Dr Simon Whitby - Staff Profile

NameDr Simon Whitby
Contact PositionResearch Councils UK Senior Research Fellow, Director of Bradford Disarmament Research Centre
Email Addresss.whitby@bradford.ac.uk

Research Areas

 Arms control and disarmament

    * Biological and Nuclear Weapons

Simon continues his research into state offensive anti-crop biological warfare programmes with the publication in 2006 of a chapter titled: 'Anti-Crop Biological Weapons Programmes' in Malcolm Dando and Mark Wheelis (eds), Deadly Cultures: Biological Weapons Since 1945, Harvard University Press.

His work also continues on the characteristics and use of military programmes that target crops with biochemical agents with work during 2006 on single-authored book on the role of science policy advisors and the use of chemical herbicides and defoliants in Vietnam. Supported by the University of Bradford's research investment fund (RIF), the research centres around information and interviews obtained from science policy advisors based at Harvard University (Cambridge, Boston); and on research conducted at the US National Archive in Washington D.C.

In his new role as Head of the Bradford Disarmament Research Centre (BDRC), Simon has become involved in the oversight of inter alia the implementation of BDRC project obligations, finance, funding, staffing, reporting requirements, and capacity-building and the development and expansion of BDRC academic and policy-oriented research and teaching portfolio. During the first few months of the implementation of this new programme of work, Simon assisted in BDRC bio-weapons work across three related areas including progress with: science and biosecurity dialogue; regime development dialogue; and a wider genomics dialogue.

Together with Malcolm Dando he co-authored a contribution titled: `Article I: Scope', published in Bradford's Contribution to the Sixth Review Conference of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, entitled `Key Points for the Sixth Review Conference, 2006' He has also overseen the continued development of the Carnegie-funded Project website so as to facilitate the world-wide dissemination of the Bradford Key Points for the Sixth Review Conference and other related Bradford contributions; and has continued to oversee the further development of the Canadian-funded Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention Website (opbw.org).

2006 has also seen a focus on work on a paper on scientific and technological developments in plant biology of relevance to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention for publication in 2007. Also in preparation during 2006 for publication in  2007, and continuing this theme, is a paper on Scientific and Technological Developments, Military Programmes, the Evolution of the International Legal Prohibition, and the Development of a Domestic Response.

As well as continuing with research, administration and supervision of students (BA, MA, and PhD), during his first year as Research Councils United Kingdom (RCUK) Research Fellow, Simon is now also responsible for the development and implementation of arms control research-driven teaching as Principle Coordinator for Peace Studies Masters Course on Arms Control and Disarmament; and the further development of such provision at undergraduate level.

He administers the Canadian Government funded opbw.org website as well as other departmental websites (..Bradford Disarmament Research Centre, ..Strengthening the Chemical Weapons Convention and together with Carol Hutson, ..Peace Studies).

Further to his academic activities, In September 2001, he featured as the 'Bio-Warfare Expert' in the 'Quote UnQuote' section of the UK's FHM magazine (PDF).

Other Professional Interests

  • Guest Lecturer, 'Anti-Crop Biological Warfare and Its Control', Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Boston, 5th April 2000.
  • Guest Lecturer, 'State Agricultural Biological Warfare Programmes' Agro-Terrorism: What is the Threat?, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York State, 12 November 2000.
  • Guest Lecturer, 'The International Legal Prohibition Against Biological Warfare', International Association of University Presidents / UN Commission on Disarmament Education, Conflict Resolution and Peace, Universidad La Salle, Mexico City, Mexico, 2 April 2001.

 

Bibliography

  • Simon M. Whitby, Biological Warfare Against Crops, Palgrave (formerly Macmillan), November, 2001.


Biological Warfare Against Crops.Until now little attention has been paid to the development of military capabilities designed to target food crops with biological warfare agents. This book represents the first substantive study of state-run activities in this field. It shows that all biological warfare programmes have included a component concerned with the development of anti-crop biological warfare agents and munitions. Current concern over the proliferation of biological weapons is placed in the context of the initiative to strengthen the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. The book concludes by arguing that the risks posed by this form of warfare can be minimised, but that this would depend largely on the effective and efficient implementation of regimes concerning the peaceful use and control of plant pathogens that pose a risk to human health and the environment.

      Buy 'Biological Warfare Against Crops'.

  • Simon M. Whitby (with Malcolm R. Dando), 'Distinguishing Between Natural Disease Outbreaks and Deliberate Attacks on Humans Using Biological Weapons', in Dando, M., Pearson, G., and Kriz, B., (eds) Scientific and Technical Means of Distinguishing Between Natural and Other Outbreaks of Disease, NATO Science Series, 1. Disarmament Technologies, Vol. 35, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2001. External link to more information about 'Distinguishing Between Natural Disease Outbreaks and Deliberate Attacks on Humans Using Biological Weapons'.
  • Simon M. Whitby, 'The Potential of Plant Pathogens Against Crops', Microbes and Infection, Pasteur Institut, France, March, 2001, pp73-80.
  • Simon M. Whitby, 'Anti-Crop Biological Warfare: Implications for the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), and the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD)', in A. Russel and J. Vogler, The International Politics of Biotechnology: Investigating Global Futures, Manchester University Press, 2000.
  • Malcolm R. Dando and Simon M. Whitby, The Emerging BTWC Protocol: An Essential Prerequisite to Prevent Proliferation of Biological Weapons, Evidence submitted to the Foreign Affairs Committee Inquiry on Weapons of Mass Destruction, February 2000, HMSO.
  • Malcolm R. Dando and Simon M. Whitby, Technological Change and Biological Warfare, Global Dialogue, Volume 1, No.2, Autumn, 1999.
  • Paul Rogers, Simon M. Whitby, and Malcolm Dando, 'Biological Warfare against Crops', Scientific American, June, 1999, pp. 70 - 75.
  • Paul Rogers, Simon M. Whitby, and Malcolm Dando, 'The Grim Reapers', The Guardian, Wednesday, May 26, 1999.
  • Simon M. Whitby, review of Wendy Barnaby, The Plague Makers: The Secret World of Biological Warfare, in Medicine, Conflict and Survival, Vol.14, No.2, April - June, 1998, pp. 170 - 171.
  • Simon M. Whitby, 'Guerre aux Cultures!', Biofutur, No.178, Mai, 1998, pp.18 - 20.
  • Simon M. Whitby and Paul Rogers, 'Anti-Crop Biological Warfare - Implications of the Iraqi and US Programs', Defense Analysis, Vol. 13, No.3, 1997, pp. 303 - 318.
  • Paul Rogers and Simon Whitby, 'Peace Studies at the University of Bradford', in Rank, C (Ed), City of Peace: Bradford's Story, Bradford Libraries, 1997.
  • Paul Rogers, Simon M. Whitby, and Stephen Young, 'Nuclear Futures: The Role of Nuclear Weapons in Security Policy', BASIC Research Report, 96.1.
  • Paul Rogers and Simon M.Whitby, Conventional Weapons of Mass Destruction - Trends and Control, 'UK Policy on Weapons Proliferation and Arms Control in the Post-Cold Warf Era', Foreign Affairs Committee Second Report, Volume II, HMSO, 30 March 1995.