CBRNe
CBRNe (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives) in humanitarian settings.
Description
The CBRNe program sits within HHI’s Emergency Health Systems (EHS) department and is dedicated to enhancing global preparedness for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive threats in conflict and humanitarian settings.
By focusing on education, research, and advocacy, our team strengthens CBRNe preparedness through in-depth training, collaboration with global leaders, and close partnerships with key stakeholders. This multifaceted approach improves the capacity of front-line providers and emergency care systems to respond effectively to the unique challenges of CBRNe events. Our work is pivotal in advancing the resilience of health systems and ensuring the delivery of a comprehensive humanitarian response.
CBRNe Projects
Trauma care Response in Ukraine
As part of the EHS trauma care training project with International Medical Corps, the CBRNe team was tasked with delivering a 2-day course to hospital staff and others. The course provides an in-depth training on CBRNe-related events, including personal safety, PPE, recognition, medical management, facility considerations, and environmental considerations.
44 courses were delivered and more than 1350 Ukrainians participated in these courses across 7 locations between August 2022 and July 2024.
Lear more on our mission here
CBRNe Team
Timothy B. Erickson, MD, FACEP, FACMT, FAACT
Director, Humanitarian Action and the Environment
Dr. Timothy B. Erickson has expertise in the areas of humanitarian health, environmental toxicology, crisis in climate change, wastewater epidemiology, chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives (CBRNE) and acute injuries in global...
Donell Harvin, DrPH, MPH, MPA
Visiting Scientist, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Donell Harvin is a public health emergency and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) expert from Washington, DC, who provides analysis for MSNBC/NBC News and CNN. In his capacity as a Visiting Scientist, he helps oversee the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative...
AN Na, M.D. M.P.H. MSc
Practicum Student
Dr. An Na is a DrPH candidate at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She has worked in humanitarian health for more than a decade. She started her global health journey as a Gynaecologist/Obstetrician for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) projects...
CBRNe Videos
CBRNe Publications
2024
Daniel Hryhorczuk, Barry Levy, Mykola Prodanchuk, Oleksandr Kravchuk, Nataliia Bubalo, Alex Hryhorczuk, and Timothy B. Erickson. 2024. “The Environmental Health Impacts of Russia’s War on Ukraine”. Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology, 19, 1
Daniel Hryhorczuk, Barry Levy, Mykola Prodanchuk, Oleksandr Kravchuk, Nataliia Bubalo, Alex Hryhorczuk, and Timothy B. Erickson. 2024. “The Environmental Health Impacts of Russia’s War on Ukraine”. Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology, 19, 1
2023
Timothy B. Erickson, Donell Harvin, Alexis Schmid, Gideon Loevinsohn, Anna Poriechna, Oleg Martyshyn, Kryrylo Kliukach, Meaghan Sydlowski, Jonathan Strong, and Sean M. Kivlehan. 2023. “Evaluation of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Explosive (CBRNE) Knowledge Change and Skills Confidence Among Front-Line Providers During the Russia-Ukraine War”. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
Timothy B. Erickson, Donell Harvin, Alexis Schmid, Gideon Loevinsohn, Anna Poriechna, Oleg Martyshyn, Kryrylo Kliukach, Meaghan Sydlowski, Jonathan Strong, and Sean M. Kivlehan. 2023. “Evaluation of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Explosive (CBRNE) Knowledge Change and Skills Confidence Among Front-Line Providers During the Russia-Ukraine War”. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
2022
Eric Goralnick, Peter Chai, and . 2022. “Health and Safety Threats to UkraineFrom NonconventionalWeaponsA Clear and Present Danger”. Journal of American Medical Association, 328 , 23
Eric Goralnick, Peter Chai, and . 2022. “Health and Safety Threats to UkraineFrom NonconventionalWeaponsA Clear and Present Danger”. Journal of American Medical Association, 328 , 23
Sean Kivlehan, Amy Allen, Olha Viun, Dmitry Makarov, Daniel Schnorr, Sonny Patel, Sergii Ryzhenko, Phuong Pham, and Timothy Erickson. 2022. “Evaluation of Change in Emergency Care Knowledge and Skills Among Front-Line Healthcare Providers in Ukraine With the Basic Emergency Care Course: a Pretest Post-Test Study”. BMJ Open
Sean Kivlehan, Amy Allen, Olha Viun, Dmitry Makarov, Daniel Schnorr, Sonny Patel, Sergii Ryzhenko, Phuong Pham, and Timothy Erickson. 2022. “Evaluation of Change in Emergency Care Knowledge and Skills Among Front-Line Healthcare Providers in Ukraine With the Basic Emergency Care Course: a Pretest Post-Test Study”. BMJ Open
Valerie A. Dobiesz, Madeline Schwid, Roger D. Dias, Benjamin Aiwonodagbon, Baraa Tayeb, Adrienne Fricke, Phuong Pham, and Timothy B. Erickson. 2022. “Maintaining Health Professional Education During War: A Scoping Review”. Medical Education
