Welcome to this week’s Pandora Report! This issue features an overhaul of U.S. global health leadership under the new “America First Global Health Strategy”; the U.S. withdrawal from the Science and Technology Center in Ukraine and its implications for WMD nonproliferation; and groundbreaking research on a nasal spray bird flu vaccine showing protection in ferrets.
US Withdraws from Nonproliferation Center in Ukraine
By Gregory Koblentz, Editor in Chief of the Pandora Report; Director, Biodefense Graduate Program at George Mason University.
Among the 66 international organizations, the Trump Administration has announced its intent to withdraw from the Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU), an internationally funded organization based in Kyiv dedicated to preventing the proliferation of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. The organization, founded in 1993, creates education, training, and mentorship programs to promote international best practices to mitigate chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats through civilian science and technology partnerships. STCU has been the subject of relentless, unfounded allegations by Russia that it has supported the development of biological weapons in Ukraine. As Biodefense Program Director, Gregory Koblentz has described in a talk at NTI, this false narrative was a key component of Russia’s disinformation campaign to justify its illegal and unjustified invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Needless to say, Russian state media is ecstatic about this decision by the Trump Administration. Professor Koblentz, Biodefense PhD student Ryan Houser, and Kings College professor Filippa Lentzos co-authored an article in 2023 about Ukraine’s legitimate efforts to strengthen its biosafety and biosecurity and the importance of international assistance from the United States, STCU, and others, to help Ukraine achieve this objective. The Global Partnership Against the Spread of WMD sponsors a WMD Counter Disinfo project (co-lead by Dr. Lentzos) that provides more information about Russian disinformation related to biological weapons (and other weapons of mass destruction) and how to counter this disinformation.
Further Reading:
- “Justice is finally within reach for victims of Syria’s chemical weapons attacks,” Gregory Koblentz, The Hill
- “Action Urgently Needed to Clarify, Eliminate Syria’s Chemical Weapons, Senior Disarmament Official Warns Security Council,” UN
- “We welcome the Syrian leadership’s commitment to eradicate chemical weapons: UK statement at the UN Security Council,” Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Caroline Quinn, UK Deputy Political Coordinator
- “We Must Remain Committed to a World Free of Chemical Weapons,” Izumi Nakamitsu, UN
America First, Again: The Biggest Shake-Up in US Global Health Leadership in Decades
By Carmen Shaw, Co-Managing Editor of the Pandora Report
Called the America First Global Health Strategy, the program aims to strengthen U.S. geopolitical and economic leverage in developing countries – particularly across Africa – while reducing reliance on non-government organizations (NGOs) that previously delivered aid through USAID. To date, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has signed 14 bilateral health agreements with African countries, focusing on areas such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and maternal health. Some of the deals are tied to specific political commitments, including Nigeria’s pledge to protect Christians from persecution. Negotiations with copper-rich Zambia are also ongoing, but have reportedly been stalled amid U.S. officials’ complaints about limited mining access for American firms. Public details remain scarce in these deals, though available agreements include language promoting U.S. commercial engagement – for example, Cote D’Ivoire’s MOU highlights “expanded opportunities for US companies”, while one with Rwanda says it “helps further American commercial interest in Rwanda and Africa more broadly.” In November, the Telegraph reported on leaked documents suggesting the Trump administration was also seeking long-term digital access to partner nations’ health information systems – potentially for up to 25 years – as a condition of receiving U.S. assistance.
Further Reading:
- “Inside Trump’s $11 billion health plan to replace “neo-colonial” USAID,” Marc Caputo, Axios. A parallel health agency designed explicitly to dismantle “neo-colonial” development models.
- “KFF Tracker: America First MOU Bilateral Global Health Agreements,” KFF. A growing list of bilateral “America First MOUs” that reshape U.S. partner health responsibilities.
- “US cuts to HIV programs in sub-Saharan Africa pose global risk, experts say,” Mary Van Beusekom, CIDRAP
Nasal Spray Vaccine Shows Promise Against Bird Flu in Ferrets
By Margeaux Malone, Pandora Report Associate Editor
In a study published on January 13 in Nature Communications, a nasal spray vaccine has demonstrated effective protection against H5N1 and H7N9 bird flu in laboratory ferrets, offering a new potential vaccine platform for influenza pandemic preparedness as avian influenza continues spreading across wildlife and livestock populations.
