Events

The panel of experts discussed the current mpox emergency and the US government’s response, in cooperation with industry and academic partners. 

Panelists: 

• Phyllis Arthur, Executive Vice President & Head of Healthcare Policy & Programs, BIO 
• Loyce Pace, Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs, US Department of Health and Human Services 
• Dr. Athalia Christie, Associate Director for Emergency Preparedness and Response, US CDC 
• Dr. Caitlin Rivers, Senior Scholar and Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security Director, Center for Outbreak Response Innovation (CORI) 
• Dr. Tom Inglesby, Director, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security (Panel moderator) 

Watch the September 18 live recording
Learn more about The Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security

The panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Tom Inglesby, discussed how the US government views and prepares for deliberate biological threats. Panelists shared how each of their agencies contributes to US biodefense and how they work across government to advance this mission.

Panelists:

• Dr. Gary Disbrow, Director, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA)
• Natalie de Graaf, Director, Biodefense and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation, National Security Council (NSC)
• Dr. Henry Walke, Director, Office of Readiness and Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Ian Watson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Chemical and Biological Defense, Department of Defense ((DOD)
• Dr. Tom Inglesby, Director,Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security (Moderator)

Watch the May 15 live recording
Learn more about The Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security

The panel discussion, moderated by Anita Cicero, discussed highlights from the finalized FY 2024 funding bills and looked ahead to appropriations for FY 2025 and beyond. It considered the priorities laid out in the recently released President’s Budget Request and discussed how sustainable investments in preparedness can lead to tangible improvements in our nation’s health security.

Opening Remarks:

• Representative Richard Hudson, Capitol Hill Steering Committee Honorary Co-Chair

Panelists:

• Assistant Secretary Dawn O’Connell, Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR)
• Dr. Cartier Esham, Chief Science Officer, BIO
• Dr. Tom Inglesby, Director, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security 
• Anita Cicero, Deputy Director, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security (Moderator)

Watch the April 10 live recording
Learn more about The Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security

To take stock of the research gaps needed to understand how airborne transmission occurs and how it may be interrupted, the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security convened a multidisciplinary group consisting of 24 experts in their respective fields for a 2-day not-for-attribution meeting on April 4-5, 2024, in Baltimore, MD.

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The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security hosted a 1-day not-for-attribution meeting on February 27, 2024, in Washington, DC, to convene 54 experts from academia, government, and industry to discuss current research about the effectiveness and use of Far-UV; how Far-UV compares to other technologies including GUV at 254nm; and any outstanding questions about safety efficacy, and feasibility for implementation.

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The in-person panel discussion delved into the impact and implementation of the President’s AI Executive Order related to the convergence of AI and biotechnology, challenges and opportunities that still need to be addressed, and Congress’ role in governance of these rapidly evolving technologies.

Panelists:

• Dr. Michelle Rozo, Vice Chair, National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB); Vice President of Technology, In-Q-Tel
• Dr. Shankar Sundaram, Special Assistant to the President, Senior Director for Global Health Security and Biodefense, National Security Council (NSC)
• Helena Fu, Director, Office of Critical and Emerging Technology, Department of Energy (DOE)
• Tejal Patwardhan, Technical Staff, OpenAI
• Dr. Tom Inglesby, Director, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security (Moderator)

Watch the February 8 live recording
Learn more about The Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security

In an in-person fireside chat with Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security Director Dr. Tom Inglesby, Hon. Deborah Rosenblum offered her insights into important priorities for biosecurity in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), progress on implementing the Biosecurity Posture Review, and other biosecurity topics that are particularly relevant for the nation’s security.

Fireside Chat between:

• The Honorable Deborah G. Rosenblum, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs, Department of Defense (DOD)
• Dr. Tom Inglesby, Director, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security

Watch the December 7 live recording
Learn more about The Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security

Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security Director Dr. Tom Inglesby and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Mandy Cohen discussed strategies for effectively evaluating lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, ways of strengthening the CDC and restoring political and public trust in the institution, and key near- and long-term priorities for CDC.

