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NTI - Dr. Piers Millett Named Director
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4/5
High(4)High quality. Established institution or organization with editorial oversight and accountability.
Rating inherited from publication venue: Nuclear Threat Initiative
Relevant to AI safety audiences interested in how international governance bodies for catastrophic risks (biological, chemical, nuclear) are structured, as these serve as potential models for AI risk governance and coordination mechanisms.
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Importance: 38/100press releasenews
Summary
NTI announces the appointment of Dr. Piers Millett as the first Executive Director of the International Biosecurity and Biosafety Initiative for Science (IBBIS), a new international organization focused on strengthening global biosecurity norms and governance. IBBIS aims to address gaps in oversight of dual-use biological research and emerging biotechnology risks. This represents a significant institutional development in global biosecurity coordination.
Key Points
- •Dr. Piers Millett, a longtime biosecurity expert, was named inaugural Executive Director of the newly formed IBBIS organization.
- •IBBIS is designed to build international norms and governance frameworks around biosecurity and dual-use biological research risks.
- •The organization represents a collaborative international effort to fill gaps in global oversight of dangerous biological capabilities.
- •This appointment signals growing institutional investment in biosecurity as a distinct and urgent global governance priority.
- •IBBIS complements existing bodies like the Biological Weapons Convention by focusing on science community engagement and norms.
Cited by 1 page
| Page | Type | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| IBBIS (International Biosecurity and Biosafety Initiative for Science) | Organization | 60.0 |
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Dr. Piers Millett Named Director of New Biosecurity Group
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Oct 4, 2022
NTI Announces Dr. Piers Millett as Inaugural Executive Director of New International Biosecurity Organization, IBBIS
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NTI is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Piers Millett as the founding executive director of the International Biosecurity and Biosafety Initiative for Science (IBBIS) , a new organization that will work collaboratively with global partners to strengthen biosecurity norms and develop innovative tools to uphold them.
Advances in bioscience and biotechnology offer tremendous benefits for fighting disease, protecting the environment, and promoting economic development. At the same time, innovations in this area can pose heightened risks of accidental or deliberate misuse, with potentially catastrophic consequences. IBBIS will be the first international organization with the primary mission of strengthening bioscience governance and reducing emerging biological risks associated with advances in technology.
“Our vision for IBBIS is to build a world in which bioscience can flourish safely and responsibly,” said NTI Co-Chair and CEO Ernest J. Moniz. “Piers brings tremendous credibility and expertise to help stand up this vitally important new organization at a time when biological risks are growing.”
Millett is an internationally recognized expert in global biological risk reduction with nearly 25 years of science policy experience. As the vice president for responsibility at the iGEM Foundation (International Genetically Engineered Machines Competition), he is deeply integrated into the synthetic biology community. He helped shape and implement policies to safeguard science and technology in his work with the United Nations—including the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and the World Health Organization (WHO)—as well as with the UK government. Millett is the director and co-founder of Biosecure Ltd, a consultancy that helps safeguard the bioeconomy.
“Piers has tremendous experience working with governments, international organizations, industry, and academia to use biotechnology to its full potential, while guarding against risks,” said NTI Vice President of Global Biological Policy and Programs Dr. Jaime Yassif. “He is a big-picture thinker adept at bridging the scientific research and policy communities, and we look forward to IBBIS’ many contributions to biosecurity with Piers at the helm.”
Millett is a consultant to the WHO, and a senior research fellow at Oxford University’s Future of Humanity Institute. Previously, he served as the Acting Head of the BWC Implementation Support Unit and as a bioterrorism subject matter expert for national and international security and law enforcement bod
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