On May 21, 2026, BioRadar Co-Founders Dr. Ashish K. Jha and Dr. Nikki Romanik appeared together at a Network 20/20 event in New York City titled "The New Era of Biological Threats and Defense."

The event brought together leaders from government, academia, and the private sector to discuss the escalating risks posed by both natural outbreaks and engineered biological threats. Dr. Jha and Dr. Romanik spoke from their combined experience leading the United States government's response to some of the most consequential biological events in recent history — from COVID-19 to mpox to Marburg virus disease.

Dr. Romanik, who helped stand up the White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy and led federal coordination across multiple outbreaks, spoke to the operational gaps that exist today and what it would take to close them.

Dr. Jha, who served as White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator and has published more than 300 peer-reviewed papers, addressed the scientific and policy dimensions of the biological threat landscape and the role that AI-enabled surveillance can play in getting ahead of the next crisis.

Network 20/20 is a global leadership network that convenes experts to address complex international challenges. The event was held in-person in New York City and was free for Network 20/20 members.

Learn More About the Event →