital: to make sure the nation’s preparedness and response capabilities are not just rebuilt, but reimagined for the challenges ahead.”

SHIELD’s collaborative approach will foster partnerships and research to strengthen our preparedness and response systems. “When we bring together the collective wisdom of practitioners, policymakers, and communities, we can build something truly extraordinary,” said Ellen J. MacKenzie, PhD, ScM, former Dean of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Chair of the SHIELD Advisory Committee. “SHIELD is about imagining what's possible when we bring the right people together with the right tools and the freedom to innovate.” 

Over the coming months, SHIELD will deliver a practical blueprint, materials, and tools that equip policymakers and practitioners to revitalize US preparedness and response into something stronger, smarter, and built to last.

Learn More on SHIELD’s Website

For questions about the project, please contact Alison Kelly at alison.kelly@jhu.edu.

For media inquiries, please contact Cagla Giray at cgiray1@jhu.edu.