Researchers at the Access to Advanced Health Institute vaccinated ferrets with either the experimental intranasal RNA vaccine or a traditional intramuscular injection, then challenged both groups alongside unvaccinated controls with a high dose of virus delivered directly into their nasal passages. Ferrets vaccinated against H7N9 remained free of clinical signs throughout while the unvaccinated controls developed fever and illness. The virus was no longer detectable in the nasal passages of vaccinated animals by day 5 post-infection. The results against H5N1 were even more remarkable. All six ferrets that received the nasal spray vaccine survived and without ever developing symptoms, while all unvaccinated ferrets died within one week and the older injectable H5N1 vaccine group had one fatality on day 9.
Traditional flu shots only generate immunity in the bloodstream; however, the nasal spray generates comparable blood antibody levels to injectable vaccines as well as protective defenses directly in the respiratory tract where flu infections begin. The vaccine uses self-amplifying RNA technology, similar to COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, and produces specialized IgA antibodies in the lungs along with resident immune cells that remain stationed in lung tissue.
In addition to its efficacy, the intranasal influenza vaccine could also offer practical advantages for pandemic preparedness. Manufacturers would be able to stockpile stable components and then quickly produce new RNA vaccines to target emerging viral strains, bypassing the months-long process of growing viruses in chicken eggs. After freeze-drying, the vaccine remains stable for at least two years without ultra-cold storage, eliminating the need for ultra-cold freezers which complicated the roll out of COVID-19 vaccines. In 2024, the FDA approved self-administration of FluMist, a vaccine for influenza virus subtypes A and B, to allow administration without a health care provider. This precedent could allow for future approval and distribution of a needle-free, at-home vaccination for bird flu in the event of a pandemic.
While human clinical trials are still needed, this platform could represent a significant advance in pandemic response capabilities.
Experts Urge USDA to Reconsider Vaccination Strategy
Veterinary scientists Ellen P. Carlin and Gwendolen Reyes-Illg published a compelling opinion piece in STAT News this week, criticizing the USDA’s current approach to the ongoing avian influenza pandemic and urging for nation-wide poultry vaccination.
Since 2022, nearly 185 million birds have been lost as a result of the H5N1 avian influenza outbreak. Most birds were preemptively killed when housed near infected flocks, following the current USDA policy focused on elimination of birds on affected farms and increased biosecurity to prevent reinfection. Carlin and Reyes-Illg argue this “depopulate and repeat” approach is failing, especially as bird flu becomes endemic in wild birds and evidence suggests possible airborne transmission. In addition to the animal welfare concerns of this mass culling strategy, the economic impact has been significant. Nearly $2 billion of tax-payer money has been spent on response, primarily in compensation to farmers for animal losses from depopulation and consumer spending on eggs rose $14.5 billion in one year alone.
Unfortunately, the primary obstacle to widespread vaccination is diplomatic rather than scientific. The USDA has already licensed at least eight effective vaccines developed with federal funding, and successful vaccination of ducks in France reduced outbreak sizes up to 99%. However, there is concern some trading partners might restrict imports from countries with vaccinated flocks, fearing spread of infection from asymptomatic birds. Carlin and Reyes-Illg propose coupling vaccination with robust diagnostic surveillance to provide confidence that exported poultry remain disease-free, an approach supported by the World Organization for Animal Health. They emphasize that trade agreements can be renegotiated, noting, “It’s happening every day for tariffs; why not for chickens?”