• Watch the October 24 recording

In this in-person fireside chat with Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security Director Dr. Tom Inglesby, Major General Paul Friedrichs discussed his role as the Inaugural Director of the new Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy, shared his thoughts on key near-term priorities based on the current threat environment, and discussed challenges and opportunities ahead for pandemic preparedness.

Opening Remarks: :

• Senator Richard Burr, Principal Policy Advisor and Chair of Health Policy Strategic Consulting at DLA Piper

Fireside Chat between:

• Major General Paul Friedrichs, USAF, Ret., Inaugural Director of the White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy (OSPPR)
• Dr. Tom Inglesby, Director, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security

Watch the September 26 live recording
Learn more about The Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security

The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, with input from partners and a national expert advisory panel, developed the Model Clean Indoor Air Act as a legal framework for states and localities to implement legislation to allow for indoor air quality (IAQ) inspections and publicly posted monitoring results, actions that will lead to improved IAQ in public buildings. The webinar reviewed the harms of unhealthy indoor air and the costs of inaction, discussed the current state of indoor air law and regulation and why new laws are needed, and described the Model Clean Indoor Air Act and how states can adapt and adopt the model law to improve public health.

• Watch the August 17 webinar
• Read the full transcript from August 17 (PDF)

The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security hosted an in-person panel and reception, The Future of Pandemic Preparedness: Why PAHPA Reauthorization is the Keystone. Through this session, policy leaders shared their views and identified suggested priorities for the upcoming reauthorization of PAHPA—the first since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Panelists:

• Senator Bill Cassidy, Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
• Assistant Secretary Dawn O’Connell, Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR)
• The Honorable Kathleen Sebelius, Former Governor of Kansas, Former Secretary of the  Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
• Dr. Tom Inglesby, Director, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security
• Jennifer Alton, President, Pathway Policy Group; (served as senior staffer to former Senator Richard Burr during 2006 passage of PAHPA) (Moderator)

Watch the March 30 live recording
Learn more about The Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security

We heard from local community leaders and their CommuniHealth research partners about:

• How this human-centered, community health infrastructure continues to exercise unmatched skills during the pandemic response,
• What further advances in health and wellbeing can be had if these local champions receive sustained support going forward, and
• Why walking away from a still fragile community health sector and declaring “mission accomplished” could cause health disparities to resurge and hard-won trust to fade.

Also, panelists addressed the types of resources needed to achieve community health sustainability during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

• Watch the November 17 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from November 17 (PDF).

This session featured an intimate fireside chat and audience Q&A with Dr. Raj Panjabi who serves in the White House National Security Council as the Senior Director for Global Health Security and Biodefense.

• Watch the November 17 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from November 17 (PDF).
• The Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security

A Virtual Cross-Sector Symposium

During this online symposium, we engaged a broad community of practitioners in discussions about operationalizing a holistic process of post-pandemic recovery: What systems can local jurisdictions set up and strengthen that sustain the long view on getting through and past the pandemic, reverse the social determinants of uneven impacts, and develop resilience to future public health emergencies?

Learn more about this symposium

This session dove into the unique health needs of rural communities in the United States and how the Federal Government can aid these communities to be better prepared for a future pandemic.

• Watch the September 29 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from September 29 (PDF).
• The Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security

The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security hosted a meeting, “National Strategy for Improving Indoor Air Quality,” in Washington, DC, on September 8, 2022. The meeting featured a keynote speaker and four expert panels focused on the importance of indoor air quality (IAQ), challenges to providing healthy indoor air across the United States, international perspectives and strategies for healthy air improvements, and catalyzing needed science and technology innovation in the IAQ field. Dr. Ashish Jha, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator, opened the meeting by reiterating the importance of IAQ to the Biden-Harris Administration.

