Congratulations to postgraduate student Anthony Torres-Ruesta who has been selected by the United Nations to become one of their 2025 Youth for Biosecurity Fellows.
The programme which is organised by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs in partnership with the Global Health Security Fund will welcome a cohort of 20 young professionals from the Global South for high-level training in biosecurity and multilateral diplomacy. The process will culminate with the 6th Meeting of the Biological Weapons Convention Working Group at the United Nations Office at Geneva this August.
Anthony who is coming to the end of his MPhil in Population and Health Sciences said:
“My work as a virologist at A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs placed me on the front lines of Singapore’s national response to COVID-19 and Mpox, where I contributed to research that informed national health policy. While this reinforced my belief in the power of bench science, it also exposed its limitations: even the most promising breakthroughs – like vaccines – mean little without strong global governance to ensure equitable access worldwide.”
The devastating toll of the pandemic in my home country Peru, which recorded the world’s highest COVID-19 death rate, deeply shaped my perspective and sparked my interest to work in strengthening global health security through a more systemic, policy-driven lens.
“To contribute to this mission, I stepped away from the lab to pursue advanced training in public health and policy at the University of Cambridge. This transformative chapter, now coming to an end, has been far more than only academic. It has awakened a strong interest in diplomacy, multilateralism, and international cooperation in health, all of which are more essential than ever in today’s global health landscape.
“I look forward to continuing this path, working to advance global health equity, strengthen governance, and contribute to more resilient and cooperative responses to future biological threats.”
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