Health security begins where ecosystems, animals, and people meet, said Dr. Lawrence Mugisha. Stronger biosafety and biosecurity measures, like DNA synthesis screening, are essential not just for laboratories, but for the shared health of our planet.
Dr. Lawrence Mugisha is a leading wildlife veterinarian and One Health expert whose career spans academia, conservation, biosafety and biosecurity. Lawrence Mugisha is a Veterinarian and an Associate Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (COVAB), Makerere University. His a Team Leader for EcoHealth Research Group under Conservation & Ecosystem Health Alliance (CEHA). Lawrence has a special focus for biosafety, biosecurity and Cyberbiosecurity. He is Certified Professional in Biorisk Management and Biological Risk Assessment by International Federation for Biosafety Association (IFBA).
Lawrence is the current Chairperson of the National Biosafety Committee (NBC), Uganda National Council of Science and Technology (UNCST), Scientific Member for the Presidential Initiative for Epidemics (PRESIDE), Steering Committee member for Center for Biosecurity and global Health (CiBeGH). Currently involved in the implementation of several national biosafety, biosecurity, cyberbiosecurity, Biological Weapon Convention, Chemical, Biological, Radiational and Nuclear (CBRN) programs. He led the process of writing SOPs and Guidelines for Cyberbiosecurity, Dual Research of Consern (DURC) in Uganda.
Lawrence has undertaken courses in biosecurity fundamentals and gene editing. Recently, he participated in the 2nd Global Congress on new and emerging Biocontrol Technologies in Accra, Ghana and SBA 4.0 International Conference on Synthetic Biology, AI and Biosecurity in Africa, Kigali Rwanda.
Within the IBBIS Technical Consortium, Dr. Mugisha brings critical expertise in One Health governance, biosafety, biosecurity and field-based biosecurity implementation, ensuring that emerging DNA synthesis screening standards align with broader global health security and biodiversity protection goals.