Jassi Pannu
| Jassi Pannu | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Other names | Jaspreet Pannu |
| 🏫 Education | McGill University (BSc) Stanford University (MD) |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| 🌐 Website | Lab website |
Jassi Pannu is a Canadian-American physician and biosecurity researcher. She is an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. Her research focuses on pandemic prevention, the intersection of artificial intelligence and biosecurity, and the governance of dual-use biotechnology.
Education and early career
Pannu was raised in Canada and attended McGill University before pursuing medical training in the United States..[1]
Career
Pandemic preparedness
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Pannu worked as a front-line physician in California and Uganda.[2] She contributed to the Apollo Program for Biodefense, published by the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, which proposed a 10-year sustained investment of $100 billion in biodefense science and technology research.[3][4] Pannu has argued that prevention technologies are underfunded but could successfully be used to prevent pandemics before they begin,[5][6] and has said reusable respirators are superior to single-use respirators in pandemic conditions.[7] Her role in the Apollo project and views on promising pandemic prevention technologies are profiled in the book Moral Ambition by Rutger Bregman.[8][9] Pannu has studied how pandemic vaccines can become securitized and used as tools of soft power[10], a recognized trend during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Biosafety and dual-use research
During the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy's revision of gain-of-function research policies, also referred to as dual use research of concern (DURC), Pannu led an effort to advocate for increased biosafety and biosecurity oversight of pathogen research due to pandemic risks with Tom Inglesby, David Relman and 34 signatories.[11] The group's recommendations were published in the journal Science and proposed expansion of the scope of pathogens to be governed, noting that per existing policies, enhancement research on pathogens with properties similar to the SARS-CoV-2 virus would not have met criteria for governance.[12][13]
Following the discovery of an undocumented biolab containing high-risk pathogens in Reedley, California, Pannu expressed concern regarding limited oversight of some private laboratories handling pandemic pathogens.[14] She and colleagues dubbed these "invisible" biolabs that fall through the cracks of government oversight.[15]
Mirror Life
In 2024, Pannu joined a a working group of 38 international scientists and researchers cochaired by Nobel laureate Jack W. Szostak and John Glass to address the emerging risk of mirror life, in particular, of synthetic mirror bacteria with flipped molecular chirality.[16][17][18][19] The group warned that such organisms, if synthetically created, could pose a unique ecological and biosecurity threat if released into the environment; the group recommended government oversight of related research. These recommendations prompted international public attention to a previously niche research field[20][21][22][23] as well as international government attention given the significant risks noted[24][25][26].
Artificial Intelligence
Pannu’s research on the biosecurity implications of AI has been used to inform federal policy. She has provided expert testimony to the United States Congress on advancements in artificial intelligence for biological research, and the implications of these advancements for both strengthening biosecurity as well as creating novel biosecurity risks.[27][28] Pannu and colleagues have argued that, as of 2024, AI models do not "substantially contribute" to biological risk, but note that future systems could be used to engineer pandemic-capable pathogens.[29][30][31] Her research on this topic[32] has been cited in the International AI Safety Report[33] and by the European Commission[34]
Pannu served on a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committee sponsored by the National Science Foundation investigating the benefits and risks of dual-use artificial intelligence approaches for the design of biological systems.[35] The committee noted that a tiered approach was needed to identify which in silico research posed a higher risk of misuse, and that existing dual use research of concern frameworks could be used as a basis for such tiers.
Pannu led an effort to propose virology data governance as a viable approach to preventing open source models from being used to design pandemic pathogens. The framework, published in Science, is inspired by the internationally used biosafety level system. It proposes Biosecurity Data Levels (BDLs) with tiered access controls for sensitive pathogen data.[36][37]. The BDL system arose from recommendations from attendees of the 50th anniversary Asilomar conference[38], where scientists gathered to discuss modern-day biosecurity risks including AI[39].
Non-profit and philanthropic work
Pannu is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the American think tank IFP that brings ideas from progress studies to policymakers[40], where her work focuses on accelerating pandemic prevention technologies, drawing on models from innovation agencies such as DARPA.[41] She serves on the board of directors of Biohub,[42] a research organization funded by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative that applies artificial intelligence to biological research.[43]
Selected works and publications
- Bloomfield, Doni; Pannu, Jassi. "Biological data governance in an age of AI". Science. doi:10.1126/science.aeb2689.
- 2024 Working Group (2024). "Confronting risks of mirror life". Science. 386 (6728): 1351–1353. doi:10.1126/science.ads9158. PMID 39666824 Check
|pmid=value (help). - Bloomfield, Doni; Pannu, Jaspreet; Cicero, Anita; Zhu, Alex; Mg, Madelena; Lewis, Ashley; Bendavid, Eran; Asch, Steve; Hernandez-Boussard, Tina; Cicero, Anita; Inglesby, Tom (2024). "AI and biosecurity: The need for governance". Science. 385 (6711): 831–833. doi:10.1126/science.adq1977. PMC 12158449 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 39172825 Check|pmid=value (help). - Pannu, Jaspreet; Bloomfield, Doni; MacKnight, Robert; Hanke, Moritz S.; Zhu, Alex; Gomes, Gabe; Cicero, Anita; Inglesby, Thomas V. (8 May 2025). "Dual-use capabilities of concern of biological AI models". PLOS Computational Biology. 21 (5): e1012975. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012975. ISSN 1553-7358.
