David Relman, MD, will lead a new biosecurity initiative at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI).

The initiative’s goals are wide-ranging and interdisciplinary, seeking to “advance the beneficial applications of the life sciences while reducing the risks of misuse by promoting research, education and policy outreach in biological security.”

It aims to detect and prevent biological risks, both man-made and natural, as well as “safeguard the future of the life sciences and associated technologies.” Relman, a Senior Fellow at FSI and the former science co-director at the Center for International Security and Cooperation, hopes to consolidate and focus activity in biosecurity.

He also intends to “look outward” for ways to change practices and policies on a global scale. He emphasizes the initiative’s trans-departmental nature, utilizing faculty expertise in areas including technology, policy, and ethics.

The School and Department of Medicine are co-sponsoring the initiative.

Read more at the FSI website here.