On Friday, April 10, at 10:00 a.m. ET, the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense at the Atlantic Council will host its latest meeting, examining how biodefense technology innovators are achieving success and taking on challenges in an ever-changing threat environment. The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and the School of Public Health are co-hosting the commission as it visits Ann Arbor for the first time.

Biotechnology has accelerated at a rapid pace, driven in part by federal investment and policy. Advances in biological sciences create new opportunities for addressing biological events, and the public and private sectors at all levels have a role to play in bolstering these efforts. This meeting of the commission will discuss the biological threat to humans, food and agriculture. The discussions will also touch upon the state of biotechnology innovation and federal regulation, research, and development activities.

Commissioner Fred Upton, former Michigan congressman, will be part of the program along with Arthur Lupia, vice president for research and innovation at U-M. The School of Public Health will be represented during the meeting by Chief Health Policy Officer Anand Parekh and adjunct faculty member Natasha Bagdasarian, Chief Medical Executive for the State of Michigan.

New policy: In-person attendees will be required to show photo ID upon arrival, and no on-site registration will be permitted.