Speaker biographies

Professor Wendy Barclay CBE FMedSci is the Regius Professor of Infectious Disease and Head of the Department of Infectious Disease at Imperial College London, where she holds the Action Medical Research Chair in Virology. Her career spans fundamental research, pandemic preparedness and national scientific advisory roles, with a focus on understanding the molecular and cellular basis of respiratory virus pathogenesis, host range and transmissibility. She played a central role in the UK's response to COVID-19 as a key member of the Imperial College London COVID Response Team and has served on advisory bodies including the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.

Professor Leon Barron is Professor of Analytical and Environmental Sciences at Imperial College London. His research focuses on the detection and monitoring of chemical and biological signals in wastewater and the environment, using advanced mass spectrometry and computational methods to generate near real-time intelligence on population health and environmental exposure. His wastewater surveillance work includes large-scale studies tracking public health trends in collaboration with UKHSA, the UK Home Office and the National Crime Agency. Professor Barron brings a distinctive and practically grounded perspective on how wastewater-based surveillance can serve as a powerful, scalable tool for monitoring population-level threats and informing timely public health and security responses. 

Jonathan Black is a strategist, senior adviser and systems leader with 20+ years’ experience at the centre of the UK government across economic, security and international issues. Most recently prior to leaving government, he served as the Prime Minister’s G7 / G20 Sherpa and Deputy National Security Adviser for Economics. He was CEO for the UK’s 2021 Presidency of the G7 during Covid-19 and alongside its Presidency of COP26. He was the Prime Minister’s Representative for the pioneering UK-hosted AI Safety Summit in 2023.  He was Heywood Fellow at the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford in 2023, is an Emeritus Governor of the London School of Economics, and is now a Visiting Distinguished Fellow at the School of International Public Affairs’ Global Energy Center at Columbia University. 

Kristof Bonnarens is Deputy Head of Unit at the European Commission's Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), the Directorate-General established in September 2021 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent, detect and rapidly respond to health emergencies across the European Union. In his role, Kristof contributes to the work of an authority that sits at the heart of Europe's efforts to move from ad hoc crisis response to structured, long-term health security preparedness. Drawing on experience within the European Commission and a close engagement with HERA's mission to strengthen the EU's collective resilience, he brings a valuable institutional perspective on how coordinated multilateral action, industrial partnership and evidence-based policy can underpin effective preparedness against the full spectrum of cross-border health threats. 

Dr Janet Martha Blatny is a senior scientist at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI), where she has contributed extensively to research at the intersection of national defence, security and resilience, including climate and security. With expertise in biotechnology engineering and the development of strategies to strengthen resilience against biological risks, her work has supported both scientific advancement and practical preparedness planning. 

Prior to his appointment at Imperial, Professor Hugh Brady served as Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bristol from 2015 to 2022, and President of University College Dublin (UCD) from 2004 to 2013. A graduate of UCD, Professor Brady trained in general medicine and nephrology, and was awarded PhD and MD degrees for research in renal physiology and molecular medicine, respectively. His academic career as a physician-scientist included positions at Harvard Medical School, the University of Toronto and UCD. He is an international authority on the pathogenesis of renal inflammation and diabetic kidney disease. Professor Brady is a recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Science from the Queen’s University Belfast, Honorary Fellowships from the Royal College of Anaesthetists in Ireland and Royal College of Physicians London, and the Robert Menzies Medal from the University of Melbourne. 

Max Breet is a former Royal Marines Commando turned defence technology leader. At Anduril Industries and Ginkgo Bioworks, he drove go-to-market strategy across the UK and EMEA, focusing on building and scaling defence and national security partnerships at the frontier of AI, autonomy and biotechnology. 

Professor Dr Andrea Büttner is Managing Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging (IVV) and heading the Chair of Aroma and Smell Research at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg. Her responsibilities are leading research initiatives for enhancing food safety and quality, developing sustainable packaging solutions, and promoting circular economy practices. 

Mr Chen Yeang Tat is the Deputy Chief Executive (Operations) of the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX). He oversees the centralised Operations & Support of all Home Team asset comprising front-end EUC devices & sensors to back-end ICT infra, systems, networks, buildings & infrastructure, vessels, vehicles and specialised equipment. In addition, he oversees the procurement and corporate services and finance functions. 

Prior to joining HTX, Mr Chen held various key appointments in MINDEF, DSTA and the SAF. He was Director Industry and Resources Policy Office at Mindef, Director Naval at DSTA as well as Head Naval Logistics and Commander Naval Logistics Command in the Republic of Singapore Navy. 

Mr Chen has a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Nanyang Technological University and Master of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from University of Michigan, USA. Mr Chen was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Military, Bronze) in 2006, Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 2018 and Public Administration Medal (Silver)(Covid-19) in 2023. 

