Virtual Program—Biological and chemical weapons security and the war in Ukraine

Watch the Bulletin virtual program “Biological and chemical weapons security and the war in Ukraine” featuring Asha George and Robert Pope in conversation with Matt Field.  

These experts discussed topics like the role of US-supported biological labs in Ukraine, what Russia’s alleged use of poisons and chemical weapons in the past says about its intentions for use in the future, and how disinformation about the use of biological weapons in Ukraine weakens global security. Watch a recording of the program above to learn more. 

Read the read the Bulletin’s breaking Ukraine coverage here and listen to all of our virtual programs.  

Asha George is the executive director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense. She is a public health security professional whose research and programmatic emphasis has been practical, academic, and political. George served in the US House of Representatives as a senior professional staffer and subcommittee staff director at the House Committee on Homeland Security in the 110th and 111th Congress. She has worked for a variety of organizations, including government contractors, foundations, and non-profits. As a contractor, she supported and worked with all federal Departments, especially the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services. George also served on active duty in the US Army as a military intelligence officer and as a paratrooper. She is a decorated Desert Storm Veteran. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Natural Sciences from Johns Hopkins University, a Master of Science in Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Doctorate in Public Health from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She is also a graduate of the Harvard University National Preparedness Leadership Initiative. 

Robert Pope, a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES), is the Director of the Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) Directorate for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). In his role as the Director, he executes the CTR mission of working with international partners to eliminate weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and related materials, including delivery systems, to provide safe and secure storage for materials of concern, and to detect and prevent WMD proliferation or the spread of especially dangerous diseases. Pope holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Physics from the Air Force Institute of Technology. 

Matt Field is Editor, Disruptive Technologies at the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Before joining the Bulletin, he covered the White House, Congress, and presidential campaigns as a news producer for Japanese public television. He has also reported for print outlets in the Midwest and on the East Coast. He holds a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University.