Twenty-one scientists from 14 universities and life science companies have formed the Consortium of Scientists for Pandemic Preparedness (CSPP) to combat current challenges in the COVID19 pandemic and create therapeutic, diagnostic and vaccine products to help protect against future outbreaks.
UNION, N.J. — Twenty-one scientists from 14 universities and life science companies have formed the Consortium of Scientists for Pandemic Preparedness (CSPP) to combat current challenges in the COVID19 pandemic and create therapeutic, diagnostic and vaccine products to help protect against future outbreaks.
CSPP comprises physical and social scientists — experts in public health and administration, epidemiology, virology, biology, chemistry, clinical care and data science — who will work together to accelerate the development of impactful therapies and medical technologies. The scientists come from Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Kean University, Hackensack Meridian Health, Rutgers University, Princeton University, University of Memphis, The Ohio State University, Certara, Institute for Life Science Entrepreneurship, as well as independent drug developers.
“By identifying future disease threats through the expertise of CSPP scientists, the development of innovative therapies and medical technologies will accelerate public health protocols and solutions,” said Joel Freundlich, Ph.D., co-chair of CSPP and associate professor of pharmacology, physiology, and neuroscience at Rutgers University. “We have assembled a group of experts from top research universities to work together to develop strategies in several areas important to pandemic preparedness.”
CSPP was created in response to the significant gaps in preparedness for the COVID-19 pandemic in federal, state and local responses. The consortium’s scientists recognize that with limited pipelines in the industrial and academic research and development communities, there is an urgent need to align resources to ensure more strategic, comprehensive and effective responses to pandemics. Ultimately, the aftermath will include minimizing deaths, easing economic burdens, and rapidly progressing through the next pandemic.
“Our scientists have come together with a unifying focus. First, to assess emerging infectious threats to the health of our global community; second, to prioritize existing therapeutic interventions based on these threats; and third, to seed translational efforts to understand and address critical gaps in our medical preparedness to meet these threats,” said Thomas Richardson, Ph.D., co-chair of CSPP and President of Institute for Life Science Entrepreneurship at Kean University.
In addition to conducting early-stage research, consortium members will develop training programs for undergraduate and graduate students and offer exchange programs to broaden and deepen 2 experiential learning in preparation of thought leaders in the future. Further, CSPP aims to serve as a resource to the research, medical and public health communities in the U.S. and worldwide.
The consortium seeks partners to advance the CSPP mission and to collaborate on innovation and programming. For more information on the CSPP team, including contact information, please visit the Consortium of Scientists for Pandemic Preparedness webpage.
About the Consortium of Scientists for Pandemic Preparedness (CSPP)
The Consortium of Scientists for Pandemic Preparedness (CSPP) is a group of scientists from top universities and the bioscience industry focused on improving the world’s ability to respond to nextgeneration infectious disease outbreaks. Formed during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, CSPP brings a multi-disciplinary approach to enable all stakeholders to make meaningful impacts on the future direction of pandemic preparedness. For more information, visit https://www.cs4pp.com/.
