Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security

Academic

Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security

The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security is a well-established biosecurity organization that has significantly influenced US policy on pandemic preparedness and biological threats, with recent expansion into AI-biotechnology convergence risks. The article provides comprehensive coverage of the organization's history, activities, and impact, though it lacks critical analysis of effectiveness metrics and potential limitations.

Grokipedia

TypeAcademic

Organizations

1.9k words · 3 backlinks

Quick Assessment

Dimension	Assessment	Evidence
Impact	High	Influenced major policy decisions including US smallpox vaccine stockpiling; provides recommendations to US government, EU, and UN
Credibility	High	Designated WHO and PAHO Collaborating Centre; affiliated with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Funding	Well-funded	Received over $40M from Coefficient Giving as of 2022; $23.5M CDC grant in 2023
Focus Areas	Broad	Biosecurity, pandemic preparedness, AI-bio convergence, biological weapons prevention
Notable Work	Significant	Dark Winter (2001), Event 201 (2019), AIxBio initiatives, JAMA bioterrorism response papers

Key Links

Source	Link
Official Website	publichealth.jhu.edu
Wikipedia	en.wikipedia.org

Overview

The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security (CHS) is an independent, nonprofit research organization affiliated with Johns Hopkins University and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.¹ Founded in 1998, it works to prevent and prepare for epidemics, pandemics, and other health disasters through research, policy analysis, and high-profile simulation exercises.²

CHS's mission is to "protect people's health from epidemics and disasters and ensure that communities are resilient to major challenges."³ The organization addresses challenges including emerging infectious diseases, pandemic influenza risk, natural disasters, and biological accidents or intentional threats. Since 2023, it has significantly expanded its work on the convergence of artificial intelligence and biotechnology (AIxBio), examining biosecurity risks from AI-enabled biological research.⁴

The Center is designated an official Collaborating Centre of the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization, and provides policy recommendations to governments worldwide including the United States Government, the European Union, and the United Nations Biological Weapons Convention.⁵ Its work combines independent research, policy engagement with scholars and policymakers, advocacy for stronger health security policies, and education of the next generation of health security professionals.⁶

History

Founding and Early Years (1998-2001)

CHS was founded in 1998 by D.A. Henderson, the physician who led the WHO's successful smallpox eradication campaign.⁷ Originally named the Johns Hopkins Center for Civilian Biodefense Strategies (CCBS), it was the first academic center focused on biosecurity policy and practice.⁸ The founding team included Dr. Tara O'Toole, Dr. Tom Inglesby, and Dr. Monica Schoch-Spana, with goals of research and advocacy against bioterrorism and emerging diseases like pandemic influenza, HIV, and monkeypox.⁹

One of the Center's early achievements was proposing that the US Government procure 40 million doses of stockpiled smallpox vaccine, a proposal supported by President Bill Clinton.¹⁰ Between 1999 and 2002, CHS published influential "JAMA papers" providing guidance on medical responses to anthrax, smallpox, plague, botulinum toxin, and Ebola—guidance that had been lacking in the US government prior to this work.¹¹ These recommendations were subsequently incorporated into the US Hospital Preparedness Program, bio-surveillance systems, countermeasures development, and pandemic planning.¹²

Post-9/11 Expansion (2001-2003)

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks and subsequent anthrax attacks, Congress appropriated $3 billion for biodefense.¹³ HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson requested Henderson lead the Office of Public Health Preparedness, which later became the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response.¹⁴

In 2003, the organization was renamed the Center for Biosecurity under leadership of O'Toole and Inglesby, and moved to an affiliation with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC).¹⁵

Return to Johns Hopkins and Modern Era (2017-Present)

In 2017, the Center rejoined Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health from its UPMC affiliation, with Tom Inglesby as director and CEO. The move aimed to enhance research on epidemics like Zika, Ebola, and antibiotic resistance.¹⁶ As of May 2022, the Center had received over $40 million in grants from Coefficient Giving.¹⁷

