Our Associates (page 2)

Melissa S Hersh

Melissa’s academic and professional work includes strategic planning and analysis of infectious diseases surveillance and response, and non-proliferation policy, as well as operational all-hazards consequence management, in addition to the development and analysis of CBRNE preparedness and response.

Melissa acts as a political officer with the Department for Disarmament Affairs, United Nations Office of Geneva, where she is part of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention Secretariat. She holds an MA in Bioethics from The Medical College of Wisconsin and is currently writing her doctoral dissertation at The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the University of Bradford, Department of Peace Studies on Global Health Security.

Melissa has also worked for the Department of Communicable Surveillance and Response at the WHO and the Chemical and Biological Warfare Project at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute as well as short-term commissions for a variety of international organisations, publications and consultancies. In the private sector, Melissa aims to use her understanding of national, regional and international regulatory and legislative systems for CBRNE and emergency preparedness and response both at a strategic level as well as in tactical hands-on project work.

Particular interests include risk and threat assessment, supply chain continuity planning and implementation of measures to mitigate disaster and disruption to trade, travel and essential services arising from natural and/or deliberate threats. Melissa is proficient in Spanish and basic Arabic and lives in London. A full CV is available upon request.

• Pandemic planning for infectious disease outbreaks of any origin


• Mass casualty and mass fatality planning


• Strategic and operational understanding of flexible all-hazard consequence management preparedness, response and recovery, with a focus on CBRNE


• Advise strategic and tactical decision-makers on managing infectious biological disruption and disaster (WHO, FAO, OIE, UN Department of Safety and Security, UN OCHA) including exercises, business continuity planning and all-hazard preparedness


• Comparative research and analysis of international approaches to emergency management, including CBRNE incidents
• Development, analysis of emergency management best practices


• Assessments of UN and specialised agency capacity to respond to disease, disruption or disaster whatever the origin. Possess a strong international network of human, agricultural and animal health policy experts and practitioners


• Strong understanding of non-proliferation, counter-proliferation, counter-terrorism and consequence management initiatives internal and external to the UN


• Analytical research and writing, especially formal background papers for public health, environmental and arms control/security decision-makers


• Interpretation of security risk in scientific and technical terms and risk communication


• Knowledge of the international humanitarian relief system and relevant issues pertaining to internally displaced persons and disasters


• Civil Military co-ordination experience, including exercise development


• Developing and maintaining informal and formal networks of security, health, development and environment actors through shared updates informing them of recent relevant developments to promote integrated emergency managemen


• Monitoring emerging science and technology trends, including their application to security


• Ethical mediation / bioethics consultation and understanding of limited resource allocation policies at the clinical and public health levels
• Post-graduate level curricula writing and teaching in Bioethics, Public Health, Arms Control, and Disaster Management


• Book, journal, manuscript, and press release editorial skills. Speech writing and public speaking, Computer literate – MS Windows, Office Suite


• Languages: Spanish – strong knowledge; Arabic – working knowledge; French – working knowledge; GIS (Geographic Information Systems) – working knowledge