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This session highlighted the key components of what is necessary to incentivize, facilitate, and sustain effective PPPs for innovation to bolster pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response; what Congress can do to support and leverage such partnerships, the role of the appropriations process; and how the US can be better positioned in the global economy through increased investments in PPPs in the areas of health security and advanced life science.

• Watch the July 20 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from July 20 (PDF).
• The Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security

This webinar focused on COVID-19 testing strategies and best practices for large sporting events. The panelists, Dr. Brian McCloskey and Ms. Lucia Mullen, served on WHO’s COVID-19 Mass Gatherings Expert Group. They advised Olympic organizers on COVID-19 countermeasures for the Tokyo 2020 Summer and the Beijing 2022 Winter games. They discussed developing and implementing masking, testing, and vaccination strategies for the world’s oldest – and largest – international sporting celebration.

• Watch the June 1 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from June 1 (PDF).

This session explored the outlook for this budget request and the options for future of pandemic preparedness and health security funding. Speakers expanded on the need for bi-partisan collaboration to secure preparedness funding and possible budget mechanisms that would lead us to become a more resilient nation.

• Watch the May 25 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from May 25 (PDF).
• The Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security

Panelists discussed how Johns Hopkins University developed and implemented its COVID-19 testing strategies for faculty, staff, and students.

• Watch the May 3 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from May 3 (PDF).

With new COVID-19 variants, waning immunity, and low booster vaccination numbers, holding large personal events, like weddings, bar mitzvahs, and anniversary parties, can be complicated. Dr. Manoj Jain discussed the four-pronged approach (communication, vaccination, masking, and testing) that helped his family safely plan and host a wedding during the pandemic.

• Watch the April 19 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from April 19 (PDF).

This session explored how policy makers can work to sustain technological gains made in diagnostic testing during the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and how they can expand applications of this technology to other health security threats.

• Watch the March 30 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from March 30 (PDF).
• The Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security

This session focused on the current status of mask and respirator stockpiling, the scientific advances that could lead to more effective and accessible masks, and policies that the U.S. government could support to build this capacity in anticipation of future public health threats.

• Watch the February 24 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from February 24 (PDF).
• The Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security

Hosted by the CommuniVax Coalition and the Vaccine Equity Cooperative, this webinar will demonstrate how building socially valued and sustainably resourced community health systems will help advance national health equity.

• Watch the February 10 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from February 10 (PDF).

This session explored the current state, successes, and remaining challenges of global vaccine development, manufacturing, distribution, and delivery. It highlighted actionable steps the U.S. Government can take to bring an end to the acute crisis of this pandemic and meet the scale of future infectious disease threats.

• Watch the January 27 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from January 27 (PDF).
• The Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security

The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security hosted a virtual side event during the 2021 Meeting of States Parties (MSP) to the Biological & Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC) on our BWC Assurance project. The BWC Assurance study aimed to stimulate dialogue on important issues related to BWC verification outside the narrow context of specific terms or concepts, such as “verification” and “confidence,” and identify potential mechanisms to increase certainty that BWC States Parties are adhering to their obligations under the treaty. This research was conducted through 36 interviews with representatives from BWC delegations and subject matter experts around the world, and the research team utilized a combination of quantitative analysis to identify important topics and qualitative analysis of interview content. This side event presented preliminary findings from the study, including detailed analysis of similarities and differences in how the interviewees approach core concepts under the umbrella of BWC Assurance and topics that merit for further dialogue in future BWC meetings, including the 9th Review Conference and the next Intersessional Period. A full project report, including additional analyses, will be published in early 2022.

• Watch the event on YouTube.

This session examined how Federal agencies, Congress, and the White House can foster greater agility, speed, innovation and coordination to re-imagine research and development for pandemic readiness.

• Watch the November 17 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from November 17 (PDF).
• The Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security

This session evaluated the role misinformation has played in health emergencies and offered solutions to increase trust in future public health messaging.