In 2023, CHS was awarded $23.5 million from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for epidemic preparedness work.¹⁸

Major Activities and Research

Simulation Exercises

CHS has conducted several high-profile tabletop exercises to prepare policymakers for biological threats:

Operation Dark Winter (June 22-23, 2001): A senior-level simulation of a covert smallpox bioterrorism attack on the United States. This was the first biological weapons tabletop exercise and led to six congressional hearings.¹⁹

Atlantic Storm (January 14, 2005): A tabletop simulation of a smallpox bioterrorism event.²⁰

Event 201 (2019): Simulated a coronavirus outbreak from pig farms in Brazil, projecting 65 million deaths after 18 months with no vaccine available in the first year. This exercise, conducted with the World Economic Forum and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, demonstrated pandemic preparedness gaps months before the COVID-19 pandemic.²¹

Research Projects

CHS conducts research across multiple areas of health security:

COPEWELL: A conceptual framework and system dynamics model for predicting community functioning and resilience after disasters.²²
Global Catastrophic Biological Risks (GCBRs): Framework to define and analyze GCBRs, involving expert consultations to advance policy and protections against high-impact biological threats.²³
Scarce Resource Allocation During Disasters: Mixed-method community engagement study on ethical allocation of ventilators during pandemics, informing statewide frameworks.²⁴
Pandemic Prevention Program: Research and policy analysis to enhance global preparedness for infectious diseases and crises.²⁵

AI and Biotechnology Convergence

Since 2023, CHS has conducted extensive work on AIxBio—the convergence of artificial intelligence and biotechnology. On November 29, 2023, CHS hosted a convening on AI-driven biosecurity threats attended by the U.S. National Security Council, Department of Energy, White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness, UK Cabinet Office, and representatives from OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft, Meta, Google DeepMind, Amazon, and RAND.²⁶

In August 2024, CHS led a paper published in Science titled "AI and biosecurity: The need for governance," calling for government evaluation of advanced AI models and implementation of safety measures.²⁷ The Center has provided policy recommendations on biological data governance, open-source models, export controls, and risk assessment to governments and AI Safety Institutes.²⁸

Dr. Jassi Pannu, a Senior Scholar at CHS, testified before the US House Committee on Energy and Commerce on December 17, 2025, regarding biosecurity at the AI-biology intersection. Pannu advocated for oversight of biological AI models, safety evaluations, and mitigations against accidents and misuse, such as large language models enabling bioweapon design.²⁹

International Engagement

The Southeast Asia Biosecurity Dialogue, a series of Track II dialogues co-hosted by CHS, contributed to the establishment of the Asia Centre for Health Security.³⁰

Leadership and Key Personnel

Tom Inglesby serves as Director and CEO. He is an internationally recognized expert in health security and former Chair of the Board of Scientific Counselors for the CDC's Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response. He served on the 2016 Working Group assessing US biosecurity for the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.³¹

Anita Cicero is Deputy Director.³²

Caitlin Rivers is a Senior Scholar who leads epidemic preparedness projects with the CDC. She was the founding associate director of the CDC Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics from August 2021 to June 2022.³³

Crystal Watson is a Senior Scholar who co-leads epidemic preparedness projects with Rivers.³⁴

Jassi Pannu, MD is a Senior Scholar focusing on AI-biosecurity issues, who has testified before Congress on these topics.³⁵

Funding

CHS receives funding from multiple sources:

Federal Government: The Center was initially funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services in 1998.³⁶ In 2023, it received a $23.5 million five-year award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for epidemic preparedness.³⁷ It also receives funding from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and Department of Defense.³⁸

Philanthropic Sources: The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation began providing funding to the Center in 2000.³⁹ Coefficient Giving (formerly the Coefficient Giving Project, through Coefficient Giving) has been a major funder, awarding $16 million over three years in January 2017, renewed for $20 million in 2019 and $10 million in 2023.⁴⁰ Coefficient Giving also recommended a grant of $381,220 to support the Health Security Scholars program and $2,744,000 for the Emerging Leaders in Biosecurity Initiative.⁴¹

