Johns Hopkins Center for Civilian Biodefense Strategies (1998–2003)
Center for Biosecurity of UPMC (2003–2013)
UPMC Center for Health Security (2013–2017)
The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security (abbreviated CHS) is an independent, nonprofit organization of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The center works to protect people's health from epidemics and pandemics and ensures that communities are resilient to major challenges. The center is also concerned with biological weapons and the biosecurity implications of emerging biotechnology.
The Center for Health Security began as the Johns Hopkins Center for Civilian Biodefense Strategies (CCBS) in 1998 at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.[5]D. A. Henderson served as the founding director.[6] At that time, the center was the first and only academic center focused on biosecurity policy and practice.[citation needed]
At one point around 2003, CHS had become part of a new umbrella organization called the Institute for Global Health and Security at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.[5][7][8]
In November 2003, some of the leaders left Johns Hopkins to join the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), and launched their own Center for Biosecurity of UPMC. This move apparently split the organization in two, and it is unclear what happened to the old organization.[5]
On April 30, 2013, the UPMC Center changed its name from "Center for Biosecurity of UPMC" to "UPMC Center for Health Security". This name change reflected a broadening of the scope of CHS's work.[citation needed]
In 2002, the center received a $1 million grant from the US federal government.[10]
Before 2017, CHS was heavily reliant on government funding.[1]
In January 2017, the Open Philanthropy Project awarded a $16 million grant over three years to the Center for Health Security.[1][11][12] Another grant of $19.5 million was awarded in September 2019.[13]
The Center for Health Security publishes three online newsletters:
Clinicians' Biosecurity News (formerly the Clinicians' Biosecurity Network Report), published twice each month[14]
Health Security Headlines, a news digest published 3 times a week[15] (previously called Biosecurity Briefing,[16] then Biosecurity News in Brief starting in 2009,[17] then Biosecurity News Today starting in 2010 or 2011,[18] and finally Health Security Headlines starting in 2013;[19][20] the digest used to also be weekly until in February 2009, HSH was published daily from 2009 until late 2021 when it was changed to 3 times per week to accommodate the COVID-19 Update briefings published twice a week since January 2020)[21]
It maintains and edits a peer-reviewed journal Health Security which is part of the Mary Ann Liebert publishing group.
It also provides editorial oversight for the journal Health Security,[23] which was launched in 2003 and called Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Biodefense Strategy, Practice, and Science until 2015.[24]
CHS published the blogThe Bifurcated Needle until 2020.[25]
The Open Philanthropy Project's grant writeup of CHS noted several publications:[1]
The center has published in journals including JAMA and The Lancet. A full list of publications is available on the CHS website. As of February 2017[update], the list shows more than 400 publications.[26]
From June 22–23, 2001, CHS co-hosted Operation Dark Winter, a senior-level bioterrorism attack simulation involving a covert and widespread smallpox attack on the United States.
On May 15, 2018, the Center hosted Clade X,[27] a day-long pandemic tabletop exercise that simulated a series of National Security Council–convened meetings of 10 US government leaders, played by individuals prominent in the fields of national security or epidemic response.
Drawing from actual events, Clade X identified important policy issues and preparedness challenges that could be solved with sufficient political will and attention. These issues were designed in a narrative to engage and educate the participants and the audience.
Clade X was livestreamed on Facebook and extensive materials from the exercise are available online.[28][29]
On October 18, 2019, the CHS partnered with the World Economic Forum and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to host the tabletop exercise Event 201 in New York City.[30][31] According to the CHS, "the exercise illustrated areas where public/private partnerships will be necessary during the response to a severe pandemic in order to diminish large-scale economic and societal consequences".[30]
Event 201 simulated the effects of a fictional coronavirus passing to humans via infected pig farms in Brazil with "no possibility of a vaccine being available in the first year".[32] The simulation ended after 18 months and projected 65 million deaths from the coronavirus.[32]
^ abcRoos, Robert (September 23, 2003). "Johns Hopkins biodefense experts head in new direction". CIDRAP. Retrieved February 8, 2017. the four full-time faculty members and 16 administrative staff members of the CCBS are all leaving Hopkins to join the UPMC. 'No decision has been made exactly what to do with the Center for Civilian Biodefense Strategies, whether it'll have a new direction or mission incorporated into some other center,' [Tim Parsons] said. 'But its biodefense activities will be incorporated in some way into the new initiative of the Institute for Global Health Security.'
^UPMC Center for Health Security (January 18, 2017). "D. A. Henderson". Retrieved February 10, 2017. He was Dean Emeritus and Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and a Founding Director (1998) of the Johns Hopkins Center for Civilian Biodefense Strategies.
^JH Bloomberg School of Public Health (September 16, 2003). "Institute for Global Health and Security". Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
^Price Tyson (January 16, 2017). "Center for Health Security Joins Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School". Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. Retrieved February 8, 2017. the Center for Health Security, which had previously been affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), has joined the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
^JH Bloomberg School of Public Health (January 7, 2002). "Biodefense Center to Receive $1 Million". Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
^"Hopkins' Center for Health Security gets $16M grant". Maryland Daily Record. Associated Press. February 8, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Center for Health Security has been awarded a three-year, $16 million grant to support work on strengthening health security and public health preparedness.
^Center for Biosecurity of UPMC (September 21, 2007). "Biosecurity Briefing". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^Center for Biosecurity of UPMC (July 15, 2011). "Biosecurity News Today". Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved February 10, 2017. Biosecurity News Today{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^Solomon, John (February 5, 2009). "Weekly "Biosecurity Briefing" E-Newsletter Is Becoming A Daily". In Case Of Emergency, Read Blog. Retrieved February 10, 2017. I am happy to report that a helpful weekly email resource is going daily beginning this Monday. The Biosecurity Briefing, published by the Baltimore-based Center for Biosecurity of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, is being expanded.
^Rob Adams (January 18, 2017). "Our Work". Retrieved February 9, 2017. Journal: The Center provides editorial oversight for the peer-reviewed journal, Health Security, which is published 6 times per year.
