Risk-based approach to biosafety

In biosafety and biosecurity, the recent risk-based approach departs from a rigid one-size-fits-all model. Tailoring safety measures to pathogen and activity levels enhances flexibility, which is vital in resource-limited settings. Systematic reporting of lab incidents globally is lacking, hindering transparency and root cause analysis. Most accidents result from human or procedural errors, highlighting the need for investment in personnel training.

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Stuart Blacksell is Professor of Tropical Microbiology at the University of Oxford and has been based at the Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU) in Thailand since 2001. He has worked in Southeast Asia since 1989 and previously spent 18 years at the Australian Animal Health Laboratory (now the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness) from 1983 to 2001. He also holds appointments as Visiting Professor at the Open University (UK) and Mahidol University, and as Honorary Professor at the University of Sydney.

 At MORU, Professor Blacksell leads the Biorisk and Zoonosis Group, focusing on One Health approaches to high-consequence zoonotic and veterinary pathogens in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. He is a recognised expert in the diagnosis of tropical febrile illnesses, particularly rickettsial infections and dengue, and has led extensive work to develop, validate, and implement improved diagnostic tools in endemic settings. His research also encompasses a wide range of One Health and transboundary animal diseases that affect animal health, food security, and livelihoods across Southeast Asia.

 Professor Blacksell and his team are responsible for implementing and overseeing the University of Oxford’s health, safety, and biosafety systems across the MORU network, including staff training and the development of sustainable biosafety frameworks.

He has been a Registered Biosafety Professional with the American Biological Safety Association since 2009 and served on the editorial committees for the 4th edition of the WHO Laboratory Biosafety Manual and the 2nd edition of the WHO Laboratory Biosecurity Guidance. He was an original member of the WHO COVID-19 International Health Regulations Expert Committee in 2020 and currently serves on the WHO Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO), the Technical Advisory Group on the Responsible Use of Life Sciences and Dual-Use Research (TAG-RUL-DUR), and as Deputy Chair of the WHO Technical Advisory Group for Biosafety and Biosecurity (TAG-B). He also advises FAO on biosafety and One Health programmes in Southeast Asia and the SAARC region, and has contributed to the Biosafety Research Roadmap in collaboration with WOAH and Chatham House.

Professor Blacksell has published more than 260 peer-reviewed articles and is Section Editor (Bacteria) for PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases and a member of the editorial board of Applied Biosafety.