In November 2024, Sentinel Bio advised an external donor to provide $1,076,000 in general support to strengthen pandemic prevention research and advocacy.⁴²

Reception and Impact

Effective Altruism Community Perspective

Within the effective altruism community, CHS has been viewed positively as a high-impact organization for longtermist biosecurity work. A 2020 EA Forum post argued that CHS was "the best donation opportunity" for addressing global catastrophic biological risks, noting that it exceeded a "very high" cost-effectiveness bar and appealed to both broad donors (due to COVID relevance) and effective altruists focused on preventing future catastrophes.⁴³

Founders Pledge has recommended CHS alongside Stanford's Biosecurity Initiative in their report on safeguarding the long-term future.⁴⁴ The organization's doctoral programs, fully funded by Coefficient Giving, focus on global catastrophic biological risks and health security.⁴⁵

Policy Influence

CHS has influenced major policy decisions, including the US government's procurement of smallpox vaccine stockpiles. Following the 9/11 attacks, when CHS identified that US smallpox vaccine stockpiles had expired, HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson committed to vaccinating every American, with Congress appropriating $3 billion for biodefense.⁴⁶

The Center's "JAMA papers" from 1999-2002 provided the first comprehensive US guidance on responding to biological threats and shaped subsequent preparedness programs.⁴⁷

Criticisms and Controversies

Misinterpretation of SPARS Pandemic Report

In 2017, CHS published "The SPARS Pandemic 2025-2028," a self-guided exercise scenario for exploring hypothetical pandemic response challenges. Social media posts falsely claimed this report predicted a 2025 pandemic and linked it to the 2019 Event 201 simulation, implying premeditated planning of COVID-19. Fact-checking organizations have deemed these claims false, noting the report is an exercise scenario, not a forecast.⁴⁸

Event 201 Timing

Event 201's simulation of a coronavirus pandemic in 2019, months before COVID-19 emerged, led some to question whether the exercise demonstrated foreknowledge. However, the exercise was part of CHS's longstanding work on pandemic preparedness and reflected expert consensus about the likelihood of a coronavirus pandemic.⁴⁹

Biosecurity Policy Debates

In December 2025 congressional testimony, Jassi Pannu highlighted insufficient emphasis on societal-scale risks in defining biosafety levels, which could lead to under-tiering pandemic-capable pathogens. Pannu called for harmonizing NIH and CDC policies and governing the gene synthesis supply chain to prevent bioweapons development or accidents.⁵⁰ These recommendations reflect ongoing debates about balancing scientific freedom with biosecurity concerns.

CHS's 2021 report "National Priorities to Combat Misinformation and Disinformation for COVID-19 and Future Public Health Threats" advocated for a US national strategy to address health misinformation, which could raise concerns among free speech advocates, though no explicit backlash was noted in available sources.⁵¹

Educational Programs

CHS offers doctoral programs focused on health security:

Health Security PhD Track: A full-time, in-person program focused on global catastrophic biological risks, fully funded by Coefficient Giving.⁵²

DrPH Track: A part-time, online program for professionals, also supported by Coefficient Giving.⁵³

Applications for the 2025-2026 academic year opened in 2024, with deadlines through SOPHAS by December 1, 2024.⁵⁴

Key Uncertainties

Several important questions remain about CHS's work and impact:

Effectiveness measurement: While CHS has clearly influenced policy decisions like smallpox vaccine stockpiling, quantitative metrics on lives saved or outbreak severity reductions from its work are not readily available.
AI biosecurity impact: CHS has become a major voice on AI-biotechnology risks since 2023, but the effectiveness of its proposed governance frameworks remains to be demonstrated.
Simulation exercise influence: While exercises like Dark Winter and Event 201 raised awareness, the extent to which they improved actual pandemic response capabilities is unclear.
Funding sustainability: With heavy reliance on Coefficient Giving (over $40 million as of 2022), questions remain about long-term funding diversification.
International reach: While designated as a WHO Collaborating Centre, the practical impact of CHS's international work compared to its US-focused activities is not well documented.