Valerie A. Dobiesz, Madeline Schwid, Roger D. Dias, Benjamin Aiwonodagbon, Baraa Tayeb, Adrienne Fricke, Phuong Pham, and Timothy B. Erickson. 2022. “Maintaining Health Professional Education During War: A Scoping Review”. Medical Education
Sonny S. Patel, Julian H. Neylan, Katerina Bavaro, Peter Chai, Eric Goralnick, and Timothy B. Erickson. 2022. “Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNEs) Preparedness for Sporting Event Mass Gatherings: A Systematic Review of the Literature”. American Journal of Disaster Medicine, 17, 1, Pp. 57-74
Sonny S. Patel, Julian H. Neylan, Katerina Bavaro, Peter Chai, Eric Goralnick, and Timothy B. Erickson. 2022. “Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNEs) Preparedness for Sporting Event Mass Gatherings: A Systematic Review of the Literature”. American Journal of Disaster Medicine, 17, 1, Pp. 57-74
2021
Chai, Ferro, Kirshenbaum, Hayes, Culbreth, Boyer, and Erickson. 2021. “In Reply to ‘Hydroxychloroquine Overdose: What Are the Exact Roles of Diazepam and Potassium Infusion?’”. J Med Toxicol, 17, 1, Pp. 85-86. doi:10.1007/s13181-020-00812-5
Chai, Ferro, Kirshenbaum, Hayes, Culbreth, Boyer, and Erickson. 2021. “In Reply to ‘Hydroxychloroquine Overdose: What Are the Exact Roles of Diazepam and Potassium Infusion?’”. J Med Toxicol, 17, 1, Pp. 85-86. doi:10.1007/s13181-020-00812-5
2020
Michael DeLuca, Peter Chai, Eric Goralnick, and Timothy Erickson. 2020. “Five Decades of Global Chemical Terror Attacks: Data Analysis to Inform Training and Preparedness”. Disaster Med Public Health Prep, Pp. 1-12. doi:10.1017/dmp.2020.176
Michael DeLuca, Peter Chai, Eric Goralnick, and Timothy Erickson. 2020. “Five Decades of Global Chemical Terror Attacks: Data Analysis to Inform Training and Preparedness”. Disaster Med Public Health Prep, Pp. 1-12. doi:10.1017/dmp.2020.176
Sonny Patel, Robert Grace, Patrick Chellew, Mykola Prodanchuk, Olha Romaniuk, Yuriy Skrebets, Sergii Ryzhenko, and Timothy Erickson. 2020. “‘Emerging Technologies and Medical Countermeasures to Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Agents in East Ukraine’”. Conflict and Health, 14, Pp. 24. doi:10.1186/s13031-020-00279-9
Sonny Patel, Robert Grace, Patrick Chellew, Mykola Prodanchuk, Olha Romaniuk, Yuriy Skrebets, Sergii Ryzhenko, and Timothy Erickson. 2020. “‘Emerging Technologies and Medical Countermeasures to Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Agents in East Ukraine’”. Conflict and Health, 14, Pp. 24. doi:10.1186/s13031-020-00279-9
2018
Peter Chai, Bryan Hayes, Timothy Erickson, and Edward Boyer. 2018. “Novichok Agents: A Historical, Current, and Toxicological Perspective”. Toxicol Commun, 2, 1, Pp. 45-48. doi:10.1080/24734306.2018.1475151
Peter Chai, Bryan Hayes, Timothy Erickson, and Edward Boyer. 2018. “Novichok Agents: A Historical, Current, and Toxicological Perspective”. Toxicol Commun, 2, 1, Pp. 45-48. doi:10.1080/24734306.2018.1475151
Julia Brooks, Timothy Erickson, Stephanie Kayden, Raul Ruiz, Stephen Wilkinson, and Frederick Burkle. 2018. “Responding to Chemical Weapons Violations in Syria: Legal, Health, and Humanitarian Recommendations”. Confl Health, 12, Pp. 12. doi:10.1186/s13031-018-0143-3
Julia Brooks, Timothy Erickson, Stephanie Kayden, Raul Ruiz, Stephen Wilkinson, and Frederick Burkle. 2018. “Responding to Chemical Weapons Violations in Syria: Legal, Health, and Humanitarian Recommendations”. Confl Health, 12, Pp. 12. doi:10.1186/s13031-018-0143-3
2017
Peter Chai, Edward Boyer, Houssam Al-Nahhas, and Timothy B. Erickson. 2017. “Toxic Chemical Weapons of Assassination and Warfare: Nerve Agents VX and Sarin”. Toxicology Communications , 1, 1, Pp. 21-23
Peter Chai, Edward Boyer, Houssam Al-Nahhas, and Timothy B. Erickson. 2017. “Toxic Chemical Weapons of Assassination and Warfare: Nerve Agents VX and Sarin”. Toxicology Communications , 1, 1, Pp. 21-23
Features
Helping Ukrainians Help Themselves on International Medical Corps' website
Events
November 2024
- Ukraine CBRNe preparedness for healthcare and public health: CBRNe implications in humanitarian and conflict settings Webinar on zoom. Register here.
August 2024
- Traveled to Krakow, Poland along with MGH Center for Disaster Medicine to participate in a workshop hosted by the US Department of State Bureau of International Security & Nonproliferation working alongside Ukrainian officials to develop policies that support Ukraine's medical and public health response in the event of a nuclear detonation or chemical incident.
- X post
August 2023
- Building a CBRNE and Disaster Response Capability in Ukraine Accelerator Workshop at the Harvard Radcliffe Institue
- LinkedIn post
June 2023
- On the eve of CBRNe World's High Intensity CBRN 2023 in Warsaw, Poland, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative co-hosted a workshop 'Strengthening CBRNE Disaster Response Capacity in Ukraine' alongside Akademia Pożarnicza."
- LinkedIn post
