LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVE
APPLYING LESSONS LEARNED TO BETTER TARGET BIOLOGICAL THREAT VULNERABILITIES Dr. Lloyd P. Hough is the Lead for the Hazard Awareness & Characterization Technology Center (HAC-TC) at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T), and a microbiologist responsible for technical direction of the Biological Threat Characterization efforts under the Probabilistic Analysis of National Threats, Hazards, and Risks (PANTHR) Program. The mission of the HAC-TC is to provide DHS/S&T with core chemical, biological, and explosive hazard awareness, characterization, and RDT&E capabilities to support the Department’s mission to prevent terrorism involving these materials. The Biological Threat Characterization Project (BTCP) is charged with conducting studies of biological threat agents and associated technology as defined in the National Biodefense Strategy and to support the needs of the Department and the broader Homeland Security Enterprise. To this end, the program sponsors defensive research studies of biological threat agents and technologies to fill critical gaps in our knowledge and understanding to improve the nation’s ability to assess the consequences and/or risk of a biological attack on the homeland, and to improve national preparedness for and resiliency to such an event. Dr. Hough’s background is in the microbiology and molecular biology of pathogenic microorganisms. He received his Ph.D. in Microbiology with a specialty in Biotechnology from the Michigan State University in 1999. Since, Dr. Hough has spent more than 15 years supporting the U.S. biodefense community. Dr. Hough has supported or led laboratory-based research projects ranging from microbial forensics and environmental monitoring, to the research & development of biodetection systems, and to biomedical research to characterize the risks and hazards posed by biological threat agents. Dr. Hough was a Principal Investigator at the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC), DHS’s national laboratory on Ft. Detrick in Frederick, MD. Dr. Hough also has experience conducting and preparing technical assessments of international research publications on various topics for the biodefense community. Dr. Hough then came to DHS in 2013 to provide subject matter expertise and technical support to the Biological Threat Characterization Program as a contractor, and in 2016 he became a federal employee and assumed responsibility for the ~$20M/year program.
Dr. Lloyd Hough, Tech Lead, Bio Threat Characterization, S&T, U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, regarding National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC), spoke recently with CST/CBRNE about usage of lessons learned to better react to present bio threats at home and globally.
20 | S&B and CST/CBRNE | Fall 2020
Dr. Lloyd Hough Technical Lead, Biological Threat Characterization Hazard Awareness & Characterization Technology Center (HAC-TC) Science & Technology Directorate (S&T) U.S. Department of Homeland Security CST/CBRNE: Provide some brief background on NBACC’s evolution to present and contingency for helping DHS address the current COVID-19 pandemic and other threats to the nation. Dr. Hough: The National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC) was conceived in response to the anthrax attacks of 2001 where spores were sent in the mail to certain media outlets and government officials, and it serves two purposes: (1) provides a capability to forensically investigate and attribute biological crimes, and (2) to conduct defensive research that helps the nation prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from a bioterrorist attack on the United States. But the NBACC was also envisioned as a resource to support the national response to any event involving a biological agent, whether of natural or intentional origin. Construction of the laboratory began in 2004, was completed in 2010, and began laboratory work with biological threats in 2011. In 2014, an outbreak of ebolavirus disease (EVD) began in West Africa, and Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) turned to the NBACC’s threat characterization research agenda to help. At the time
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