Sources

References

1AI and biosecurity: The need for governance - PubMedpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov·Paper▸

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Claims (1)

In August 2024, CHS led a paper published in Science titled "AI and biosecurity: The need for governance," calling for government evaluation of advanced AI models and implementation of safety measures. The Center has provided policy recommendations on biological data governance, open-source models, export controls, and risk assessment to governments and AI Safety Institutes.

Unsupported10%Feb 22, 2026

“Governments should evaluate advanced models and if needed impose safety measures.”

The source does not mention CHS (Center for Health Security) as the author of the paper. The source does not mention the paper being published in *Science*. The source does not mention policy recommendations on biological data governance, open-source models, export controls, and risk assessment to governments and AI Safety Institutes.

2Fundraising for the Center for Health Security - EA Forumforum.effectivealtruism.org·Blog post▸

forum.effectivealtruism.org

Claims (1)

A 2020 EA Forum post argued that CHS was "the best donation opportunity" for addressing global catastrophic biological risks, noting that it exceeded a "very high" cost-effectiveness bar and appealed to both broad donors (due to COVID relevance) and effective altruists focused on preventing future catastrophes.

Accurate100%Feb 22, 2026

“It seems to me that the John Hopkins Center for Health Security is perhaps the best donation opportunity for both: appealing to non-EAs who want to donate to something COVID-related right now, or in the near future actually being extremely valuable (primarily from a longtermist perspective), whereas many other COVID-related opportunities may be crowded or just perhaps not as cost-effective because the usual EA bar is very, very high”

3Center Research Projects - Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Healthqa.publichealth.jhu.edu▸

qa.publichealth.jhu.edu

Claims (1)

Federal Government: The Center was initially funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services in 1998. In 2023, it received a \$23.5 million five-year award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for epidemic preparedness. It also receives funding from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and Department of Defense.

4Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security - EA Forumforum.effectivealtruism.org·Blog post▸

forum.effectivealtruism.org

Claims (2)

Founders Pledge has recommended CHS alongside Stanford's Biosecurity Initiative in their report on safeguarding the long-term future. The organization's doctoral programs, fully funded by Coefficient Giving, focus on global catastrophic biological risks and health security.

Inaccurate50%Feb 22, 2026

“JHCHS is one of the four organizations recommended by Founders Pledge in their cause report on safeguarding the long-term future .”

WRONG ATTRIBUTION: The source states that Founders Pledge recommends CHS, but does not mention Stanford's Biosecurity Initiative. UNSUPPORTED: The source does not mention doctoral programs or Coefficient Giving.

The move aimed to enhance research on epidemics like Zika, Ebola, and antibiotic resistance. As of May 2022, the Center had received over \$40 million in grants from Coefficient Giving.

Minor issues90%Feb 22, 2026

“As of May 2022, JHCHS has received over $40 million in grants from Open Philanthropy .”

The source states that the Center received over $40 million in grants from Open Philanthropy, not Coefficient Giving.

5Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security - Giving What We Cangivingwhatwecan.org▸

givingwhatwecan.org

Claims (3)

The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security (CHS) is an independent, nonprofit research organization affiliated with Johns Hopkins University and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Founded in 1998, it works to prevent and prepare for epidemics, pandemics, and other health disasters through research, policy analysis, and high-profile simulation exercises.

Minor issues85%Feb 22, 2026

“The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security (CHS) conducts independent research and analysis aimed at preventing and responding to public health crises.”

The claim states that CHS is an 'independent, nonprofit research organization affiliated with Johns Hopkins University and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.' The source only mentions affiliation with Johns Hopkins University, not the Bloomberg School of Public Health. The claim mentions 'high-profile simulation exercises,' but the source only mentions 'tabletop exercises.'