Further Reading:
- “413,000 Kansas birds impacted by worst bird flu outbreak nationwide in 2026,” Matthew Self, KSNT
- “Avian flu devastates elephant seals in Southern Hemisphere, raising concerns for California coast,” Brian Hackney, CBS News
- “Second bird flu outbreak hits major egg producer,” BBC
- “The Worls is Sleeping on Bird Flu, Experts Warn,” Nikki Ikani, Science Alert
- “’We need a bird flu vaccine to save the industry’,” Lee Madan, BBC
In Other News
Pandemic Preparedness and One Health
- “Scaling Pandemic Preparedness and Response Cost Estimates for Disease Transmission Modes,” Aaron Strong, Matt Sharkey, Saskia Popescu, Henry H. Willis, Anita Chandra, RAND
- “Planning For Potential Pandemics: The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations,” Mary Parker, Eureka
- “Avian Influenza: A One Health Imperative for Global Health Governance,” Lakshmy Ramakrishnan, Observer Research Foundation
- “WHO research shows COVID vaccines still crucial in preventing severe illness,” UN News
Biosafety, Biosecurity, & Biotech Regulation
- “‘An undoing of the scientific method’: Flagship CEO warns of government threats to US biotech industry,” Darren Incorvaia, Fierce Biotech
- “The Evolving Paradigm of AI-Biosecurity: Challenges and Solutions,” Ms. Tanya Darawagi and Dr. Suryesh K Namdeo, CNSS
- “Getting Serious About Improving Biosafety: A Discussion of Better Biosecurity for the Bioeconomy,” David Gillum, Issues
- “IBBIS Welcomes the Republic of Korea’s National AI-Bio Strategy,” IBBIS
- “Machine Learning Unveils Bacillus anthracis Adaptability and Virulence,” Bioengineer.org
- “A unified framework for International Health Regulations, the Biological Weapons Convention, and UN Security Council Resolution 1540,” Rohan Singh, Sana Zakaria, RAND
- “A very thin gruel, indeed,” JP Zanders, The Trench
- “The BWC at 50: African Conference Highlights Progress, Challenges and the Road Ahead,” Office for Disarmament Affairs
NEW: Managing Borders during Global Public Health Emergencies; Lessons learned from COVID-19 – A Public Lecture
From Asia Centre for Health Security: “The unprecedented use of international travel measures (ITMs) during the COVID-19 pandemic became a challenging and, eventually, controversial policy issue. Evidence from the pandemic shows that these measures can play an important role in slowing or reducing the introduction and onward spread of pathogens like SARS-CoV-2. At the same time, the largely uncoordinated, varied and frequently changing way in which ITMs were used during the pandemic led to suboptimal public health outcomes. The measures also caused widespread secondary impacts that were costly, inequitable, and societally divisive.
The complexity of whether, when and how to apply different types of ITMs means that the evidence-base continues to evolve on best practices. As future pandemic events are likely to involve a fast-moving novel pathogen, spreading in a highly globalised world, public health responses will again need to make decisions about mitigating travel-related risks in real time.
Drawing on more than five years of research on ITMs and pandemic events by the Pandemics and Borders Project, this lecture will review the current evidence on their use and the key lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. This will be followed by a panel discussion about experiences in the Southeast Asian region and then audience Q&A.”
This event will take place virtually on Thursday, January 22 from 10:00-11:30 AM (GMT+8, Singapore Time). Learn more and RSVP here.
NEW: Global Biorisk Index for AI-Powered Biodesign Tools – A Webinar
From Asia Centre for Health Security: “Artificial intelligence-enabled biological design tools (AI-BDTs) transform life sciences with the potential to accelerate discovery and lower technical barriers to achieve impact. These advances promise major innovation gains with outcomes relevant to public health. However, they also introduce novel pathways for misuse, amplification of biological risks, and challenges for global governance.
This presentation will introduce the RAND CLTR* AI-BDT Global Risk Index, an evidence-based framework to assess the biological capabilities and potential misuse of AI-BDTs. The talk will describe the analytic approach, key findings, and insights. We will also discuss implications for policy, responsible innovation, and international coordination in order to ensure AI-BDTs remain safe, secure, and beneficial.”
This event will take place virtually on Thursday, January 22 from 5:00-6:00 PM (GMT+8, Singapore Time). Learn more and RSVP here.
NEW: mRNA: A Key to National Security – A Hybrid Summit
From the Council on Strategic Risks: “Through an engaging set of presentations and panel discussions, this symposium will:
- Discuss the most pressing risks to national security from infectious diseases
- Educate participants on the fundamentals of mRNA medicine
- Explain mRNA medicines’ essential role in military readiness and national defense, and
- Examine the national security risks if adversarial nations advance their mRNA capabilities while the United States reduces investment in this strategic technology.”
This event will be hybrid – online and in-person at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center on Thursday, January 22 from 1:00-4:00 PM ET. Learn more and RSVP here.
NEW: Genomic Surveillance & Pathogen Data Sharing: A New Era for Scientific Diplomacy – A Virtual Fireside Chat
From Harvard’s Belfer Center: “Join us for a virtual fireside chat on emerging technology, scientific advancement, and global policy, featuring Belfer Center Fellow Dr. Syra Madad and Dr. Kristian Andersen, Director of Infectious Disease Genomics at the Scripps Research Translational Institute.”
This event will take place virtually on Thursday, January 22 at 4:00-5:00 PM ET. Learn more and RSVP here.
NEW: CBRNe Convergence Canada 2026
CBRNe World is hosting its fourth CBRNe Convergence Canada event this year in Toronto! This event will focus on a range of topical issues, including responding to potential CBRN incidents in the High North, response to terrorist attacks at major sporting events, and presentations on Canadian response capabilities, and the largest CBRN/Hazmat exhibition in Canada.
