Biosecurity Game Changers Fellowship
A new fellowship at the Pandemic Center at the Brown University School of Public Health launches with the announcement of the inaugural class of Biosecurity Game Changers, eight individuals who represent the next generation of leaders responsible for preventing and preparing for the worst-case health security challenges.
The Brown Pandemic Center is partnering with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), International Biosecurity and Biosafety Initiative for Science (IBBIS), United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) & Biological Weapons Convention Implementation Support Unit (BWC ISU), Resilient Africa Network Initiative (RANI, formerly PAN), and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) to provide an operational base for the fellows, selected for their potential to impact and lead in biosecurity and pandemic preparedness and response. The program is informed by consultation with international and normative entities, including Africa CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Health Emergency Corps.
The year-long fellowship kicks off in September with an in-person meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and a policymaking workshop for early-to-mid-career public health champions, including the fellows. During the year, fellows will collaborate on an operational project with either the Pandemic Center or one of the partner organizations focused on a specific aspect of improving biosecurity, biosafety, and/or pandemic preparedness and response. Each fellow will also receive a Brown faculty appointment for the duration of their fellowship.
“ The Biosecurity Game Changers Initiative and Threat Reduction Fellowship aims to fundamentally change how biosecurity leaders are trained and to help them build the global networks they will need. ”
At the Pandemic Center, this effort is being led by Senior Advisers to the Center and Professors of the Practice Beth Cameron, Ph.D., and Wilmot James, Ph.D.
“Through this fellowship, we aim to facilitate global champions and leaders who have the skills to lean forward faster and effectively to prevent, detect and respond to a worst case biological scenario,” said Cameron. “This fellowship is unique in its placement opportunities across leading and groundbreaking organizations where fellows will learn and build stronger biosecurity bridges among these instrumental organizations,” said Cameron. “I am thrilled that this incredibly impressive group of next generation leaders will join us next year to build this effort and a brighter future.”
Said James: “Working with young leaders on these critical challenges is one of the most meaningful and rewarding things we can do, as they will shape our futures. Using the best expertise, tools, technology and systems we have developed over the course of many epidemics and one pandemic in recent times, tomorrow’s leaders have a special opportunity to prevent and respond to future disasters by making better decisions.”
Fellowship Leaders
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Elizabeth (Beth) Cameron, Ph.D.
Senior Adviser to the Brown Pandemic Center, Professor of the Practice of Health Services, Policy and Practice at the Brown University School of Public Health -
Wilmot James, Ph.D.
Senior Adviser to the Brown Pandemic Center, Professor of the Practice of Health Services, Policy and Practice at the Brown University School of Public Health
The Biosecurity Game Changers and Threat Reduction Fellowship is being implemented by the Pandemic Center in partnership with collaborating institutions focused on solutions at the intersection of biosecurity and global health, including Africa CDC, CEPI, IBBIS, the UNIDIR BWC ISU, RANI, Gavi, and the Brown Pandemic Center. You can learn more about each of our collaborators and the organizations each fellow is partnered with below.