2019 Topic: Biological Jihad: Iranian Threat Perceptions May Be Driving Offensive Development
Biography:
Philipp Bleek works on the causes, consequences, and amelioration of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons threats at the intersection of academia, non-governmental organizations, and government. Dr. Bleek has been on the faculty since 2011, but in 2012-13 took a leave to serve as Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Programs, supported by a Council on Foreign Relations fellowship. He has served as an advisor to several political campaigns, a consultant to the U.S. government and non-governmental organizations, and regularly participates in Track 2 dialogues.
Dr. Bleek came to Monterey from a Research Fellow position at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Before that he was in Washington, DC, where, while completing his doctoral studies, he taught at both Georgetown and in the Department of Defense Senior Leader Development Program. During that time, he also served as a Visiting Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for a New American Security. Dr. Bleek is a former term member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a Fellow of the Truman National Security Project. He serves on the board of the Monterey Symphony and on the selection committee for the Big Sur International Short Film Festival.