(Updated on 12 December 2022)
After careful consideration of all applications submitted to WHO, the following individuals are proposed for membership of the WHO Health Security Interface – Technical Advisory Group (HSI-TAG).
Following the re-opening of the call on 12 September 2022, the Secretariat is adding one additional member to the original 17, for a total of 18. The name of the additional proposed member can be found at the bottom of the list, which will now be subject to a two-week public comment period.
The HSI-TAG will provide independent advice to the WHO including its strategic priorities and plans of action on specific topics relating to the health security interface.
The 18 proposed HSI-TAG members have expertise in a range of areas including, but not limited to, the following:
- public health intelligence;
- chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) preparedness experience;
- civil military relations;
- risk communications;
- misinformation/disinformation;
- biosafety and biosecurity;
- national and international policy, regulation and guidance.
The composition of the HSI-TAG properly reflects geographic and gender diversity.
As per WHO processes, there will now be a two-week public consultation period for WHO to receive feedback on the proposed HSI-TAG members and set in place the modalities for the HSI-TAG’s first meeting, which is planned to take place following this consultation period.
The final membership to the HSI-TAG is subject to the above-mentioned public consultation period and relevant WHO practices and procedures.
Functions of the HSI-TAG
In its capacity as an advisory body to WHO, the HSI-TAG shall have the following functions:
- To identify gaps, vulnerabilities, challenges, and opportunities within the health security interface,
- To provide WHO with the technical and scientific advice relevant to the health security interface and the work of the BSP unit,
- To advise WHO on a platform for information sharing, with the WHO’s international and other partners from health and security sectors.
WHO will be finalizing the appointment of the first 17 members in the coming days following the review of comments received during their notice period.
The members are to serve in their personal capacities to represent the broad range of disciplines relevant to the health security interface. In evaluating the applications submitted, consideration was given to attaining an adequate distribution of technical expertise, geographical representation and gender balance.
Proposed HSI-TAG members
- Dr Maryam Kamkar is a research biologist at the Public Health Agency of Canada. She is from Iran and Canada.
- Dr Tom Inglesby is the Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and Professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He has a Joint Appointment in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He is from the U.S.
- Prof Roman Wölfel is the director of the Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, and a consulting microbiologist, virologist and infectious disease epidemiologist. He is an Adjunct Professor at the Technical University of Munich. He is from Germany.
- Ms Judith Chukwuebinim Okolo is an Assistant Chief Scientific Officer in the Biosafety and Risk Management (BRM) Unit, of the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Abuja. She is from Nigeria.
- Prof (Dr) Shally Awasthi is the Dean, Research and Development and Head of the Department of Pediatrics and Medical Education at King George’s Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow, UP, India. She is from India.
- Dr (Prof) Kiyosu Taniguchi is the Director General at National Hospital Organization Mie National Hospital and concurrently the Professor of Cooperative Graduate School of Medicine, Mie University. He is from Japan.
- Prof Paul Arbon is the Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor and Director of the Torrens Resilience Initiative at Flinders University. He is from Australia.
- Dr Filippa Lentzos is Reader (Associate Professor) in Science & International Security at King’s College London, where she is jointly appointed in the Department of War Studies and the Department of Global Health & Social Medicine. She is from Norway.
- Ms. Mayra Ameneiros is a Research Associate at the Centre for Science and Security Studies, King’s College London, United Kingdom. She is from Argentina.
- MG (ret) Daniel Tjen is the Commissioner at Mayapada Healthcare Group. He is from Indonesia.
- Dr Kathleen Vogel is Professor at the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and Senior Global Futures Scientist, Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University. She is from the United States of America.
- Prof Riadh Allani is a faculty member teaching Preventive & Community Medicine (Epidemiology & Public Health) since 2009 at the Faculty of Medicine / University of Tunis El Manar (Tunisia). He is from Tunisia.
- Dr Guilhem Larigauderie is a biologist by training, currently employed by the French Ministry of Defence. He is from France.
- Associate Professor Poh Lian Lim is Director of the High-Level Isolation Unit, National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Head of the Travellers’ Health and Vaccination Clinic, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, and Senior Consultant with Ministry of Health, Singapore. She is originally from Malaysia and the United States, and a Singapore permanent resident.
- Mr Geofrey Jagero is a Senior Technical Advisor – Biosafety/Biosecurity at the Division of Global Health Protection, US CDC Kenya. He is from Kenya.
- Lieutenant Colonel Veterinarian Júlio Carvalho is the Head of Quality Management Department and Biosafety/Biosecurity Officer at the Biological Defense Laboratory, National advisor for the Biological Weapons Convention and Global Partnership against the spread of weapons and materials of mass destruction, and nominated expert for the United Nations Secretary-General’s Mechanism for the investigation of alleged use of chemical and biological weapons. He is from Portugal.
- Prof Peter Blain is Emeritus Professor in the Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, at Newcastle University, UK and Honorary Consultant in Emergency Response Medicine at the UK Health Security Agency. He is from the United Kingdom.
- Dr Nisreen AL-Hmoud is the Director of Bio-Safety & Bio-Security Centre at the Royal Scientific Society, Jordan. She is from Jordan.
Pursuant to WHO’s rules and practices, and in order to enhance WHO’s management of conflicts of interest, as well as strengthen public trust and transparency in connection with WHO advisory groups involving the provision of technical advice, the names and brief biographies of the individuals selected for HSI-TAG Membership are now disclosed for public notice and comment.
Should you wish to comment on the individuals, please send your comments to BSP@who.int with subject, “Public comments on HSI-TAG members,” by 27 December 2022, 18:00 CET.
WHO will treat the comments received through this public notice and comment process confidentially. Comments and perceptions brought to the attention of WHO through this process are an integral component of WHO’s conflict of interest assessment policy and will, subject to WHO’s rules, practices, and policies, be carefully reviewed by WHO. WHO reserves the right to discuss information received through this process with the relevant expert and otherwise within the Organization as appropriate, with no attribution to the provider of the information. WHO, may, in its sole discretion, take appropriate action in accordance with its rules, practices, and policies, based on any information received.
Disclaimer:
In order to enhance its management of Conflicts of Interest as well as strengthen public trust and transparency in connection with WHO meetings involving the provision of technical/normative advice, the names and brief biographies of individuals (“Published Information”) being considered for participation in such meetings are disclosed for public notice and comment.
The Published Information is provided by the experts themselves and is the sole responsibility of the individuals concerned. WHO is not responsible for the accuracy, veracity and completeness of the Published Information provided. Furthermore, in no event will WHO be responsible or liable for damages in relation to the use of, and reliance upon, the Published Information.
The comments received by WHO through the public notice and comment process are treated confidentially and their receipt will be acknowledged through a generic email notification to the sender. Comments and perceptions brought to the knowledge of WHO through this process are an integral component of WHO’s conflict of interest assessment policy and are carefully reviewed. WHO reserves the right to discuss information received through this process with the relevant expert with no attribution to the provider of such information. Upon review and assessment of the information received through this process, WHO, in its sole discretion, may take appropriate management action in accordance with its policies.
The participation of an expert in a WHO meeting does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the World Health Organization nor does it create a binding relationship between the expert and WHO.
The list of participating experts, a summary of relevant interests disclosed by such experts, and any appropriate mitigation measures taken by WHO relating to the management of conflicts of interests, will be reported publically in accordance with WHO practice.