The National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health (NCDMPH), and the Uniformed Services University (USU), invites you to join us for the inaugural Nation at Risk: Preparedness and Response to Unconventional Health Threats Symposium.

Recent events have highlighted the devastating impact of unconventional methods used to instigate mass casualty events. Examples include the New Year’s Eve vehicular attack in New Orleans, as well as the Christmas Market attack in Magdeburg, Germany. These types of events, whether deliberate and coordinated acts of terrorism or the singular actions of individuals, can cause severe injury and death to large numbers of people and have a devastating impact on the psyche of the Nation. In the future, unconventional attacks on the public may become more prevalent, making it critical to assess and better prepare for current and emerging threats.

To address this pressing need, the U.S. National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health (NCDMPH) is convening a series of three international events to be hosted at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. The events will be led by senior leaders across the U.S. federal interagency in coordination with state and local partners, as well as leading minds in academia and industry. Events will be designed to bring together thought leaders from around the world to share knowledge, foster collaboration, and improve preparedness and response to future threats.

Events will be held between March and May of 2025 and will address distinct aspects of preparedness and response.

• March 17, 2025: The first symposium will focus on lessons learned from recent events and will include speakers with direct experience managing the response to mass casualty events, including the attacks in New Orleans and Magdeburg.

• April 11, 2025: The second symposium will focus on examining the nature of future events and will include speakers from around the world with direct responsibility for protecting the health and safety of large populations surrounding a variety of high-profile mass gatherings. 

• May 13, 2025: The third and final symposium will focus on needed changes to preparedness and response activities to meet the challenges of current and future health threats from unconventional methods.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Patrice Mann (patrice.mann.ctr@usuhs.edu) or Heaven Johnson (heaven.johnson.ctr@usuhs.edu).