About
Oxford Biosecurity Group (OBG) is a team of researchers dedicated to addressing issues related to biosecurity. OBG runs remote-first research projects, and we partner with relevant organisations in the space to drive progress on pressing issues and to help individuals test their fit, grow their network, and upskill in biosecurity.
Our Mission
We hope to help individuals transition to a biosecurity career. Below are a few reasons why we believe working in biosecurity is important:
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Global Impact: Biosecurity professionals play a crucial role in safeguarding public health by preventing and managing infectious disease outbreaks and bioterrorism threats, making their work globally relevant.
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A Growing Problem: It has been estimated that there is a 2% risk of a covid-like pandemic in a given year, and this risk is increasing. Biosecurity will be an increasingly pressing problem, particularly with advancements in synthetic biology.
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Neglectedness: Biosecurity has historically been prioritized less compared to other areas of life sciences research, creating opportunities for professionals to address critical gaps and make a meaningful impact.
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Innovation and Advancement: Biosecurity research continually pushes the boundaries of science, technology, and policy, fostering innovation in areas such as diagnostics, therapeutics, and surveillance methods.
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An Interdisciplinary Challenge: Biosecurity integrates biology, technology, policy, and ethics, offering a multidisciplinary career path that allows professionals to constantly learn and adapt to emerging threats. At OBG, we focus on the policy and technology aspects.
Our Story
Oxford Biosecurity Group began in September 2023. The three of us were going to work on biosecurity projects alongside our graduate degrees, and we felt that having additional people would be valuable both for direct impact and for helping others further their biosecurity skills and experience.
After running our initial pilot project cycle in October-December 2023, we were positively overwhelmed by the level of interest and positive feedback. We decided to run future project cycles and to focus on connecting promising individuals with opportunities to engage in impactful biosecurity research.
Projects
Oxford Biosecurity Group (OBG) runs global, remote-first, research projects in collaboration with relevant technical and policy organisations to reduce biosecurity risks and foster talent in the field. We focus primarily on the policy and technology aspects of biosecurity.
2-3 times per year, we run cycles of up to 12 weeks in which research teams led by a project lead take on a short research project. We scope our research projects by consulting with experts in the biosecurity field, and each project usually concludes with a project report that is shared with the collaborating organisation.
For more details about the projects we run, see here.
Our Team
Lin Bowker-Lonnecker
Lin has a background in engineering and economics, and she is currently doing a part-time PhD at Oxford. Her project primarily focuses on the implementation of genomics technologies for different conditions (both chronic and infectious diseases), through looking at people’s preferences and their cost-effectiveness. In the past, she was an engineer at a lung function testing startup, was in charge of evaluation at a pandemic prevention advocacy organisation, and did a research fellowship evaluating potential high-impact health security charities.
In her spare time, Lin enjoys running, bouldering, and learning about random things.
Executive Director
Sofya Lebedeva
Sofya has a background in molecular biology and immunology. She is currently a PhD student at Oxford University. Her project at the Ansari Lab focuses on host-pathogen interactions in the hepatitis c virus, using bioinformatics, statistics and genomics to elucidate new trends. She is also the co-founder of the non-profit ARMoR - Alliance for Reducing Microbial Resistance. This organisation focuses on supporting sustainable access & development of antimicrobials to combat antimicrobial resistance.
In her spare time, Sofya enjoys callisthenics, weightlifting and visual art. She is also a certified yoga teacher.
Director of Research
Conrad Kunadu
Conrad is a graduate student studying for the MPhil in International Relations at Trinity College, Oxford. His research focuses on the implications of dual-use technologies on great power strategy with a focus on bioweapons. Formerly, he was a Biosecurity Research Fellow taking part in the Existential Risk Alliance Fellowship. Conrad previously worked in operations at a startup and project management at non-profits. Conrad is ultimately excited about launch impactful biosecurity projects.
In his spare time, Conrad loves music, DJing, weightlifting and food. He loves learning and has interests ranging from philosophy to physics.
Director of Operations