CHS's mission is to "protect people's health from epidemics and disasters and ensure that communities are resilient to major challenges." The organization addresses challenges including emerging infectious diseases, pandemic influenza risk, natural disasters, and biological accidents or intentional threats.

Accurate100%Feb 22, 2026

“CHS’s mission is to “protect people’s health from epidemics and disasters and ensure that communities are resilient to major challenges.””

- Pandemic Prevention Program: Research and policy analysis to enhance global preparedness for infectious diseases and crises.

Accurate100%Feb 22, 2026

“The Pandemic Prevention Program aims to fortify global health by conducting pioneering research and policy analysis to enhance preparedness and response to infectious diseases and public health crises.”

6Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security awarded \$23.5 million CDC grantpublichealth.jhu.edu▸

publichealth.jhu.edu

Claims (1)

Minor issues85%Feb 22, 2026

“The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security has received a five-year $23.5 million award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics to conduct an epidemic preparedness project as part of the CDC’s multisite Outbreak Analytics and Disease Modeling Network.”

The claim that the Center was initially funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services in 1998 is unsupported by the provided source. The claim that the Center receives funding from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and Department of Defense is unsupported by the provided source.

7Center for Health Security rejoins Bloomberg School of Public Healthhub.jhu.edu▸

hub.jhu.edu

Claims (1)

The move aimed to enhance research on epidemics like Zika, Ebola, and antibiotic resistance. As of May 2022, the Center had received over \$40 million in grants from Coefficient Giving.

Inaccurate30%Feb 22, 2026

“Leadership at both the center and the Bloomberg School said they hope that collaboration on current health challenges such as Zika, Ebola, antibiotic resistance, refugee health needs, and the effects of climate change will lead to greater advances against these leading threats.”

unsupported unsupported

8Applications now open for Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security doctoral programs - EA Forumforum.effectivealtruism.org·Blog post▸

forum.effectivealtruism.org

Claims (4)

Minor issues80%Feb 22, 2026

“Applications are now open for the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security's two doctoral degree tracks for the 2025-2026 academic year, which provide advanced training in health security and pandemic response and preparedness at the Bloomberg School of Public Health.”

The source states that funding is provided by Open Philanthropy, not Coefficient Giving. The source does not mention Founders Pledge or Stanford's Biosecurity Initiative.

Health Security PhD Track: A full-time, in-person program focused on global catastrophic biological risks, fully funded by Coefficient Giving.

Minor issues90%Feb 22, 2026

“Full-time, In-person Health Security PhD Track : This program focuses on Global Catastrophic Biological Risks (GCBRs). Full funding is available for selected students.”

The funding is provided by Open Philanthropy, not Coefficient Giving.

DrPH Track: A part-time, online program for professionals, also supported by Coefficient Giving.

Minor issues80%Feb 22, 2026

“Part-Time, Online Health Security DrPH Track : Designed for working professionals, this program supports leadership and practice in public health emergencies.”

The source mentions that funding for the DrPH track is provided by Open Philanthropy, not Coefficient Giving.

+1 more claims

9John Hopkins Center's pandemic preparedness report misinterpreted - Factlyfactly.in▸

factly.in

Claims (1)

Fact-checking organizations have deemed these claims false, noting the report is an exercise scenario, not a forecast.

Accurate100%Feb 22, 2026

“The John Hopkins Center for Health Security published this report in 2017, intending it for self-guided exercises to examine potential challenges that could arise in a pandemic. However, this report has been misinterpreted as forecasting a potential outbreak in 2025.”