• Watch the October 20 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from October 20 (PDF).
• The Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security

We discussed the ongoing importance of COVID-19 testing and the verification of testing results at-home. The moderated discussion focused on at-home COVID-19 testing using rapid antigen tests, and scenarios where verification of results is necessary, including for employee or student testing programs.

• Watch the October 19 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from October 19 (PDF).
• Read the October 19 webinar overview (PDF).

This webinar considered the impact of research and outreach in 4 local areas, which together represent a mix of Black and Hispanic/Latino communities in rural to urban areas. Local leaders and public health officials heard about these communities and what they have done – and are doing – to address the challenges they are facing related to COVID-19 vaccination and equity.

• Watch the September 15 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from September 15 (PDF).

This webinar outlined a new strategy for the COVID-19 vaccination campaign informed by rapid research conducted with Black and Hispanic/Latino communities across the United States. Public health and government leaders heard specific guidance on how to adapt COVID-19 vaccination efforts to achieve greater vaccine coverage in underserved populations, and through this, to develop sustainable, locally appropriate mechanisms to advance equity in health.

• Watch the July 15 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from July 15 (PDF).

We discussed the importance of testing, and other mitigation efforts, to get passengers safely flying again. The moderated discussion covered how Lufthansa Group has handled the challenges of the last year and how the experiences will be used for travel going forward.

• Watch the June 21 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from June 21 (PDF).

In this month’s session, speakers evaluated where things stand in terms of global access to vaccines and the urgent need to expedite global vaccine distribution to save lives and reduce the risk that variants pose.

• Watch the June 16 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from June 16 (PDF).
• The Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security

This webinar explored how the federal government can prioritize investments in available and future technologies to ensure nothing like the Covid-19 pandemic, or worse, could ever happen again.

• Watch the May 26 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from May 26 (PDF).
• The Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security

The session discussed how to work with faith-based and community-based organizations to make COVID-19 vaccination more equitable and strengthen the communities in which they are rooted. Panelists showcased unique, effective initiatives and activities that are ongoing in different communities around the country, to celebrate these successes and share learnings so that other communities can achieve their own versions of success.

• Watch the May 20 webinar.

A panel of experts discussed the importance COVID-19 testing strategies and best practices in the entertainment industry to ensure production can safely resume.

• Watch the May 17 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from May 17 (PDF).

Hospitals and health care systems are the life force behind an effective pandemic response in the United States. Yet during the COVID-19 pandemic, these public and private sector institutions experienced staff, supply, and equipment shortages; struggled with providing access to care in rural areas; and lacked data coordination.

How can the federal government assist in tackling the problems experienced by these institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic to help them prepare for future pandemics and other health emergencies?

• Watch the April 28 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from April 28 (PDF).
• The Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security

Hosted by CommuniVax and the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, this session examined the roles health departments can take in achieving health equity. Taking a social determinants of health lens, the conversation addressed equitable and optimal levels of health outcomes for all, starting with COVID-19 vaccination. Speakers discussed real-world examples, best practices, ways forward for health departments pursuing health equity and how to build recovered, resilient communities.

• Watch the April 20 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from April 20 (PDF).

A panel of experts discussed the importance of testing to ensure schools can safely re-open and stay open for in-person learning, and provided insights into BD's COVID-19 testing capabilities, including training and education.

• Watch the April 13 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from April 13 (PDF).

The length and intensity of the domestic COVID-19 response has exposed vulnerabilities in the domestic supply capacity for key products needed in a pandemic including personal protective equipment, lab supplies, needles and syringes, and key therapeutic compounds. While we still face supply challenges in our ongoing COVID-19 response, emerging lessons from both the private and public sector can inform new policies and practices that enhance domestic preparedness. Supporting a robust domestic manufacturing and distribution infrastructure for such products will ensure the US is more prepared for future pandemics.

