Thank you for your interest in the Introduction to Biosecurity course, previously Pandemic Interventions Course.
The initial online version will run 7th July - 3rd August 2025. If you are accepted onto the course, a scheduling link will be sent out and you will be allocated to a group with a set 1.5-hour weekly meeting time.
<aside> 📌 **Apply here by 10th June 2025!**
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For the draft version of the July 2025 syllabus see below. Note that minor changes may be made to the readings before the start of the course.
Pandemics have had a large death toll throughout history, including the Black Death which is estimated to have wiped out at least a third of the European population, and the recent COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to natural pandemics, both states and non-state actors have developed and used biological weapons. This section discusses biosecurity and pandemics over time, from the historical context to how pandemics might be significantly worse in the future.
Biotechnology has advanced in recent decades, has had a significant impact on multiple industries including agriculture and medicine, and has the potential to develop new treatments that save millions of lives each year. However, such technologies are dual-use, and may also be used by bad actors to cause harm. This section discusses advances in biotechnology, how this may affect biosecurity risk, and some considerations about dual-use risks.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has also advanced significantly in recent decades, including very rapid advances in the last few months and years. Current AI capabilities are very impressive in many domains, although with limitations, and there is a lot of uncertainty around the rate of future progress and its risks. This section discusses how AI intersects with biosecurity, what the risks of this might be, and advances of this technology in 2025.
Vaccines are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response. There were rapid advances in vaccine technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic, including new types of vaccines and faster development timelines than had previously been achieved. This section discusses what is needed to develop a vaccine to a new virus within 100 days, gives an introduction to some novel vaccine technologies, and (optionally) how vaccine hesitancy may be reduced.