Biodefense Expert Returns from Meeting with United Nations

Written by Sarah Whetstone

When the Biological Weapons Convention met in August in Geneva, Switzerland, Texas Tech had its own representative at the table.

Professor Vickie Sutton returned to Lubbock recently after advising members of the United Nations at the Meeting of Experts for the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) in Geneva, Switzerland.

“I was invited to share my knowledge in biosafety and biosecurity law and ethics,” said Sutton. “I discussed two areas of legal research in those fields.”

Sutton, who heads Texas Tech’s Center for Biodefense, Law and Public Policy, presented the results of regional and national surveys conducted by the center at the convention. The center acts as a source of information to the United Nations and the U.S. Congress by offering its findings as groundwork for legislation.

The most recent surveys explore the effectiveness of the regulatory framework for biosafety and biosecurity in the U.S. and the operation of law and ethics in international health.

“The results of a regional survey, which was conducted last year, have been considered by the U.S. Senate in construction of new legislation which was introduced this summer,” she said.

Sutton served as Chief Counsel of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation in the George W. Bush Administration. She also served as assistant director in the White House Science Office in the George H. W. Bush Administration.