Professor Neil Ferguson OBE FMedSci is a Professor of Mathematical Biology and Director of the School of Public Health at Imperial College London, where he also serves as founding Director of the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis and heads the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit for Modelling and Health Economics. Professor Ferguson’s career has been defined by the application of mathematical and statistical models to understand the transmission, evolution and control of infectious diseases, spanning COVID-19, influenza, Ebola, SARS, MERS, dengue, Zika, HIV and foot-and-mouth disease. He has consistently worked at the interface of science and policy, advising the UK government, the World Health Organization and numerous other bodies on emerging infections and epidemic dynamics, and played a central role in the real-time modelling that informed national and international responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Dr Charles Fracchia is the CEO of Black Mesa, and chairman of the BIO-ISAC non-profit. Black Mesa has defended more than $6.6Bn of biomanufacturing workflows critical to health security in the US and allied countries, and is developing GxP practices for AI (GAIP). From 2021 to 2025, Dr Fracchia was named to DARPA’s ISAT study group to anticipate strategic surprise. 

Professor Azra Ghani MBE FMedSci is a Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Imperial College London and the National University of Singapore, and serves as Academic Director of Imperial Global Singapore. Her research has advanced understanding of the transmission and control of major infectious diseases and has informed responses to outbreaks including SARS, influenza and COVID-19, as well as longer-term strategies for malaria elimination. She has advised governments in the UK and internationally, together with multilateral organisations including WHO, The Global Fund, Gavi and CEPI, and has worked with industry to guide the development and market shaping of new diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics. 

Dr Richard Hatchett is CEO of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a partnership of public, private, philanthropic and civil organizations that supports the development of vaccines against high priority public health threats and technology platforms to allow the rapid development of vaccines against emerging infectious diseases.  Dr. Hatchett was previously the acting Director of BARDA in US, and served as Director of Medical Preparedness Policy on the Homeland and National Security Councils under Presidents Bush and Obama.  He has a medical degree from Vanderbilt and completed clinical training in internal medicine and medical oncology at Cornell and Duke. 

Professor Susan Hopkins CBE is the Chief Executive Officer of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the executive agency responsible for protecting the nation against infectious diseases and environmental hazards. A Professor of Infectious Diseases and Health Security at University College London, she also continues to practise clinically as a consultant in Infectious Diseases and Microbiology at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. Her career spans academic research, frontline clinical work and senior public health leadership, including serving as UKHSA's inaugural Chief Medical Advisor, National Strategic Response Director for COVID-19, and Deputy Director for Antimicrobial Resistance at Public Health England.   

Dr Nicholas Joad is one of the United Kingdom's leading figures at the intersection of defence science, technology strategy and research investment. As Director of Defence Science and Technology (OCSA) at the Ministry of Defence, he leads a directorate of approximately 180 specialists responsible for defining the UK's defence science and technology strategy, commissioning the MOD's core research programme, and driving defence innovation. As Deputy Chief Scientific Advisor to the Ministry of Defence, Dr Joad provides direct advice to ministers and senior officials on science and technology matters, shapes policy across critical domains including cyber, space, chemical and biological defence, and manages the UK's international research collaborations with close allies. Dr Joad sits at the heart of the UK's defence research enterprise, overseeing the investment of the departmental science and technology budget in ground-breaking programmes that sustain cutting-edge capabilities for the armed forces. 

Jeff Kaufman is Director of Detection at SecureBio, a biosecurity organisation dedicated to defending against biological threats through advanced surveillance and detection capabilities. Leading the team formerly known as the Nucleic Acid Observatory, Kaufman oversees the development of pathogen-agnostic early warning systems designed to detect novel and engineered biological threats before they can spread at scale. His work spans the full detection pipeline, from wastewater and nasal swab sampling through deep metagenomic sequencing to the computational methods used to identify genetic engineering signatures and anomalous pathogen growth patterns. Jeff brings a distinctive, interdisciplinary perspective on how rigorous science and innovative engineering can underpin the early warning systems the world needs to defend against stealth pandemics and engineered biological threats.

Professor Paul Kellam FMedSci is a Professor of Virus Genomics at Imperial College London, with a career spanning academic research, the pharmaceutical industry and national scientific advisory roles. He has held senior positions at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, and currently serves as Chief Scientific Officer at RQ Biotechnology. His research spans antiviral drug resistance, vaccine-relevant antibody biology and the genomic analysis of emerging pathogens and he has co-authored influential work on the dynamics of immune responses to COVID-19 with Professor Wendy Barclay. Professor Kellam served as a scientific advisor to the UK's COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force, bringing direct experience of the interface between cutting-edge science, industrial capacity and the policy decisions that shape national and international responses to biological threats. 

Natalie Kempston is Deputy Director for National Security and Operational Response at the Department of Health and Social Care, where she leads work at the intersection of health resilience, emergency preparedness and national security. With significant experience in strategic response planning, cross-government coordination and operational resilience, she supports the development of policies and capabilities designed to strengthen the UK's readiness for major incidents, biological threats and public health emergencies.