- Pannu, Jassi; Swett, Jacob (2023). "What if There Was Never a Pandemic Again?". The New York Times.
- Pannu, Jaspreet; Palmer, Megan; Cicero, Anita; Relman, David; Lipsitch, Marc; Inglesby, Tom (2022). "Strengthen oversight of risky research on pathogens". Science. 378 (6625): 1170–1172. doi:10.1126/science.adf6020. PMID 36480598 Check
|pmid=value (help). - Sharma, Siddhanth; Pannu, Jassi; Chorlton, Sam; Swett, Jacob; Ecker, David (2023). "Threat Net: A Metagenomic Surveillance Network for Biothreat Detection and Early Warning". Health Security. 21 (5): 347–357. doi:10.1089/hs.2022.0160. PMID 37367195 Check
|pmid=value (help). - Pannu, Jaspreet; Barry, Michele (2021). "The state inoculates: vaccines as soft power". The Lancet Global Health. 9 (6): e744–e745. doi:10.1016/S2214-109X(21)00091-7. PMC 7946411 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 33713632 Check|pmid=value (help).
References
- ↑ "Stanford University Global Health Residency Track". Global Health Residency Track. Stanford University.
- ↑ Idea, Hear This. "Jassi Pannu and Joshua Monrad on Pandemic Preparedness". hearthisidea.com.
- ↑ Idea, Hear This. "Jassi Pannu and Joshua Monrad on Pandemic Preparedness". hearthisidea.com.
- ↑ Field, Matt (17 February 2022). "Biodefense experts to Congress: The United States is still unprepared for pandemic and bioweapons threats". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
- ↑ Pannu, Jassi; Swett, Jacob (28 May 2023). "What if There Was Never a Pandemic Again?". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ↑ Cowen, Tyler (1 April 2020). "Running ahead of Pandemics: Achieving In-Advance Antiviral Drugs". Marginal REVOLUTION.
- ↑ Stern, Jacob (13 October 2022). "The Masks We'll Wear in the Next Pandemic". The Atlantic.
- ↑ Bregman, Rutger; Moore, Erica (2025). Moral ambition: stop wasting your talent and start making a difference (First ed.). New York: Little, Brown & Company. ISBN 978-0316580359. Search this book on
- ↑ "Mutmachende Bücher: Rutger Bregman und Rainald Manthe". chrismon.de (in Deutsch).
- ↑ Pannu, Jaspreet; Barry, Michele (1 June 2021). "The state inoculates: vaccines as soft power". The Lancet Global Health. 9 (6): e744–e745. doi:10.1016/S2214-109X(21)00091-7. ISSN 2214-109X.
- ↑ "Group of Scientists, Public Health Experts, Policy Researchers Propose Strengthening of US Government's Enhanced Potential Pandemic Pathogen Framework and Dual Use Research of Concern Policies | Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security". centerforhealthsecurity.org. 8 July 2022.
- ↑ Pannu, Jaspreet; Palmer, Megan J.; Cicero, Anita; Relman, David A.; Lipsitch, Marc; Inglesby, Tom (16 December 2022). "Strengthen oversight of risky research on pathogens". Science. 378 (6625): 1170–1172. Bibcode:2022Sci...378.1170P. doi:10.1126/science.adf6020. PMID 36480598 Check
|pmid=value (help). Retrieved 29 November 2025. - ↑ "Stanford Researchers Recommend Stronger Oversight of Risky Research on". cisac.fsi.stanford.edu. 8 December 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ↑ "An accidental discovery in rural California raised biosecurity fears". The Economist.
- ↑ Greene, Dan; Pannu, Jassi; Berke, Allison. "The Danger of 'Invisible' Biolabs Across the U.S." TIME.
