Topic: Usamriid

Dr. Malone recounts his career path following a patent battle at the Salk Institute that led to a nervous breakdown and blacklisting from NIH grants. After the 9/11 attacks and the anthrax scare, he entered the biodefense sector through Dynport Vaccine Company in Frederick, Maryland. He explains his work with USAMRIID was driven by a mission to protect warfighters and the public from engineered pathogens.

Following World War II, scientists from the Japanese bio-warfare program were reportedly recruited by both the United States and China. Similar to Werner Von Braun's role in NASA, these individuals were brought to USAMRIID in Frederick, Maryland, to establish the American military's biowarfare capabilities. Dr. Malone argues that this influx of personnel embedded a "fungible" ethical framework into the heart of the U.S. biodefense community.