Dr. Yong-Bee Lim, Deputy Director, Converging Risks Lab & Biosecurity Projects Manager, Council on Strategic Risks

July 24, 2024

In this episode, we discuss the availability and use of open-source data to monitor BWC-related activities. Dr. Lim is leading a study to identify tools, techniques, and sources to support the ability to identify, track, and evaluate biological activities using publicly available information. Open-source analysis of biological activities, facilities, programs, and capabilities has been revolutionized through the convergence of radically expanded public access to data previosuly only available to state-level intelligence agencies and the emergence of advanced analytic tools, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). These new capabilities potentially offer civil society experts—or state governments without advanced intelligence programs—the opportunity to identify trends and patterns in data that can provide insight into the nature of biological activities.

Dr. Kelly Chibale, Founder & Director, University of Cape Town Holistic Drug Discovery & Development Centre

April 23, 2024

In this episode, we discuss the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in drug discovery, particularly in lower-resource settings. AI typically requires advanced computing infrastructure and tremendous power and other resources to utilize, but Dr. Chibale's team at the University of Cape Town (South Africa) has adapted these tools for use on lower-capacity computing systems. Their principal aim is to support African-centric drug discovery, utilizing data from local populations and tailoring products to their specific genotypic and phenotypic characteristics.

Dr. David Williams, Chief of the Division of Hematology & Oncology at Boston Children’s Hospital, Associate Chairman of the Department of Pediatric Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Leland Fikes Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School

March 15, 2024

In this episode, we discuss advances in gene therapy and its use in treating pediatric patients. Using modified viruses as delivery vehicles, researchers and clinicians can target therapies to specific types of cells, providing patients with long-lasting—and potentially life-long—treatments for a variety of severe genetic conditions. Future advances hope to make these therapies less expensive, less invasive, and more accessible for patients around the world and to expand their use for more common conditions.