Gigi Kwik Gronvall

An immunologist, Gronvall is a senior associate at the Center for Biosecurity at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Her expertise is in biosecurity and her research goals include reducing the threat of biological weapons and improving responses to both natural and deliberate biological outbreaks. In 2005, Gronvall organized (along with the World Health Organization) the International Conference on Biosafety and Biorisks in Lyon, France. She also served as a postdoctoral associate at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases.

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Articles by Gigi Kwik Gronvall

Opinion
29 October 2008
Biosecurity

Improving the Select Agent Program

Gigi Kwik Gronvall

Immediately following the 2001 anthrax attacks, U.S. officials didn't know how many U.S. research laboratories held stocks of Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax disease. And they didn't know how many researchers within those labs that did have stocks had ready access to the strains. This complicated the investigation of the source of the material used in the attacks. In the seven intervening years, U.S. officials have improved this situation.

Agree to Disagree
6 February 2008

The unintended consequences of biosecurity solutions

Gigi Kwik Gronvall

As the roundtable winds down, I've begun to reflect on what I've learned from the conversation
and what can be done to move the subject forward. We are in agreement that genetic sequences should

Agree to Disagree
9 January 2008

Which control mechanisms will work?

Gigi Kwik Gronvall

I strongly disagree with Iris Hunger's assertion that history teaches us that biological
expertise can't be purchased. One obvious counterargument is that history is full of achievements

Agree to Disagree
5 December 2007

Is gene synthesis an "easy" technology?

Gigi Kwik Gronvall

The other participants in this roundtable have (rightly) focused not on the
access to genetic sequence information, but what it is possible to
do with that information. In one scenario, sequence information could be used to recreate

Agree to Disagree
8 November 2007

Access leads to better science, and better security

Gigi Kwik Gronvall

Point your web browser to the
National Center for Biotechnology
Information (NCBI), and you will find a treasure trove of genetic information. No fee or