10Coefficient Giving Grant - Emerging Leaders in Biosecurity Initiativeopenphilanthropy.org▸

openphilanthropy.org

Claims (1)

Sloan Foundation began providing funding to the Center in 2000. Coefficient Giving (formerly the Open Philanthropy Project, through Coefficient Giving) has been a major funder, awarding \$16 million over three years in January 2017, renewed for \$20 million in 2019 and \$10 million in 2023. Open Philanthropy also recommended a grant of \$381,220 to support the Health Security Scholars program and \$2,744,000 for the Emerging Leaders in Biosecurity Initiative.

11Sentinel Bio Grant - Johns Hopkins Center for Health Securitysentinelbio.org▸

sentinelbio.org

Claims (1)

In November 2024, Sentinel Bio advised an external donor to provide \$1,076,000 in general support to strengthen pandemic prevention research and advocacy.

12Jassi Pannu Congressional Testimonycongress.gov·Government▸

congress.gov

Claims (3)

Pannu advocated for oversight of biological AI models, safety evaluations, and mitigations against accidents and misuse, such as large language models enabling bioweapon design.

Jassi Pannu, MD is a Senior Scholar focusing on AI-biosecurity issues, who has testified before Congress on these topics.

Pannu called for harmonizing NIH and CDC policies and governing the gene synthesis supply chain to prevent bioweapons development or accidents. These recommendations reflect ongoing debates about balancing scientific freedom with biosecurity concerns.

13Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org·Reference▸

en.wikipedia.org

Claims (19)

The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security (CHS) is an independent, nonprofit research organization affiliated with Johns Hopkins University and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Founded in 1998, it works to prevent and prepare for epidemics, pandemics, and other health disasters through research, policy analysis, and high-profile simulation exercises.

Since 2023, it has significantly expanded its work on the convergence of artificial intelligence and biotechnology (AIxBio), examining biosecurity risks from AI-enabled biological research.

The Center is designated an official Collaborating Centre of the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization, and provides policy recommendations to governments worldwide including the United States Government, the European Union, and the United Nations Biological Weapons Convention. Its work combines independent research, policy engagement with scholars and policymakers, advocacy for stronger health security policies, and education of the next generation of health security professionals.

+16 more claims

14Meeting COVID-19 Misinformation and Disinformation Head Onpublichealth.jhu.edu▸

publichealth.jhu.edu

Claims (1)

Accurate100%Feb 22, 2026

“The Center for Health Security’s new report, National Priorities to Combat Misinformation and Disinformation for COVID-19 and Future Public Health Threats: A Call for a National Strategy , offers a comprehensive plan for a national approach to stamping out mis- and disinformation.”

15Center for Health Security - Founders Pledge Researchfounderspledge.com▸

founderspledge.com

Claims (5)

The Center is designated an official Collaborating Centre of the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization, and provides policy recommendations to governments worldwide including the United States Government, the European Union, and the United Nations Biological Weapons Convention. Its work combines independent research, policy engagement with scholars and policymakers, advocacy for stronger health security policies, and education of the next generation of health security professionals.

Minor issues85%Feb 22, 2026

“CHS focuses on reducing biological risk by: 7 Conducting research and analysis on major health security issues. Engaging with scholars, the policymaking community and the private sector. Advocating for stronger health security policies at the local, national and international level. Convening working groups, conferences and congressional seminars, including interviews and op-eds in The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, The New Yorker, Vox, UKTelegraph, The Hill, Science, Nature and The Atlantic. 8 Educating the next generation of scholars, practitioners and policymakers in the field.”

The claim that the Center provides policy recommendations to governments worldwide including the United States Government, the European Union, and the United Nations Biological Weapons Convention is not explicitly stated in the source. The source mentions that CHS experts have advised officials at several national and international organizations, including the White House, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Economic Forum. It also states that CHS is a trusted source of independent advice to the US government and is developing relationships with government partners in other key countries. However, it does not specifically mention providing policy recommendations to the European Union or the United Nations Biological Weapons Convention. The claim that the Center is designated an official Collaborating Centre of the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization is not explicitly stated in the source.

