DTRA Hosts Conference for Innovators and Partners Working to Fight Chemical and Biological Weapons

FORT BELVOIR, VA, UNITED STATES

11.18.2019

Story by Darnell Gardner 

Defense Threat Reduction Agency

DTRA Hosts Conference for Innovators and Partners Working to Fight Chemical and Biological Weapons

CINCINNATI, Ohio — The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) will meet with scientists, engineers, program managers and leaders in the defense community to discuss innovative ideas that address chemical and biological threats at the Chemical and Biological Defense Science & Technology (CBD S&T) Conference from Nov. 18 – 21.

DTRA’s biannual conference fosters collaboration between government, academia and industry. The event is an opportunity to exchange ideas, interact with researchers, and engage with DTRA leaders. This partnership is critical in defending warfighters from the evolving threat of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and also to expand DTRA’s collaborative efforts with interagency & international partners in the fight against chemical and biological warfare agents.

Highlights of the event will be a “Warfighter Panel” along with several guest speakers. The event will also focus on some of the most recent scientific developments, through poster presentations, oral presentations and special sessions. The event will showcase:
● Approaches to characterizing large-scale chemical and biological releases
● Approaches to characterizing the threat from chemical and biological agents
● Developing medical countermeasures against biological and chemical threats
● Generating actionable information in the digital battlespace
● Novel and enhanced detection and diagnostic technologies
● Shielding the warfighter from chemical and biological threats
● Sustaining the warfighter and mission through chemical and biological hazards

The scheduled speaker for Tuesday, November 19 is Mr. Chic Thompson, the founder and executive director of WAGiLab. Mr. Thompson is a Batten Fellow of Entrepreneurship at the University of Virginia’s Darden Business School. He is also an adjunct faculty at the Brookings Institution and at the Young Presidents’ Organization.

Speaking on Wednesday, November 20 is Katherine Sixt. Sixt is the Assistant Director of the Strategy, Forces and Resources Division at the Institute for Defense Analyses, where she leads the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Analysis group.
On Thursday, November 21, the scheduled keynote speaker is Dr. Travis Taylor. Dr. Taylor is with the Quantum Entanglement and Space Technology Laboratory, Space and Missile Defense Technical Center, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command.
DTRA is also collaborating with the Cincinnati Public School District to enable 50 high school students to participate in the conference. The goal is to encourage young minds to explore careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
In addition, there will be other sessions to inform attendees on how to collaborate with DTRA.

For more information, visit www.cbdstconference.com.

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• Date Taken: 11.18.2019
• Date Posted: 11.18.2019 11:22
• Story ID: 352148
• Location: FORT BELVOIR, VA, US