• Watch the March 30 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from March 30 (PDF).
• The Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security

The first webinar of this series featured a conversation with Ginkgo Bioworks on how they launched their innovative COVID-19 testing service, Concentric by Ginkgo, and their efforts to pilot their program in schools. The panelists discussed the importance of testing to ensure safe school re-openings, as well as the role of biotechnology to counter future outbreaks and pandemics.

• Watch the March 24 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from March 24 (PDF).

Hosted by CommuniVax and the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, this webinar discussed the specific recommendations made in the report and shared experiences from local initiatives, so officials can consider adopting them as they implement COVID-19 vaccination campaigns in their own towns, cities, and states.

• Watch the March 18 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from March 18 (PDF).

The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the need for enhanced disease surveillance capabilities both domestically and abroad. Epidemiological data has been the backbone for the global response to COVID-19. The country’s COVID-19 experience has highlighted gaps in our domestic system and the need to increase our current capacity. The recent emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern with potential for increased transmission have sparked discussion on the need for genomic surveillance, adding to the conversation on what we can be doing as a country now to improve our COVID-19 response. This webinar addressed the current status of domestic disease surveillance and open a dialogue on how we can become better prepared for future public health threats.

• Watch the February 24 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from February 24 (PDF).
• The Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security

The COVID-19 pandemic has had catastrophic impacts on US children’s education. K-12 schools have had to compensate with ever-changing policies related to in-person schooling. Teachers and staff have struggled with limited guidance and resources for teaching safely. Children and their families have had to cope with disease risk and limited access to typical school functions including in-person learning, health resources, childcare and food security. Guidance and resources have since been made available to school administration for the prevention and mitigation of transmission, but ventilation in schools - an issue even prior to the pandemic - is often neglected in the provision of guidance and resources. This meeting explored next steps and priorities for the current administration to improve indoor air quality in schools during and after the pandemic.

• Learn more about this event
• Watch the February 23 webinar.
• Read the transcript from February 23 (PDF).

As the largest mass vaccination campaign in recent US history is now underway, the US government and states must play vital roles in boosting confidence in the vaccine, building demand, and meeting the needs of a diverse set of urban, suburban, and rural communities. We discussed how the vaccination campaign is going, what the federal government can do to support a successful immunization effort, and the systems that need to be built for future mass vaccination efforts.

• Watch the January 28 webinar.
• The Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security

In the recent weeks there has been exciting news from the COVID-19 vaccine trials, bolstering hopes that the vaccines will bring the pandemic under control. This session focused on the implementation of mass vaccination programs. We discussed the challenges and opportunities at the local, state and national levels to maximize the effectiveness and equity of the impending COVID-19 vaccination effort.

• Watch the December 9 webinar.
• Read the full transcript from December 9 (PDF).
• The Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented public health and economic crises. Tests for the presence of infection are critical to measure the spread of disease and to control epidemics in communities. This pandemic has revealed several gaps in diagnostic testing. We must leverage these lessons to improve ongoing response efforts and to better prepare for future pandemics.

• Watch the November 17 webinar.
• The Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security

The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and the Center for Public Health and Human Rights at the Bloomberg School of Public Health released a report detailing COVID-19’s impact on the nation’s criminal justice system.

The report, prepared in partnership with the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice, provides evidence-based recommendations to reduce the risk of infection for people who work in and are confined by the system.

• Watch the October 15 webinar

The United States’ continuing response to the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted gaps in the nation’s health security capabilities. As the US continues to respond to this herculean challenge, the new Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security will provide an educational forum to discuss new topics, technologies, and ideas that could improve domestic health security now and in the future.

The launch event, hosted by the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, featured a discussion with the Honorary Senate Co-chairs and the Steering Committee’s Honorary Founding Members, leaders who have spent decades improving US health security.

• Watch the October 7 webinar.
• The Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security

Senior leaders from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, and In-Q-Tel discussed 2 innovative proposals for preparing for the next pandemic

Senior leaders from public health, health care, and academia provided the most up-to-date, accurate information on the 2019-nCoV outbreak and its potential impact on the United States.