One of the Center's early achievements was proposing that the US Government procure 40 million doses of stockpiled smallpox vaccine, a proposal supported by President Bill Clinton. Between 1999 and 2002, CHS published influential "JAMA papers" providing guidance on medical responses to anthrax, smallpox, plague, botulinum toxin, and Ebola—guidance that had been lacking in the US government prior to this work. These recommendations were subsequently incorporated into the US Hospital Preparedness Program, bio-surveillance systems, countermeasures development, and pandemic planning.

Minor issues85%Feb 22, 2026

“Between 1999 and 2002, CHS published the “ JAMA papers ”, which provided seminal guidance for the medical and institutional response to anthrax, smallpox, plague, botulinum and Ebola. Prior to this, the US government lacked any guidance on these issues. Through its research and advocacy work, foundational recommendations made by CHS were incorporated into the US Hospital Preparedness Program, as well as US programs and national strategies on bio-surveillance, medical countermeasure development, and pandemic planning and response.”

The source does not mention that President Bill Clinton supported the proposal to procure 40 million doses of stockpiled smallpox vaccine. The source does not mention that the recommendations were subsequently incorporated into bio-surveillance systems, countermeasures development, and pandemic planning. It only mentions that the recommendations were incorporated into the US Hospital Preparedness Program.

He served on the 2016 Working Group assessing US biosecurity for the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

Accurate100%Feb 22, 2026

“CHS is led by Professor Tom Inglesby , whose work is internationally recognized in the field of health security. He is a recent former Chair of the Board of Scientific Counselors, Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and, among other roles, was on the 2016 Working Group assessing US biosecurity on behalf of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.”

+2 more claims

16Epidemic preparedness at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Securityhub.jhu.edu▸

hub.jhu.edu

Claims (2)

She was the founding associate director of the CDC Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics from August 2021 to June 2022.

Accurate100%Feb 22, 2026

“Rivers returned to the Center for Health Security last year after serving as the CDC's Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics founding associate director from August 2021 to June 2022.”

Crystal Watson is a Senior Scholar who co-leads epidemic preparedness projects with Rivers.

Accurate100%Feb 22, 2026

“The project is led by Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security senior scholars Caitlin Rivers and Crystal Watson.”

17Biosecurity and Emerging Threats Research - Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Healthpublichealth.jhu.edu▸

publichealth.jhu.edu

Claims (3)

- COPEWELL: A conceptual framework and system dynamics model for predicting community functioning and resilience after disasters.

Accurate100%Feb 22, 2026

“COPEWELL: A Conceptual Framework and System Dynamics Model for Predicting Community Functioning and Resilience After Disasters”

- Global Catastrophic Biological Risks (GCBRs): Framework to define and analyze GCBRs, involving expert consultations to advance policy and protections against high-impact biological threats.

Accurate100%Feb 22, 2026

“The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security is working to analyze and deepen scientific dialogue regarding potential global catastrophic biological risks (GCBRs) , in a continuation of its mission to reduce the consequences of epidemics and disasters. Because GCBRs constitute an emerging policy concern and area of practice, we have developed a framework to guide our work. We invited experts from a variety of disciplines to engage with our underlying concepts and assumptions to refine collective thinking on GCBRs and thus advance protections against them.”

- Scarce Resource Allocation During Disasters: Mixed-method community engagement study on ethical allocation of ventilators during pandemics, informing statewide frameworks.

Accurate100%Feb 22, 2026

“Scarce Resource Allocation During Disasters: A Mixed Method Community Engagement Study During a catastrophe, health-care providers may face difficult questions regarding who will receive limited life-saving resources. The ethical principles that should guide decision-making have been considered by expert panels but have not been well explored with the public or front-line clinicians. The objective of this study was to characterize the public’s values regarding how scarce mechanical ventilators should be allocated during an influenza pandemic, with the ultimate goal of informing a statewide scare resource allocation framework.”

Citation verification: 14 verified, 2 flagged, 28 unchecked of 54 total

Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security