Biosecurity in an Age of Disinformation

What happens when public health, biology and conflict meet?

In this episode of the War Studies Podcast, Dr Julia Pearce is joined by Dr Filippa Lentzos and Dr Gemma Bowsher from King’s College London to explore the changing landscape of biosecurity, CBRN threats and health security in conflict.

The conversation examines how chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear disinformation is being used as a weapon of war, with a particular focus on Russia’s narratives around biological laboratories in Ukraine. The episode also discusses the CBRN Disinformation Tracker, the challenge of maintaining trust in public health during conflict, and how Ukraine has become a critical case study for understanding health security under pressure.

They also look beyond Ukraine to the Arctic and other regions, introducing the Matryoshka model: a way of understanding how a core disinformation claim is adapted to different local contexts, like Russian nesting dolls, by examining local histories, mistrust and geopolitical narratives.

The discussion then turns to AI, dual-use science, biological weapons governance, and whether existing arms control regimes — including the Biological Weapons Convention — are fit for a rapidly changing world.

Featuring:

Dr Julia Pearce, Reader in Social Psychology and Security Studies

Dr Filippa Lentzos, Reader in Science and International Security

Dr Gemma Bowsher, physician social scientist affiliated with the King’s Centre for Conflict and Health Security