Sharon Medcalf, Ph.D., assistant professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Biosecurity, Biopreparedness and Emerging Infectious Diseases at UNMC, recently returned from Doha, Qatar, where she presented her summary at bioterrorism symposium.
It was the third annual Symposium on the Prevention of the Biological Weapons Proliferation and Bioterrorism: A Planning Guide for National Authorities in the State of Qatar, sponsored by the Qatar National Committee for the Prohibition of Weapons.
For the past three years, Dr. Medcalf and Keith Hansen, co-director, Center for Biosecurity, Biopreparedness and Emerging Infectious Diseases, have been in charge of the workshop agenda on preparedness and response to large events that create a medical surge. The goal is to help establish Qatar as a global leader in biosecurity and improve local preparedness efforts for the World Cup in 2022 and beyond.
“It is our great privilege to work with our gracious hosts in Qatar, to assist their health care and partner sectors to prepare for and respond to a large scale disaster,” she said.
The collaborative relationship began in 2017 when a delegation of the Qatar committee visited with UNMC’s leadership and toured UNMC’s biocontainment unit, iEXCEL℠ Technology Lab, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center and the innovation hub.
Congrats to Sharon and Keith for expanding their excellent work globally!