Federal Bioterrorism Expert to Head New Disaster Preparedness Center

In an effort to build an academic model for emergency response, bioterrorism expert Scott R. Lillibridge, M.D., has been appointed head of a new disaster preparedness center at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

In his role as director of the newly established Center for Biosecurity and Disaster Preparedness at the UT-Houston School of Public Health, where he will also serve as professor of epidemiology, Lillibridge will report directly to the dean of the school and will collaborate closely with S. Ward Casscells, M.D., the John Edward Tyson Professor of Medicine and vice president for biotechnology at UT-Houston.

"UT-Houston is poised to be a leader in bioterrorism preparedness, and I'm looking forward to passing the torch to Dr. Lillibridge. He is a great catch," said Casscells, who, as part of his intense involvement in local anti-terrorism efforts, helped recruit Lillibridge from the Department of Health and Human Services. "He has been at the right hand of Secretary Tommy Thompson in working to improve our nation's readiness for anthrax and smallpox, and has vast experience in field epidemiology, investigation and outbreaks."

Prior to his appointment by Thompson last year, Lillibridge worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Program director. In 1995, he led a United States' medical delegation to Japan after a poison gas attack killed 12 people in the Tokyo subway, and participated in the federal public health assessment following the Oklahoma City bombing. During the 1996 Olympics, he served as the U.S. Public Health Service science advisor to the multiagency task force assembled to protect the public against biological and chemical terrorism. In addition, Lillibridge has worked in more than 12 nations on epidemiology and other emergency public health issues following the wake of civil wars and other types of disasters.

Lillibridge lived in Houston in the early 1980s during his Baylor College of Medicine residency after earning an M.D. from the Uniform Services University of the Health Sciences School of Medicine in Bethesda, Md.

"I'm really excited to be coming back to Houston after a 20-year hiatus and to work on such an important and timely issue, "Lillibridge said. "The strength of UT-Houston is unparalleled, and its strategic engagement into specialized bioscience programs will help shape this nation's medical and public health preparedness."

The new center will tackle several areas related to domestic biosecurity threats, including research, education, training, risk communications, border health security, emergency preparedness and policy development.

"Improving the public health infrastructure remains an important focus of this nation's disaster preparedness, and I can think of no better person to head our new center than Scott Lillibridge," said R. Palmer Beasley, M.D., UT-Houston School of Public Health dean. "This center represents UT-Houston's firm commitment to maximize the Texas Medical Center and Houston's preparation for bioterrorism and natural outbreaks."

As director of the new center, Lillibridge will forge medicine and public health collaborations with other Texas Medical Center institutions, including Baylor College of Medicine and the Houston Veterans Affairs Medical Center, to help coordinate the local medical response to disasters.

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