- ↑ Adamala, Katarzyna P.; Agashe, Deepa; Belkaid, Yasmine; Bittencourt, Daniela Matias de C.; Cai, Yizhi; Chang, Matthew W.; Chen, Irene A.; Church, George M.; Cooper, Vaughn S.; Davis, Mark M.; Devaraj, Neal K.; Endy, Drew; Esvelt, Kevin M.; Glass, John I.; Hand, Timothy W.; Inglesby, Thomas V.; Isaacs, Farren J.; James, Wilmot G.; Jones, Jonathan D. G.; Kay, Michael S.; Lenski, Richard E.; Liu, Chenli; Medzhitov, Ruslan; Nicotra, Matthew L.; Oehm, Sebastian B.; Pannu, Jaspreet; Relman, David A.; Schwille, Petra; Smith, James A.; Suga, Hiroaki; Szostak, Jack W.; Talbot, Nicholas J.; Tiedje, James M.; Venter, J. Craig; Winter, Gregory; Zhang, Weiwen; Zhu, Xinguang; Zuber, Maria T. (20 December 2024). "Confronting risks of mirror life". Science. 386 (6728): 1351–1353. Bibcode:2024Sci...386.1351A. doi:10.1126/science.ads9158. PMID 39666824 Check
|pmid=value (help). - ↑ Adamala, Katarzyna; Agashe, Deepa; Binder, Damon; Cai, Yizhi; Cooper, Vaughn; Duncombe, Ryan; Esvelt, Kevin; Glass, John; Hand, Timothy; Inglesby, Thomas; Isaacs, Farren; Jones, Jonathan; Lenski, Richard; Lewis, Gregory; Medzhitov, Ruslan; Nicotra, Matthew; Oehm, Sebastian; Pannu, Jaspreet; Relman, David; Suga, Hiroaki; Sweere, Johanna; Szostak, Jack; Talbot, Nicholas; Wang, Brian (2024). "Technical Report on Mirror Bacteria: Feasibility and Risks". Stanford Digital Repository. doi:10.25740/cv716pj4036.
- ↑ "A new report warns of serious risks from 'mirror life'". news.stanford.edu.
- ↑ "Working Group". Mirror Biology Dialogues Fund.
- ↑ "A 'Second Tree of Life' Could Wreak Havoc, Scientists Warn". The New York Times. 12 December 2024.
- ↑ Moynihan, Thomas (15 September 2025). ""Mirror life" and the recurring nightmare of scientific apocalypse". Big Think.
- ↑ Hunt, Katie (16 December 2024). "Mirror bacteria may constitute 'radical departure from known life,' scientists warn". CNN.
- ↑ Ghosh, Sahana (28 December 2024). "Scientists warn of mirror bacteria risks". Nature India. doi:10.1038/d44151-025-00003-7 (inactive 22 December 2025).
- ↑ "Mirror Life: Biosafety/Biosecurity Oversight Considerations". www.congress.gov.
- ↑ "Mirror life". GOV.UK. 16 July 2025.
- ↑ "Current developments in science and technology and their potential impact on international security and disarmament efforts: Report of the Secretary-General". docs.un.org. United Nations.
- ↑ "Examining Biosecurity at the Intersection of AI and Biology". www.congress.gov. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
- ↑ Pannu, Jassi. "Testimony of Jassi Pannu, MD" (PDF). US House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
- ↑ Field, Madeline (10 February 2026). "Biodefense Blind Spot: Why Washington Confuses Pandemics with Bioweapons". War on the Rocks.
- ↑ Pillay, Tharin. "AI Could One Day Engineer a Pandemic, Experts Warn". TIME.
- ↑ Norman, Greg (28 August 2024). "Experts warn AI could generate 'major epidemics or even pandemics' — but how soon?". Fox News.
- ↑ Bloomfield, Doni; Pannu, Jaspreet; Zhu, Alex W.; Ng, Madelena Y.; Lewis, Ashley; Bendavid, Eran; Asch, Steven M.; Hernandez-Boussard, Tina; Cicero, Anita; Inglesby, Tom (23 August 2024). "AI and biosecurity: The need for governance". Science. 385 (6711): 831–833. Bibcode:2024Sci...385..831B. doi:10.1126/science.adq1977. PMC 12158449 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 39172825 Check|pmid=value (help). - ↑ Bengio, Yoshua (Jan 25, 2025). "International AI Safety Report". arXiv:2501.17805 [cs.CY].
- ↑ "The role of artificial intelligence in scientific research: a science for policy, European perspective". Publications Office of the European Union. 2025.
- ↑ "Navigating the Benefits and Risks of Publishing Studies of In Silico Modeling and Computational Approaches of Biological Agents and Organisms – A Workshop". www.nationalacademies.org. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ↑ "Science". AAAS. doi:10.1126/science.aeb2689.
- ↑ Turner, Stephen D. "Tiered Access for AIxBio Governance". blog.stephenturner.us.
- ↑ Bromberg, Yana; Altman, Russ; Imperiale, Michael; Horvitz, Eric; Dus, Monica; Townshend, Raphael; Yao, Vicky; Treangen, Todd; Alexanian, Tessa; Szymanski, Erika; Yassif, Jaime; Anta, Rafael; Lindner, Ariel B.; Schmidt, Markus; Diggans, James; Esvelt, Kevin M.; Molla, Kutubuddin A.; Phelan, Ryan; Wang, Mengdi; Wu, Felicia; de Carvalho Bittencourt, Daniela Matias (2025). "3.1 Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Biotechnology".
- ↑ "Science". AAAS.
- ↑ "Jassi Pannu". Institute for Progress.
- ↑ "How ARPA-H's Use-Inspired Research Can Accelerate Progress in Health | IFP". 16 August 2023.
- ↑ "Team, science leadership, board of directors, officers". Biohub. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ↑ "AI drives dramatic expansion of Chan Zuckerberg Initiative's funding to end all diseases". www.science.org.
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