The Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Security

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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 COVID-19 pandemic has shown that accurate and timely health-related information is crucial to mounting an effective response to a public health crisis. Contradictory messaging, misinformation, and undermining of public health experts have reduced the trust in public health responders, increased belief in false medical cures, and politicized public health measures aimed at curbing transmission of the disease. As can be seen in setbacks during the COVID-19 response, health-related misinformation and disinformation can lead to more infections, deaths, disruption, and disorganization of the effort.

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)

This was a closed-door event.

The development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines has captured public attention both in the U.S. and abroad. Decisions around global vaccine distribution are complex and multi-faceted, involving issues relating to equity, vaccine nationalism, and global health security. 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)

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)

Relevant resources:

• Center for Health Security: Disease X Medical Countermeasure Program
• Open Philanthropy Infographic: U.S. Leadership for a Pandemic-Free Future (PDF)
• Open Philanthropy Briefing Document: U.S. Leadership for a Pandemic-Free Future, Technologies to end biological threats (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 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 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)

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

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 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. Looking toward the future, in this event we considered:

• What if we were able to more quickly develop tests for novel pathogens, like SARS-CoV-2?
• How would reliable at-home testing change the way public health addressed outbreaks?
• What technologies could improve the current paradigm of the diagnostic system?

Watch the November 17 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