Professor Dr Rune Linding completed his PhD at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, followed by postdoctoral training at EMBL. He then jointly trained with professors Tony Pawson and Mike Yaffe at the Lunenfeld at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Canada, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, US, respectively. Dr Linding then established his own laboratory of Cellular & Molecular Logic at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London, UK, before returning to Denmark to take a position as professor of cellular signal integration at the Technical University of Denmark. In 2014, Dr Linding moved his laboratory to the Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC) at University of Copenhagen where he was professor of cellular signaling. His research group focused on big data network biology and AI, SciML, deep machine learning, exploring biological systems by developing and deploying algorithms aimed to predict cell behavior, in particular looking at cellular signal processing and decision making. Subsequently he moved to Berlin to jointly lead the Klipp-Linding Lab with Prof Edda Klipp. A strategic focus is to continue to develop machine learning based tools (such as ReKINect, KinomeXplorer, NetworKIN, and NetPhorest) and to deploy these on genome-scale quantitative data obtained by, for example, mass spectrometry, genomic, and phenotypic screens to understand the principles of how spatio and temporal assembly of mammalian signaling networks transmit and process information at a systems level in order to alter cell behavior. A major aim of the lab is to advance network medicine by identifying and targeting signaling networks associated with complex diseases. To this end Dr Linding is currently leading high-level, strategic, multidisciplinary studies of signaling network dynamics driving cancer metastasis in collaboration with other labs at Stanford, Harvard, MIT, Yale, Kyoto, Seoul and ICR. To this end Dr Linding is leading high-level, strategic, multidisciplinary studies of signalling network dynamics driving cancer metastasis. Dr Linding has been based at HU-Berlin since 2017 as co-PI for the Klipp-Linding laboratory. Since 2025 Dr Linding has served The NATO Alliance as NATO DIANA Challenge Manager for Human Resilience & Biotechnologies. 

Jamie Marsay is a leading figure in the development of advanced biotechnology solutions for biosecurity and CBRN detection. As Head of Biotechnology and Principal Investigator at Kromek Group plc, he leads the company's biological threat detection research programme, a portfolio that spans contracts with the UK Ministry of Defence's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), US DoD’s DARPA and US DHS, positioning Kromek at the forefront of agent-agnostic bio-detection technology. With over two decades of experience spanning automation engineering, laboratory systems and emerging technology development, Jamie  combines engineering rigour and scientific innovation to meet the challenges of detecting airborne pathogens and biological agents at the critical intersection of advanced sensing, national security and public health resilience. 

Professor Karen Polizzi is a Professor of Biotechnology at Imperial College London, where her research sits at the intersection of synthetic biology, cell engineering and bioprocess optimisation. Her work includes contributions to Imperial's Future Vaccine Manufacturing Research Hub, where researchers are harnessing synthetic biology to enable rapid, scalable production of medical countermeasures in response to disease outbreaks and pandemics. A leading voice on both the promise and the risks of synthetic biology, she has written on how advances in biotechnology can lower barriers for malicious actors, making robust surveillance, governance and scientific preparedness all the more essential.   

Dr David Ulaeto is a Senior Principal Scientist at the UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), where he has played a prominent role in advancing the UK's capabilities in biosecurity, biodefence and medical countermeasures. With extensive experience in high-containment microbiology, infectious disease research and national preparedness for biological threats, he has contributed significantly to programmes focused on pathogen characterisation, diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics for high-consequence agents. Drawing on a distinguished career at the interface of science, defence and public health, Dr Ulaeto brings deep expertise in translating complex biological research into practical strategies that strengthen resilience against emerging infectious diseases and deliberate biological threats. 

Jo Wales is Senior Director, Regional Pandemic Readiness & UK Resilience, Moderna.  Jo leads Moderna’s long-term strategic partnership with the UK government and supports Regional Pandemic Readiness across the UK, Canada and Australia. She brings over 25 years’ pharmaceutical experience from blue-chip companies, including Pfizer, alongside biomedical sciences and MBA qualifications. 

Brian Wang is a Programme Director at ARIA leading the Sustained Viral Resilience programme, where he funds researchers to develop broad-spectrum antiviral prophylactic medicines effective against both endemic and pandemic respiratory viruses. 

Professor Henrik C Wegener, who was Rector of the University of Copenhagen from 2017 to 2025, is Executive Director of the Novo Nordisk Foundation-funded Global Pathogen Analysis Platform. As Professor of Zoonosis Epidemiology, he teaches and conducts research at the Technical University of Denmark, where he served as Provost from 2011-2017. In 2016, he became the first chair of the group of high-level scientific advisers to the European Commission. 

Amanda Wolthuizen is responsible for the development and implementation of Imperial’s Strategy, ‘Science for Humanity’. Amanda has responsibility for Imperial's Strategic Engagement and Communications divisions, and is Chief of Staff to the President. 

Prior to joining Imperial, Amanda held senior communications and external affairs roles at a Westminster think tank and the Russell Group, and she was previously a broadcast journalist. She started her career working in policy and adviser roles in the Australian and UK Parliaments. Amanda is an Associate Fellow at Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, and is a member of the Mayor’s Grow London Advisory Board.   

Edward You is the Founder of EHY Consulting LLC, a boutique advisory firm focused on the national security implications of biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and data-driven innovation. A former FBI Supervisory Special Agent, he spent more than twenty years shaping U.S. government approaches to biosecurity and emerging technologies at the intersection of science, policy, and intelligence.