If academics working on dangerous pathogens must undergo periodic psychological assessments to ensure they are not mentally unbalanced as US army researcher Bruce Ivins seems to have had? At present, they are not. But the question was clearly on the table today at a meeting of the National Science Advisory Board on Biosecurity.
Over the past two years, the council has discussed that federal agencies, institutions and scientists need to do to prevent accidental or deliberate misuse of research in life sciences. In the wake of Ivins involvement in the 01 attacks the anthrax letters, NSABB now looking at ways to minimize the threat of a university scientist with access to deadly pathogens conducting a criminal or terrorist attack. While federal rules already require institutions and individuals who are researching some agents to submit to a security check, where Ivins, who committed suicide on July 29, has raised concerns about whether the procedures current are good enough.
The Board has not yet come with recommendations on the issue, but adding assessments of mental health screening process is a possibility. A member NSABB said Science as the Board may decide not to recommend new requirements at the end.
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