Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI), in collaboration with International House of Japan (IHJ), hosted an HGPI- IHJ expert roundtable with Dr. Ashish Jha (Dean of Brown University School of Public Health) and other members of Brown University School of Public Health. The roundtable focused on topics including biosecurity, the BioRadar early warning system, and pandemic preparedness. Dr. Jha, Dean of Brown University School of Public Health, is a global leader in pandemic response and has played a central role in managing infectious disease crises both in the United States and internationally, including as White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator.

Following Dr. Jha’s keynote remarks, approximately 40 professionals and experts from government, academia, and other sectors participated in the roundtable and engaged in discussion with the following three leading experts:

• Dr. Stephanie Psaki (Distinguished Senior Fellow, Global Health Security, Brown University School of Public Health / Former U.S. Coordinator for Global Health Security at the White House)
• Dr. Nikki Romanik (Distinguished Senior Fellow, Global Health Security, Brown University School of Public Health / Former Deputy Director of the White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy)
• Hon. Andy Weber (Senior Fellow, Council on Strategic Risks / Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs)

Bringing together approximately 40 practitioners and experts from government, academia, and the private sector, the roundtable explored practical approaches to strengthening biosecurity and health-system resilience. In particular, the roundtable deepened discussion on the need to establish biosurveillance systems, enable early detection of biological threats such as infectious diseases, implement rapid diagnostics, develop vaccines, therapeutics, and medical devices, and ensure effective external communication during health emergencies. The group also exchanged views on the future of early warning system initiatives such as BioRadar, the importance of international cooperation across government, academia, civil society, and industry, and the value of Japan–U.S. collaboration in this field.

During the discussion, Mr. James Kondo (Chairman, IHJ) emphasized the importance of continued collaboration between HGPI and IHJ in the areas of public health and health security. Mr. Ryoji Noritake (Chair, HGPI) further highlighted that, from a security perspective, it becomes increasingly essential in areas such as infectious disease preparedness, HGPI seeks to strengthen its partnership with IHJ—an institution with expertise in geopolitics and geoeconomics—to jointly develop and implement diverse programs.
In closing, Mr. Keizo Takemi (Former Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare) offered closing remarks, insights into the themes discussed, and expressed his sincere appreciation for the co-hosting of the roundtable by HGPI and IHJ.

■Speaker’s Profile

Ashish K. Jha (Dean, Brown University School of Public Health / Former White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator)
Dr. Ashish K. Jha is a global leader in public health research, policy, and practice. He has served as Dean of the Brown University School of Public Health since September 2020 and was appointed White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator in 2022. Over the course of his career, Dr. Jha has led responses to health crises from Ebola to COVID-19, advancing policies grounded in scientific evidence, expanding vaccine and testing