This event will take place April 13-15 at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel, Toronto Downtown. Learn more here, and stay tuned for forthcoming information about CBRNe Convergence this November in Knoxville, TN!
Nexus Series: AIxBio: Workshop 2 – Strategies for Responding to Exponential AI and Biotechnology Growth
From AI for SynBio: “Background: The ever-increasing acceleration of agentic artificial intelligence (AI) and biological design tools has transformed the technological landscape, enabling tremendous benefits and potential misuse that could massively impact national security and public health. Mitigating this risk will require collaboration across Government, Industry, and Academia with both technical and policy focus. Significant effort has already been made to raise awareness of this challenge, but additional discussion is necessary to maintain pace with the speed of evolving technology. The second workshop in this series will build upon insights from our first workshop and take place over two days.”
This event will take place in Washington DC on March 4-5, 2026. Learn more and RSVP here.
International Conference CBRNe Research & Innovation
From CBRNE: “The last 40 years have demonstrated that both military and civilian populations could be exposed to highly hazardous CBRNE agents following conflicts, natural outbreaks and disasters, industrial incidents or terrorist attacks. Worldwide, researchers, responders and industrial capacities have been commited to provide adapted response to these challenges. The CBRNE Research & Innovation Conference includes workshops and demonstrations of innovative materials, technologies and procedures, according to the following themes: Detection (identification), Protection (decontamination, medical countermeasures), and risk & crisis management.
This event will take place in Arcachon, France from May 19 – 21, 2026. Learn more and RSVP here.
GHS 2026
From GHS: “We’re excited to officially announce that the 4th Global Health Security Conference (GHS2026) will be held in Kuala Lumpur on the 9 – 12 June, 2026!”
“Building on the incredible momentum of GHS2024 in Sydney, we look forward to bringing together the global health security community once again – this time in one of Southeast Asia’s most vibrant and dynamic cities.”
“Registration and Call for Abstracts are now live!”
Learn more, submit abstracts, and register here.
NEW: OPCW Senior Science Policy Officer (Biochemistry) (P-4) – Job Opening
From OPCW: “The Office of Strategy and Policy develops the Technical Secretariat’s strategic planning and provides policy advice to the Director-General and senior management. The strategy and policy formulation and implementation relate to a range of cross-cutting topics, including incidents of chemical weapons use, engagement with chemical industry, chemical security, counterterrorism, and science and technology.
The Senior Science Policy Officer will focus on monitoring advances in science and technology relevant to the Chemical Weapons Convention, with particular emphasis on fields at the convergence of chemistry and biology. The incumbent of this post will keep pace with developments, analyse and understand their implications for implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, and communicate this information to a range of internal and external stakeholders.”
The deadline to apply is January 30. Learn more and submit your application here.
NEW: Cyberbiosecurity Workshop Has Opened Its Call for Papers
The IEEE Cyberbiosecurity Workshop has opened its Call for Papers for the Cyberbiosecurity Workshop. They invite researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and industry leader to submit original work addressing the growing security challenges at the intersection of cybersecurity, biotechnology, agriculture, medicine, AI, and the bioeconomy. Topics include (but are not limited to) biological infrastructure security, AI safety in biotechnology, DNA synthesis and screening, neurotechnology security, agricultural cyberbiosecurity, data protection and privacy, regulatory frameworks, and real-world case studies.
Paper submissions are due January 30, 2026, and accepted papers will be published in the IEEE Computer Society Press proceedings. Learn more and submit here.
NEW: One Health Commission Board of Directors – Call for Applications
From OHC: “The One Health Commission (OHC) is pleased to announce an open call for board members to join our governing body. As we implement our new constitution and bylaws, we are seeking distinguished experts who embody collaborative, multi- and transdisciplinary approaches for addressing shared health challenges across human, animal, environmental, and plant health domains.”
The deadline to submit applications is February 15. Learn more and submit your application here.
NEW: ICGEB Fellowships for Scientists in Biosecurity
From the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology: “With the co-funding of the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation through the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), BWC ISU, the ICGEB offers early-career scientists from OECD/DAC countries a fellowship at ICGEB laboratories in Italy, India, South Africa and at the ICGEB Regional Research Centre in China, to receive hands on training in life sciences and detection and response to biological threats.”
The closing date for applications is March 31, 23:59 CET. Learn more and apply here.
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